Cure & Salt Calculator
Standard dosing for Cure #1 (6.25% sodium nitrite) at the widely published home-curing rate. Always follow your cure product's own package instructions.
How this works
This follows the widely published home-curing guideline for Cure #1, which is 6.25% sodium nitrite blended with salt — a standardized commercial product designed to be dosed by weight of meat rather than guessed by eye. The kosher/curing salt figure is a separate, general seasoning-salt guideline on top of the actual nitrite cure.
Always defer to your product's own label
Curing salt dosing is a genuine food-safety matter — too little doesn't adequately protect against bacterial growth, and too much can be harmful. This calculator gives the commonly published starting rate, but the package instructions on your specific cure product are the authority to follow, since formulations and concentrations can differ between brands.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cure #1 the same as regular table salt?
No — Cure #1 is a specific commercial product (6.25% sodium nitrite blended with salt) formulated for curing, not interchangeable with plain table or kosher salt for anything beyond same-day fresh preparation.
What happens if I use too little cure?
Under-dosing curing salt can fail to adequately protect against bacterial growth, which is a genuine food-safety issue — always follow your specific product's own package instructions rather than guessing.
Do I need cure for a wet brine too?
Yes, if you're curing (as opposed to just flavoring) — the nitrite cure amount here applies regardless of dry or wet method, with the wet method adding a separate water quantity to make the brine.
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