
In food preparation, curing refers to various preservation and flavoring processes, especially of meat or fish, by the addition of a combination of salt, sugar and either nitrate Nitrate is a polyatomic ion with the molecular formula NO⁻₃ and a molecular mass of 62.0049 u. Organic compounds that contain the nitrate ester as a functional group are also called nitrates.Nitrate
What is the purpose of curing food?
2. Curing Foods Curing is the addition to meats of some combination of salt, sugar, nitrite and/or nitrate for the purposes of preservation, flavor and color. Some publications distinguish the use of salt alone as salting, corning or salt curingand reserve the word curing for the use of salt with nitrates/nitrites.
What does curing mean in chemistry?
Curing (chemistry) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Curing is a chemical process employed in polymer chemistry and process engineering that produces the toughening or hardening of a polymer material by cross-linking of polymer chains.
What is the difference between curing and salting?
Curing is the addition to meats of some combination of salt, sugar, nitrite and/or nitrate for the purposes of preservation, flavor and color. Some publications distinguish the use of salt alone as salting, corning or salt curingand reserve the word curing for the use of salt with nitrates/nitrites.
What is curing of concrete?
Curing takes place immediately after concrete placing and finishing, and involves maintenance of desired moisture and temperature conditions, both at depth and near the surface, for extended periods of time.

How do you make a cure mix?
Mix up a basic cure of salt (non-iodized), sugar (brown and/or white), and curing salt #1 (sodium nitrite): 2 parts salt to 1 part sugar and 15% curing salt #1 compared to the weight of the salt.
Which is an example of a curing?
If you want to have a crack at dry curing (or wet brining) bacon, check out a guide below....50 Interesting Examples of Cured Meats.1. Hot Smoked Bacon5. Biltong/Jerky11. Gravalax15. Culatello21. Sujuk25. Salami31. Liverwurst35. Anchovies41. Ch'arki45. Sukuti8 more columns
What is the main ingredient of curing?
SaltSalt (sodium chloride) is one of the oldest ingredients used for meat preservation and one that is fundamental to all cured meat products. Salt, in terms of quantity and frequency of use, is the most common ingredient in cured meats.
Can I use regular salt instead of curing salt?
The curing could be done with any kind of salt, but experts recommend avoiding iodized salt. While iodized salt would still have the preservation properties, the iodine it contains can give the cured meat an unpleasant taste.
What is curing explain?
What Does Curing Mean? Curing is a process during which a chemical reaction (such as polymerization) or physical action (such as evaporation) takes place, resulting in a harder, tougher or more stable linkage (such as an adhesive bond) or substance (such as concrete).
What are the purpose of curing?
Curing plays an important role on strength development and durability of concrete. Curing takes place immediately after concrete placing and finishing, and involves maintenance of desired moisture and temperature conditions, both at depth and near the surface, for extended periods of time.
What is the five curing ingredients?
Curing ingredients and their functions:Salt [NaCl] ... Sugar. ... Nitrates, nitrites, curing salt. ... Phosphates. ... Ascorbates, Erythorbates, Ascorbic Acid. ... Binders, fillers, emulsifiers – usually added for economic reasons. ... Extenders. ... Flavoring agents – flavor improvement, bacterial inhibition, color improvement, antioxidant function.More items...
What are the methods of curing?
Methods of Curing ConcreteWater Curing.Wet Covering.Formwork Curing.Membrane Curing.Sheet Curing.Curing by Absorbing Heat.Hot mixing method.Electrical curing.More items...
What type of salt should be used in curing Why?
Pink salt, also known as curing salt No. 1, is a nitrate, a combination of sodium chloride — table salt — and nitrite, a preserving agent used to deter the growth of bacteria in cured meats.
Can I make my own curing salt?
It really isn't difficult to make your own curing salt in your kitchen, as all you have to do is mix two main ingredients together. The first ingredient that you will need is 1 oz of sodium nitrite, and the second ingredient that you will need is 1 pound of table salt.
Can I use Himalayan pink salt for curing?
Himalayan pink salt can be used for meat curing, however, it does contain more trace minerals compared to sea salt. This may influence meat curing results. There is a large difference between Himalayan Pink Salt and Pink Curing Salt.
Is pink Himalayan salt curing salt?
Himalayan pink salt contains no sodium nitrate/nitrate, therefore, it is not a curing salt it is normal salt for cooking and seasoning.
What is curing in food?
Curing Foods. Curing is the addition to meats of some combination of salt, sugar, nitrite and/or nitrate for the purposes of preservation, flavor and color. Some publications distinguish the use of salt alone as salting, corning or salt curingand reserve the word curing for the use of salt with nitrates/nitrites.
