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Top-Tier Food Curing Salts in Hayward, CA

Preserving your food through curing or pickling is a great way to extend its shelf life and make your grocery budget go further. And one of the most important ingredients in the preservation process is salt. That’s why at JSSI, we offer pickling and curing salts in Hayward, CA.

Typically, we recommend that you use Morton® Canning & Pickling Salt when canning and pickling vegetables since table salt tends to leave sediment in the bottom of the jar. When pickling your produce, there are a few tips that you should always remember:

Can only good quality, fresh foods.
Use recommended containers and lids and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Use vinegar of 5 or 6 percent acidity.
Carefully examine jars for nicks or cracks. Chipped rims prevent a good seal, and cracked jars may break during processing.
Wash food and utensils thoroughly before processing.
Make sure your pressure canner gauge is accurate before processing.
Make sure finished jars are firmly sealed with no leaks.

Common Curing Methods

For preserving meats, curing is typically the chosen option. Some of the most common curing methods are:

Dry Curing

Best used to cure hams, bacon, and smaller cuts of meat, dry curing involves applying the cure mix directly on the meat. After the application, place the meat into a plastic food storage bag and tightly seal. From there, put your meat in the refrigerator and let the curing process take place. After curing, remove excess salt by rinsing the meat. The final step then is to cook the meat and taste.

Brine Curing

Also called the sweet pickle cure, brine curing is also a favorite for curing meat. This method involves combining curing salt and water to create a sweet pickle solution. To prepare the brine, use a large non-corrosive bowl, such as plastic or glass. To cure, inject the brine solution into the meat using a meat pump or soak the meat over a period of time. If you choose to soak, be sure to fully submerge the meat. A plate can be used as a weight to keep the meat immersed in the brine. Like dry curing, the process takes place in the refrigerator, and the cured meat needs to be cooked when finished.

Combination Curing

When you couple the dry rub cure and brine solution injections, the result is combination curing. Used to cure hams, this method shortens the curing time and reduces the risk of spoilage because the process takes place both inside and outside the ham. Again, curing is done in the refrigerator, and the ham is cooked thereafter.

Sausage Curing

Unlike those previously described, the sausage curing method is accomplished by mixing curing salts and spices with ground meat. The curing process is then done in the refrigerator. When the curing process is complete, the sausage is cooked before serving.

Additionally, when curing meat, there are a few key points to consider:

The amount of time spent curing meat will depend on the thickness and amount of bone and fat. For thicker cuts of meat, you may want to lengthen the time you cure.
Find your curing style by experimenting with different spices. But be sure not to exceed the curing levels in the recipe.
As a reminder, we recommend labeling the date and time the meat should be removed from your refrigerator.
Cure meat at a temperature between 36 degrees and 40 degrees F. Colder temperatures will prevent you from curing properly, and warmer temperatures will encourage spoilage growth.
In the case that meat is too salty, soak or boil it in water to remove the excess salt. In the future, remember to rinse cured meat or reduce curing time.
Cured meat is still raw meat, so always remember to cook your meat and poultry after curing. If you give a home-cure as a gift, remind the recipient that they too will need to cook it before consuming it.
Cured meat will turn pink or reddish when cooked. For poultry, use a meat thermometer to determine when it’s finished cooking