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Cause of Failure in Curing Meats

This record discusses causes of failure in curing meats and provides guidance on brine composition and temperature control.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
By B. Heller & Co · From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 10 ingredients
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Cause of Failure in Curing Meats

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Boil water to make brine.

  2. Clean barrel with scalding hot water.

  3. Place refrigerated meat in barrel.

  4. Keep barrel in a room at 40‑45°F.

  5. Prepare brine: 8 lb common salt, 1 lb Freeze‑Em‑Pickle, 2 lb granulated sugar, 5 gal cold water.

Cure

  1. Submerge meat in brine and cure for 10‑15 days.

  2. Use only fresh meats that have been thoroughly chilled.

By B. Heller & Co. Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.

Explore the science

What each ingredient does

Common salt
Draws out moisture and seasons the meat while slowing spoilage.
Granulated sugar
Adds mild sweetness and balances the harshness of the salt.

The step that matters

Keep the barrel at 40‑45°F during the cure. Cold temperatures slow the growth of spoilage bacteria while the salt and sugar penetrate the meat, so warmer storage raises the risk of spoilage.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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