bacon cure time.

[bigtim665]

I have two cut in half loins curing for CB. Put them in on tuesday after noon about 7 with tenderquik. One tablespoon per pound and there about 10 pounds each and normal thickness. DO you think they would be ready tomorrow or should I wait till tuesday. 1 day per 1/4 inch should be 6 days for three inchs to center. I would guess their about that thick

[curious aardvark]

should be fine.
Easy way to check just cut one in half.
If it's pink all the way through it's done :-)
And if it's not - stick it back in the bag for a couple days.

[GOT14U]

What ^^ he said also just do a fry test....If you go to long it will get saltier but that can be fixed by soaking in water for some time and test frying every hour or so till you find what you like..good luck !

[bigtim665]

last summer I normaly ran 7 days and had no issues. I fully cook mine so it is ready eat. One time
I went 10 days as it was a thick loin. I miss that loin. Though the cook by date was saturday and I worry about letting them go much longer.

[curious aardvark]

you can leave them as long as you like.
assuming you've used the right amount of cure and salt - they won't get more salty as time goes by.
i tend to wait till most of the liquid that comes out in the first few days is reabsorbed.

most things get at least a week, I don't worry about it any more.

[Whisky Fish]

you can leave them as long as you like.
assuming you've used the right amount of cure and salt - they won't get more salty as time goes by.
i tend to wait till most of the liquid that comes out in the first few days is reabsorbed.

most things get at least a week, I don't worry about it any more.

This is one of the most important things I have learned here. Once I get my mix right I leave it for the work week and it's ready for me to play with the following weekend. And I too, don't worry about it anymore.

[scotth]

1 day per 1/4 inch should be 6 days for three inchs to center.

From Shooter Rick's tutorial:Curing times: You should figure 1 day cure time per ¼ inch from center of meat out. In other words measure the total thickness of the meat and divide by 2. Divide this result by 0.25....I always add 2 days to the formula cure time just to be sure.

Is the loin 6" tall? That sounds like a monster pig.
6"/2 =3" from center. 3"/ .25" = 12 days.
If it is 3" tall, that is 1.5" from center = 6 days.
These calculations are before adding the 2 extra days.

Morton's recommends 7 days per inch from center. That would be 21 days for a 6" hunk of pig or 10.5 if it is 3" tall.

My first pair of CB's are curing right now. The larger of the two is 3" tall. My schedule works out so I'll split the difference and smoke after 8 days. I'll get my own thread together with some pictures after I smoke.

i tend to wait till most of the liquid that comes out in the first few days is reabsorbed.

most things get at least a week, I don't worry about it any more.

Is this a timing thing, or do you want the liquid reabsorbed? I had a leak out of one of my ziptop bags. The liquid leaked onto the pan I had under the bags, so it wasn't a huge mess. But will I miss the liquid? does it contain the cure? Both of my bags are pretty dry at this point, 7 days in... One is the more savory "Shooters Canadian Bacon", which will get the cracked pepper crust before hitting the smoke, the other got sugar and TQ and will get more sugar and maybe some maple syrup before smoking.