3rd bacon - maple cure

[shellbellc]

Didn't take as many pictures of our third batch, I thought I did, but I can't find them...anyway, I used a pre-made maple cure from the sausagemaker.com. Cured up for 8 days, and then smoked over hickory. Sorry for not having the money shot! I actually still have two small slabs in the freezer so I can still add to this! This was our favorite bacon so far. I want to find a way to reproduce this flavor without buying the sausagemaker maple cure. (The maple cure has a big label that says ham cure, but also includes directions for belly curing.)

These two were our biggest bellies so far, here's one of them
bacon3.1.jpg
This is how we get them, in a loose bag. We usually pick up on Wednesday afternoon from the Tuesday butchering.
bacon3.2.jpg
Cure just rubbed in before the heading to the fridge.
bacon3.3.jpg
Two of the slabs out of the smoker. This was another looonngg cold smoke. We put sterno in a few times because the temps were in the teens and lower at night!
bacon3.4.jpg

[HawgHeaven]

You nailed that!!! Not sure, but I believe there is a "Beacon of Bacon" award out there somewhere... YEAH!!!

[Meat Hunter]

Very nice.
I have got to get on this bacon gig soon.

[shellbellc]

shellbellc

Props and :poi nts: for the maple bacon.

I noticed in you're last picture it's a different colort hen my baco, that's wierd!

Did you use cure #2? And did you cold smoke yours?

This was a pre-made cure by sausagemaker, not sure what cure they use in their mix. I cold smoke, this for like 48 hours, I smoke it until I get a good color change.

[DanMcG]

Great lookin bacon Shellbellc! How was it for maple flavor?
I've tried my own mixes with maple sugar, maple syrup and premixed maple cures and have yet to get a real noticeable maple flavor like I'm looking for. My next atempt will be with maple powder. I also picked up some fenugreek for another batch, which is suppose to be what they use to make imitation maple syrup.
Thanks For sharing the pic's!