What is curing Mcq?
1. What is curing? Explanation: Curing refers to hydration, the chemical process by which concrete hardens once it is poured.
What is curing in food production?
Curing is any of various food preservation and flavoring processes of foods such as meat, fish and vegetables, by the addition of salt, with the aim of drawing moisture out of the food by the process of osmosis.
What are the methods of curing?
Methods of Curing ConcreteWater Curing.Wet Covering.Formwork Curing.Membrane Curing.Sheet Curing.Curing by Absorbing Heat.Hot mixing method.Electrical curing.More items...
Curing process
Figure 1: Structure of a cured epoxy glue. The triamine hardener is shown in red, the resin in black. The resin's epoxide groups have reacted with the hardener. The material is highly crosslinked and contains many OH groups, which confer adhesive properties.
Curing induced by additives
Figure 2: General representation of the chemical structure of vulcanized natural rubber showing the crosslinking of two polymer chains ( blue and green) with sulfur (n = 0, 1, 2, 3 …).
Curing without additives
In the case of concrete, curing entails the formation of silicate crosslinks. The process is not induced by additives.
Monitoring methods
Cure monitoring is, for example, an essential component for the control of the manufacturing process of composite materials . The material, initially liquid, at the end of the process will be solid: viscosity is the most important property that changes during the process.
What Is Cured Meat?
Cured meat is made via processes that remove moisture from the meat through osmosis which in turn draws out potentially harmful bacteria. Most processes call for a mixture of salt and natural or synthetically derived nitrates that work to regulate moisture loss and preserve qualities such as color, flavor, and longevity.
When Was Cured Meat Invented?
Curing meats is an ancient art that dates all the way back to 3000 B.C. Historians have found evidence of ancient people living in Mesopotamia preserving meat and fish in sesame oil and salt. This technique provided them with a source of protein during colder months when food was scarce and proved vital to their survival.
Methods For Curing Meats
When it comes to the process of curing meat, each method falls into two categories: wet or dry. The main difference between the two is that wet curing involves a liquid brine while dry curing does not.
Natural vs. Synthetic Nitrates
Nitrates (NO3) and nitrites (NO2) are compounds that occur naturally in the human body and in certain foods. In meat, nitrites turn into nitric oxide which reacts with proteins in the meat, changing its color and helping to preserve it for safe consumption.
Types of Cured Meat
If you’ve ever been to an Italian restaurant, tapas bar, or local deli, then you’ve most likely encountered a few different types of cured meats.
Is Cured Meat Safe to Eat?
We understand how the idea of curing meat by leaving it out at room temperature for long periods of time may not sound the most appealing, let alone safe. Unlike that chicken breast that you took out of the fridge a few days ago, cured meat is safe to eat as long as proper safety guidelines are followed.
How Long Will Cured Meat Stay Fresh?
The amount of salt used in the preparation of cured meat helps it to stay fresh for long periods of time. According to The National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP), most whole cured meats can be sealed and kept fresh for many months. If you have opened the package, it is recommended to consume within one week.
2.3. Cure Mixtures
For the home food preserver, measuring small batches of cure for nitrites or nitrates would require an analytical scale that few consumers have access to. Therefore, some manufacturers sell premixed salt and nitrate/nitrite curing mixes for easy home use.
2.4. Combination Curing
Some current recipes for curing have vinegar, citrus juice, or alcohol as ingredients for flavor. Addition of these chemicals in sufficient quantities can contribute to the preservation of the food being cured.
2.5. Flavor of Cured Meats
Besides preservation, the process of curing introduces both a desired flavor and color. Cured meat flavor is thought to be a composite result of the flavors of the curing agents and those developed by bacterial and enzymatic action.
2.6. Color of Cured Meats
A high concentration of salt promotes the formation of an unattractive gray color within some meat. Nitrate when used for some dry-cured, non-cooked meats is reduced to nitrite then to nitric oxide, which reacts with myoglobin (muscle pigment) to produce the red or pink cured color.
What is Curing of Concrete?
Curing is the process of maintaining the moisture of freshly placed concrete to complete the hydration process and to ensure proper hardening, attaining desirable strength and durability.
Purpose of Curing
The following are the purposes of the curing of concrete summarized below
Importance of Curing
The curing protects the concrete surface from sun and wind. Curing imparts better strength to the concrete. The durability and impermeability of concrete are increased by proper curing.
Curing Period
To develop design strength the concrete has to be cured for up to 28 days. As the rate of hydration and hence the rate of development of strength reduced with time. It is not worthwhile to cure for the full period of 28 days.
