I hope someone here can answer some questions about Cure #1 & Cure #2 for better understanding.
I generally understand the difference between the two. However here is my dilemma.
I'm making air dry sausages from venison ground meat. I'm not using a chamber but rather waiting the temperatures to drop below 40F and hanging them outside and/or in my garage. After sausages are cured I vacuum seal them and put them in the freezer for months or until they last (about a year). Later when I need them I take out couple of them and put them in the fridge until I consume them. Since the sausages are not to be cooked, but dry cured and consumed like that I decided to use Prague Powder #2 (2.5 grams per one kilo of meat). However my drying time is between 10 & 14 days. I hear Cure #2 is to be used if curing time is at least 30 days. So here are my questions:
1. After sausages cure in 10-14 days are they safe to consume immediately?
2. Will the nitrate from cure #2 break down in the freezer and how long does it take?
3. If the nitrate does NOT break down in the freezer will it break down if I vac seal the sausages and leave them in the fridge for a month? How about if I leave them vac sealed in a room temperature?
4. Should I use Prague Powder #1 instead in my case?
I generally understand the difference between the two. However here is my dilemma.
I'm making air dry sausages from venison ground meat. I'm not using a chamber but rather waiting the temperatures to drop below 40F and hanging them outside and/or in my garage. After sausages are cured I vacuum seal them and put them in the freezer for months or until they last (about a year). Later when I need them I take out couple of them and put them in the fridge until I consume them. Since the sausages are not to be cooked, but dry cured and consumed like that I decided to use Prague Powder #2 (2.5 grams per one kilo of meat). However my drying time is between 10 & 14 days. I hear Cure #2 is to be used if curing time is at least 30 days. So here are my questions:
1. After sausages cure in 10-14 days are they safe to consume immediately?
2. Will the nitrate from cure #2 break down in the freezer and how long does it take?
3. If the nitrate does NOT break down in the freezer will it break down if I vac seal the sausages and leave them in the fridge for a month? How about if I leave them vac sealed in a room temperature?
4. Should I use Prague Powder #1 instead in my case?
