Food & cooking · Curing
Curing salt calculator.
Weigh your meat, choose the nitrite level and see how much curing mix to add, with Canadian regulatory limits built in.
Inputs
Curing mix
Enter the meat weight.
How much curing salt per kilogram of meat?
Nitrite is dosed in parts per million (ppm) of the meat weight. Cure #1 is 6.25% sodium nitrite, so the curing mix needed is: meat weight x ppm / 1,000,000 / 0.0625. For 1,000 g of meat at 156 ppm that is 2.5 g, which is 0.25% of the meat weight.
Worked example. 2,000 g of pork belly for bacon at 120 ppm (the limit for side bacon): 2,000 x 120 / 1,000,000 = 0.24 g of nitrite, divided by 0.0625 is 3.84 g of Cure #1. If you want 2.5% total salt (50 g), the cure supplies 3.84 x 0.9375 = 3.6 g of salt, so add 46.4 g of plain salt.
The Canadian limits. Health Canada's list of permitted preservatives allows sodium nitrite up to 200 ppm in preserved meat and poultry, and 120 ppm in side bacon, calculated before smoking, cooking or fermentation. This tool refuses a target above the limit for the product you choose.
Frequently asked questions
How much Cure #1 per pound of meat?
At 156 ppm it is about 1.1 g per pound of meat (0.25% by weight). Weigh the meat and the cure in grams rather than using spoons.
Is Cure #1 the same as Himalayan pink salt?
No. Cure #1 contains 6.25% sodium nitrite and is dyed pink. Himalayan pink salt contains no curing nitrite and will not cure meat.
Can I use Cure #1 for long dry-cured salami?
No. Long dry cures such as salami and prosciutto use different mixes and procedures. This tool is for short cures such as bacon, ham and corned beef.
Is more cure better?
No. Nitrite is toxic in excess. Never exceed the limit and never guess the quantity.
Sources
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Scope
Sodium nitrite is toxic in excess. This is a dosing calculation, not a curing method or a safety validation. Follow a tested recipe from a trusted source, keep cured meat cold and cook it to a safe internal temperature. Food safety guidance, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, immunocompromised, elderly or cooking for young children, follow the stricter advice from your health professional.