Homemade Bacon

I had a pig butchered and have 20 lbs of beautiful side pork. I could of swore someone on here had a diy bacon recipe that didn't require Nitrates. Anyone have suggestions on how to make bacon without nitrates?

I just made some with the Hi Mountain cure. Not sure if that works for you but it turned out good.

Have you tried utube? lots of stuff on there on bacon. Nitrates or not.
just

I make bacon all the time we havent bought store bought bacon in a couple years. That said my recipe is very simple, 2% plain salt by weight, rub it on the meat, place it in a ziplock and stick it in the fridge, cure it 1 day per 1/4" of thickness, rinse pat dry and smoke

How long do you smoke yours?

Ill do that if I can't get a good answer here but I'm very certain someone on here had a thread and it seemed like they had a great handle on it.



When you say "cure it" you mean just let it sit in the fridge with the salt and nothing else correct?

I’m pretty sure ADC has done bacon like that.

You can find 100 different bacon recipes if you look it up. I have posted the one I use several times. Some are as simple as salt and brown sugar. I have made it that way and would not say I think it is the best I have made.

Yes curing is just salt, and as far as smoking goes, that'll depend on your smoker, i've got my rig fugured out at, one stick of maple, and half a chimney of charcoal, and jyst let it go till it goes out, but thats my smoker , just smoke it on the cooler side untill it gets a nice mahogany bark and you'll be pleased

Yes curing is just salt, and as far as smoking goes, that'll depend on your smoker, i've got my rig fugured out at, one stick of maple, and half a chimney of charcoal, and just let it go till it goes out, but thats my smoker , just smoke it on the cooler side until it gets a nice mahogany bark and you'll be pleased

Appreciated.

You're welcome

Before you smoke anything without using nitrates for cure, look up botulism and how it works. Nitrates the goats blood you put above the door so death passes you by.

Worst bacon I've ever had was still purty (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) 👍

Just did my first batch of buckboard bacon using HiMounatin s


easoning. It needed more seasoning but turned out really good. Love how lean is. Will never buy bacon again.

I've read Nitrates don't actually prevent Botulism, I'll link an article.
https://www.theguardian.com/food/20...tives-meat-industry-confidential--report

https://trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/7404372/makin-bacon-or-whatever-you-call-it

An alternative viewpoint.........so do these articles that claim nitrate is good as long as the source is vegan and not meat............do they claim or prove that botulism spores don't go active in warm, moist anaerobic conditions found in hot and cold smokers? Or that nitrate does not prevent botulism spores from going active?

https://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage-making/meat-safety/botulism#google_vignette

Nitrates and nitrites, preserve color, so your bacon is pink, salt cures, bacon was made for generations before the discovery of nitrates

The claim is that spores go active with or without the presence of nitrates and they go active at the same rate In each scenario.

Wife would prefer to not use nitrates.

IF you get active botulism spores. (you might also win the lottery) cooking renders it harmless. Not eating raw bacon not only protects you from botulism but also parasites.

Been a few billion tons of pork beef venison and who knows what all preserved with salt over the last few thousand years.

Per 5#
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup kosher salt. Mix both together. I saved an old parmesan cheese shaker to apply.
Cut meat into sizes that will fit into 1-2 gallon ziplock bags. Coat all sides of the meat with mixture. Place in ziplock bags and rotate daily for 6-7 days. Take out and rinse. Leave overnight in fridge to dry and smoke the next day. I run the smoker around 200 deg until internal of 150 deg.

Thank you

Apparently you can get the same results as nitrates by using celery or carrot juice.
Saw that on utube.
just

When I smoke bacon I cold smoke it. Bacon is still raw when I am done. Gets cooked in a skillet.

Smoked mine at 200 degrees for 4 hours internal temp of 145 deg. Used my Camp Chef XXL Smoker. Turned out great.

It might work.....since those vegetables have about 50X more nitrate in them than cured meat does.

Before I'd go too far down the road of smoking meats without cure, I'd suggest one ought to get a copy of this book and see what author has to say about smoking meats without cure........all 25+ pages of it. Botulism toxin.......the most potent form of food poison known to man?

https://www.amazon.com/Great-Sausage-Recipes-Curing-Fourth/dp/0578275228

👍👍I got a batch going right now. Ready to smoke on Sunday

I've got that book and it has a great deal of info. I would recommend anyone that is doing any home curing/sausage making to buy it.