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Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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I am going to put this in this section and I hope people read it.
It is about products going around saying all natural uncured bacon. It will say all natural no nitrites or nitrates added with an asterisk. What this people are doing is ripping you off. Here is what the USDA is requiring at this time and for some part good reason. If the bacon hasn't had added nitrites to it it cannot be called cured. So the folks have to say it is uncured. Guys this is a complete and total lie being shoved onto the public and it is at this time legal. If you look at the ingredients it will have celery powder or juice added. Well guess what this is where they are getting the preservatives and you guessed it nitrites or nitrates. If it is nitrates it breaks down into nitrites. All plants have this in them so you aren't going to get away from it. Then there is the big deal about this stuff causing cancer well this isn't correct either. If it were vegetarians would be dying by the droves. Think about it the next time you juice your vegetables like beets and celery in the morning. You have just consumed enough to cure a big chunk of meat. What does cause cancer is something called Nitrosamines. This happens when nitrites are heated to an very hot temperature like burning cured meat. I used to cure meat with potassium nitrate and had to buy it from the drug store. It is very poisonous in its pure form. Now I use a product call Insta cure # 1 and #2. What does this stuff do for us. It kills bacteria including botulism. This is what allows us to be able to hang meat and smoke it without getting sick. The other way is to use salt and dry the meat out but you have to have your game on to do it. Without the moisture the bacteria cant grow and the salt will dry out the bacteria. The old recipes for making some types of uncooked sausage call for wine. The wine makes the meat acidic to kill the bacteria. Sausage is a perfect environment for botulism to grow. Again you have to have your game on or dont even try it. Here is a word of advice while we are on smoking. One of the worst products they ever sold was the big turkey smoker. Not to say it doesn't wok but people misuse them due to ignorance. here is what can happen. You dont know a thing about preservatives and smoking meat. You go out and buy a turkey or some other chunk of meat and it is crawling with lord knows what. You put the thing in the smoker and let it smoke for several hours if not days. (My father in law did this and I wouldn't eat the thing.) ![]() If you are smoking at a low enough and true smoking temperature the inside of the meat and bones will spoil before it is cooked. Now back to Bacon. If you are spending a ton of money on this all natural uncured bacon you are being hoodwinked. I have read that soon the USDA is going to change the rules and the bacon will say cured. Just read the label on this stuff the next time you see it. Worth |
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