Conclusion
These are the complete guide about the curing of concrete. I hope I have covered all the information about the curing of concrete.
Step 1
Mix the salt and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Stir until they are completely blended.
Step 2
Add the paprika and saltpeter to the salt and sugar mixture. Stir until they are completely blended.
Step 3
Spoon or pour the curing mixture into a large airtight jar or plastic container. Store the curing mixture in a cool, dry place for up to six months, or until ready for use.
Curing Salt Substitutes
The following curing salt substitutes can save the quality and taste of your food without using nitrates.
Curing Salt Substitute for Jerky
If you like jerky meat, you might be wondering how to preserve it best. Jerky meat is meat cut in thin slices and dried with curing salts. But can you enjoy your favorite jerky meat without adding curing salt? Fortunately, yes you can.
Conclusion
You can replace your regular curing salt with one of the substitutes in this guide and your food will last longer at the quality you want it to have.

Overview
Curing without additives
In the case of concrete, curing entails the formation of silicate crosslinks. The process is not induced by additives.
In many cases, the resin is provided as a solution or mixture with a thermally-activated catalyst, which induces crosslinking but only upon heating. For example, some acrylate-based resins are formulated with dibenzoyl peroxide. Upon heating the mixture, the peroxide converts to a free ra…
Curing process
During the curing process, single monomers and oligomers, mixed with or without a curing agent, react to form a tridimensional polymeric network.
In the very first part of the reaction branches of molecules with various architectures are formed, and their molecular weight increases in time with the extent of the reaction until the network size is equal to the size of the system. …
Curing induced by additives
Epoxy resins are typically cured by the use of additives, often called hardeners. Polyamines are often used. The amine groups ring-open the epoxide rings.
In rubber, the curing is also induced by the addition of a crosslinker. The resulting process is called sulfur vulcanization. Sulfur breaks down to form polysulfide cross-links (bridges) between sections of the polymer chains. The d…
Monitoring methods
Cure monitoring is, for example, an essential component for the control of the manufacturing process of composite materials. The material, initially liquid, at the end of the process will be solid: viscosity is the most important property that changes during the process.
Cure monitoring relies on monitoring various physical or chemical properties.
See also
• Vulcanization
• Cross-link
Mechanism of action
- Salt inhibits microbial growth by plasmolysis. In other words, water is drawn out of the microbial cell by osmosis due to the higher concentration of salt outside the cell. A cell loses water until it reaches a state first where it cannot grow and cannot survive any longer. The concentration of salt outside of a microorganism needed to inhibit growth by plasmolysis depends on the genus …
Preparation
- Salting can be accomplished by adding salt dry or in brine to meats. Dry salting, also called corning originated in Anglo-Saxon cultures. Meat was dry-cured with coarse \"corns\" or pellets of salt. Corned beef of Irish fame is made from a beef brisket, although any cut of meat can be corned. Salt brine curing involves the creation of brine containing salt, water and other ingredien…
Safety
- Several published studies indicated that N-nitrosoamines were considered carcinogenic in animals. For this reason, nitrate is prohibited in bacon and the nitrite concentration is limited in other cured meats. In other cured foods, there is insufficient scientific evidence for N-nitrosamine formation and a link to cancer (Pariza 1997).
Use
- This mix is used for dry cured meats that require long (weeks to months) cures. It contains 1 oz. of sodium nitrite and 0.64 oz. of sodium nitrate. It is recommended that this cure be combined with each 1 lb. of salt and for products that do not require cooking, smoking, or refrigeration. This cure, which contains sodium nitrate, acts like a time-r...
Availability
- Commercially, nitrate is no longer allowed for use in curing of smoked and cooked meats, non-smoked and cooked meats, or sausages (US FDA 1999). However, nitrate is still allowed in small amounts in the making of dry cured uncooked products. Home food preservers should avoid the direct use of this chemical and opt for the mixtures described above.
Preservation
- Besides preservation, the process of curing introduces both a desired flavor and color. Cured meat flavor is thought to be a composite result of the flavors of the curing agents and those developed by bacterial and enzymatic action.
Composition
- Because of the amount of salt used in most curing processes, the salt flavor is the most predominant.
Risks
- Spices add characteristic flavors to the meats. Recent studies have suggested that some spices can have added preservative effects (Doyle 1999). However, the quantities of spice needed to achieve these effects may be well beyond the reasonable quantities of use.
Chemistry
- The tangy flavor observed in dry fermented sausages, such as pepperoni, is the result of bacterial fermentation or the addition of chemicals such as glucono-δ(delta)-lactone.