Saltpetre / Potassium Nitrate Problem for Brine

[HeltorChasca]

I’m very keen to start home curing beef and pork.

Trouble is: I can’t get my hands on saltpetre. I’ve tried our local (independent and friendly) butcher and pharmacist and neither of them can sell it legally as it’s a controlled substance. So I am at a loss.

Does anyone know how I can get hold of it legally? Alternatively should I be looking for brine recipes that don’t contain this ingredient? Or is there a reasonable substitute?

Help – I’ve got the bucket and nothing to put in it…!

Thanking you.....hc

[hiho]

you looked on fleabay?

here (http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw=saltpetre&_sacat=0&_trksid=p3286.m270.l1313&_odkw=saltpetre&_osacat=0)

[littlebiglane]

Riverford Meat have started using a natural cure for their bacon. Interested to know what they put into it seeing as WHO have advised against chemically cured/process products such as bacon/sausages....

[harryhaller]

Sodium nitrate (and nitrite) have mostly supplanted potassium nitrate's culinary usage, as they are more reliable in preventing bacterial infection than saltpetre. All three give cured salami and corned beef their characteristic pink hue.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saltpetre

[Toddy]

S'easily obtained.

http://www.sausagemaking.org
http://www.sausagemaking.org/cgi-bin/sh000004.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f %2fwww%2esausagemaking%2eorg%2 facatalog%2fsearch%2ehtml&WD=saltpetre&PREVQUERY=RANDOM%3dNETQUOTEVAR %253ARANDOM%26PAGE%3dSEARCH%26 SS%3dsaltpetre%26TB%3dA%26PR%3 d%2d1%26GB%3dA%26ACTION%3dSear ch&PN=Saltpetre__500_grammes%2eht ml%23a45#a45


http://www.sausagemaking.co.uk
they sell a curing salt that contains a fraction more nitrite as well as dry cures that contain none.
http://www.designasausage.com/pages/prods.asp?catid=2&subcatid=28

cheers,
Toddy

[HeltorChasca]

Thanks all - As usual a font of knowlege.

Take care.............hc

[HeltorChasca]

What great service from the above company. Sent me some KNO3 and some juniper berries, so first up will be some Salt Beef. Yum.

Just a precautionary question: Is there a safe way (or even a reason) to store Saltpetere? Or can it stay in the kitchen cupboard like everything else?

Many thanks......hc

[Phil Walker]

Hi the reason you cant buy Saltpetre in the UK is that its one of the components of gunpowder. Actually you can in small quantities from specialist shops or chemical suppliers however they normally want a company registration number and a bulk order.
I can see two options for you
1 have you considered using "Indian saltpetre" which is chemically Sodium Nitrate which is physically similar except it absorbs water from the air however the toxic levels are similar and you can buy this from garden centres since it is not a controlled substance. and it also cures food
2 Thought about making it which is perfectly legal? you can either grow it from urine beds ( which is how it was made for the Napoleonic wars or by ion exchange if your into chemistry.
possession is perfectly legal in the UK as long as it can be shown you do not intend to use it to make gunpowder (explosives act) ie not having powdered charcoal or sulphur. I think if you check around you can use Indian Saltpetre in most recipes in same quantities.

[HeltorChasca]

[QUOTE=Phil Walker;595618]Hi the reason you cant buy Saltpetre in the UK is that its one of the components of gunpowder. Actually you can in small quantities from specialist shops or chemical suppliers however they normally want a company registration number and a bulk order.QUOTE]

I bought a small quantity (500g) of saltpetre from Sausage Making for home use. Fantastic service and highly recommended for all other pertinent ingredients. Watch out for their Juniper berries though: They are deadly.

Salt Beef comes out of the brine for Sunday Lunch. Can't wait......hc

[Toddy]

It's a good company to deal with :D

I just store the stuff in an airtight plastic tub in the drawer besides the spices. Seems to be fine. It'll not blow up, put it that way :)

cheers,
M