When you are making sausages at home, the type of fat you want to use depends sometimes on the type of fat you can get. The big assumption is that all fat is the same – but it is not quite like that. When making sausages it’s either the fresh sausage, smoked/cooked (hot smoked) sausage or a type of dry-cured …
Can I Cure Meat Without Nitrates/Nitrites (Pink Curing Salt)
Over the years I’ve done a lot of meat curing using sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite. Another name for these is pink curing salt. A question that comes up a lot around here, is whether you need to use them to make cured meats. Curing meat also has a wide meaning, whether it’s dry cured or smoked/cooked (hot smoking). So …
What Salami Does Not Need to be Refrigerated? (And Types)
Some salami needs to be kept in the refrigerator and some do not. I have made salami for a few decades and this question people ask often wanting to take salami on a trip or holiday. Even though there are thousands of variations of salamis, most of the ones I make don’t need refrigeration because there are a dry cured …
InkBird Humidity Controller Review
I want to give some insight about InkBird humidity controllers since this is a key component to review when you’re looking at building a DIY meat curing chamber. Or you may have other projects needing an environmentally controlled environment with a humidity controller. Primarily I’m using the humidity controller for salami fermentation and growing mushrooms. When I first started off …
Bad Molds, Good Molds and Cured Meat – Pictures too
When it comes to curing meat especially dry-cured meat over a few months or more, the aspects of mold are one of the more challenging hurdles I’ve found in the beginning. There’s not a lot of detail online or in many of the meat curing books that I’ve read about the good mold and the bad mold. So I hope …
What Meat Mincer to make Salami or Fresh Sausages?
When it comes to mincing meat for salami and sausages there are some subtleties and mincer/grinder designs which I think you want in your equipment. Over the years I used many different types of meat mincers – from the cheap ones to more expensive ones, through to commercial equipment. Often guys who come to this blog eat cured meat are …
Do I Need to add Curing Salt to Bacon?
Adding curing salt to your bacon is one of those things that many new meat curers ask. It’s also a question that often comes up here on my blog, so I thought I would share many years of research and give you some facts about it. I’ll go into it, how I do it and how I approach it. I …
Dry Cured Meats of New Zealand
There are a few dry-curing meat producers in New Zealand but due to globalization, you can get now many imported portions of meat from Spain or Italy. However, in New Zealand, some areas have the quality of the soil, farming practices, feed, and dedication to animal husbandry which produces the outcomes that are desired. After studying, making and writing about …
Cured Meat vs. Processed Meat (Insights and Links)
Is there a difference between cured meat versus processed meat? Since this site is all about cured meats, I’ve dived in deep to what is the differences and some misinformation that exists around the interweb too. Looking closer at how meat is prepared, you can begin to appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into the process. It’s not like following a …
Why Choose a Vertical or a Horizontal Sausage Stuffer?
Choosing a sausage stuffer can be a difficult decision- why choose a vertical or horizontal stuffer? Apart from shape what can you expect. I had exactly the same question. Whether you are a newbie or are an experienced sausage stuffer, you likely recognize that using a device that was specifically designed for this purpose is a must. There are two …