Something for everyone to disagree about

[tenngun]

I just made corned beef...salt horse. I treated it just like salt pork with pickiling spice added. No nitrates so it’s grey in color.
Soaked out like salt pork before cooking it makes a good hash or stew... but my wife won’t touch it as it looks unapitizing.

 

[coloradoclyde]

The Sodium nitrite is included because it inhibits/kills bacteria as well as affecting the taste and appearance of the food. Please see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_nitrite for further information (pardon the use of Wikipedia, but the basic nature of the material is a good starting point and references are provided)

When I looked up Prague Cure #1: Prague powder #1 contains 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% sodium chloride as per FDA and USDA regulations. (www.americanspice.com/prague-powder-no-1-pink-curing-salt/)

Thanks Black Hand,....

I was more wondering when the transition from just salt to the addition of nitrates occurred?

 

[satx78247]

Laughing AT you, inasmuch as Wikipedia is FILLED with gossip, foolishness, inaccurate data, utter nonsense, Bravo Sierra, leftist/slanted propaganda & other FALSE stuff.
(In one OBVIOUS/well-known mistake of fact, Wikipedia for weeks identified the inventor of the vaccine for polio as Alexander Fleming, rather than Jonas Salk.)

I don't know of even ONE educated person, who would state that Wikipedia is even close to being factually correct in every case..

yours, satx

 

[coloradoclyde]

Opps! never mind....Wiki had the answer...

 

[coloradoclyde]

I don't know of even ONE educated person


yours, satx

I belive you....

who would state that Wikipedia is even close to being factually correct in every case..

You also don't understand how peer review works.

 

[Black Hand]

who would state that Wikipedia is even close to being factually correct in every case..

You also don't understand how peer review works.

There also seems to be considerable confusion as to what constitutes factual information that has been verified. I wouldn't count WHO monographs, Cancer Research and Nitric Oxide as purveyors of

gossip, foolishness, inaccurate data, utter nonsense, Bravo Sierra, leftist/slanted propaganda & other FALSE stuff.

 

[tenngun]

There was a man who lived the most healthy life. He ate right exercised, didn’t smoke and didn’t drink. Used all his safety equipment ant though he had fun he shied away from inherently unsafe past times. He stayed away from the bad parts of town.
He died.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I wonder how much of a role the lack of refrigeration played....in the adoption of nitrates as an ingredient?

 

[tenngun]

Largely nitrates keep color, salt kills bugs, so do nitrates. That’s all food preservation is about. Dry it so there is no water for bugs to eat, or salt or sugar it to a point where bugs can’t eat it. Spices smoke ect is there to make it taste good. I remember Billy Bud from Melville, “the food is hot and there is plenty, the only thing I don’t like is the taste.”

 

[Black Hand]

I wonder how much of a role the lack of refrigeration played....in the adoption of nitrates as an ingredient?

I think we also need to distinguish between salting and curing.

Salting appears to be done for preservation of items that would be cooked - e.g. Country hams, salted beef/pork/fish and similar. The ultimate goal being to preserve/mummify for long-term storage/transport. These items are soaked to remove excess salt before cooking and are hard enough to pound nails before rehydration.

Curing appears to be done primarily on items that are consumed as is - Ham, Salami (though some are fermented to cure), Sausages and other similar items. These have a higher amount of water present and may require refrigeration and/or cooking.

Bacon and other products appear to fall in both categories depending on how they were made.

Smoking adds another level of complexity and confusion.

Just my musings on the topic...

 

[satx78247]

LOOKS YUM to me.

yours, satx

 

[satx78247]

YEP. As Jim Morrison, famous lead singer of The Doors, said frequently, "Ain't nobody getting out of here alive."
(Morrison passed away on 03JUL71.)

yours, satx

 

[coloradoclyde]

Bacon and other products appear to fall in both categories depending on how they were made.

I think that is where I got lost....
Good points.... :thumbsup:

 

[Bo T]

In my mind, in the past, the cost was starvation, the benefit survival. In this age we live much longer lives, in many cases, which allows the negative effects of many things to manifest themselves. In the case of the botulism toxin, simply cooking the preserved food long and hot enough will eliminate the problem.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Heating to high temperatures will kill the spores. Temperature greater than boiling (212°F) is needed to kill spores so pressure cookers are recommended for home canning (reaching at least 250-250°F). The toxin is heat-labile though and can be destroyed at > 185°F after five minutes or longer, or at > 176°F for 10 minutes or longer. Boiling homecanned foods for 10 minutes or longer is recommended.

 

[Black Hand]

Heating to high temperatures will kill the spores. Temperature greater than boiling (212°F) is needed to kill spores so pressure cookers are recommended for home canning (reaching at least 250-250°F).

This is why autoclaves (and pressure cookers) work as they do: 250F and 15ATM of pressure kills spores. Boiling just won't kill spores though it will kill many bacteria we encounter (here away from undersea volcanic vents).

 

[coloradoclyde]

Nitrate/nitrites also contribute to gout. They are metabolized in the liver and converted to uric acid....which causes gout and gout related arthritis.

 

[Black Hand]

Nitrate/nitrites also contribute to gout. They are metabolized in the liver and converted to uric acid....which causes gout and gout related arthritis.

Better said - could cause/contribute to gout.
Uric acid is excreted by the kidneys. High levels can cause problems, though it's not guaranteed.

 

[coloradoclyde]

OK....

 

[Bo T]

Dang, I wondered what caused my tofi on my toe.