Curing Salt Calculator
Calculate Prague Powder #1 or #2 (pink curing salt) for bacon, ham, sausage or salami by meat weight: grams and teaspoons of cure, ingoing nitrite ppm, plus salt and sugar for the dry cure.
How it works
cure = meat weight × 0.25% (2.5 g per kg, about 1 level tsp per 5 lb) · nitrite ppm = cure × 6.25% ÷ meat × 10⁶ ≈ 156 ppm · salt to add = meat × salt % − salt already in the cure · sugar = meat × sugar %
Curing salts are table salt with a measured amount of sodium nitrite (and, in Cure #2, sodium nitrate), dyed pink so they are never mistaken for ordinary salt. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service caps ingoing nitrite at 156 ppm for comminuted products such as sausage — exactly what 0.25% Cure #1 (6.25% nitrite) delivers — and the same rate is the standard home dose for bacon, ham and whole-muscle dry rubs. Cure #2 is used at the same rate for long dry-cured products such as salami and prosciutto, where the nitrate slowly turns into nitrite over weeks. An equilibrium cure weighs everything as a percentage of the meat, so the result cannot become too salty no matter how long it cures.
Worked example
For 2 kg of pork belly with Cure #1: cure = 2,000 g × 0.25% = 5.0 g (about 0.88 level tsp), giving 156 ppm of nitrite. At 2.5% total salt the cure already supplies 4.7 g of salt, so add 45.3 g of salt, plus 20.0 g of sugar at 1%.
Sources: USDA FSIS — Curing and smoking meats / nitrite limits (9 CFR 424.21) · National Center for Home Food Preservation — Curing and smoking meats
Frequently asked questions
How much pink curing salt per kg of meat?
2.5 g of Cure #1 (Prague Powder #1) per kilogram of meat, or 1 level teaspoon per 5 lb — 0.25% of the meat weight. That gives 156 ppm of nitrite, the USDA limit for ground and mixed products.
What is the difference between Cure #1 and Cure #2?
Cure #1 contains 6.25% sodium nitrite and is for anything cooked, smoked or eaten within a few weeks: bacon, ham, sausages, jerky, corned beef. Cure #2 adds 4% sodium nitrate for products dry-cured for months, such as salami, coppa and prosciutto.
Can I use too much curing salt?
Yes — nitrite is toxic in large amounts, which is why it is sold diluted in salt and dyed pink. Weigh it on a gram scale rather than guessing, and never use more than the recommended 0.25% for a dry cure.
How long should bacon cure?
In an equilibrium dry cure, about 7 days per 2.5 cm (1 inch) of thickness in the fridge, turning the bag daily — a typical belly takes 7–10 days. Rinse, dry and then smoke or roast it to 66 °C (150 °F).
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Follow USDA or your local food-safety rules for cured meats; weigh curing salt accurately and keep it away from table salt.