Cure for summer sausage not involving nitrite

[Lamper]

I used nitrite in my first two experiences in making summer sausage and each time, I suddenly experienced a series of migraine headaches. I haven’t had them in years and I’m thinking that nitrite may be the trigger causing them.
I’ve been told that celery juice powder can be used instead of nitrite. Is this correct?

[Deepwoodsbutcher]

Lamper my understanding is that celery contains naturally occurring nitrite. So this would not eliminate it from your product

[processhead]

Lamper Do you experience migraines when eating other cured meat products like ham, bacon, corned beef, lunch meat, or sausages?

If not and your experience was limited to just your home made summer sausage, then there may be something else other than
the nitrite that is triggering your migraine.

[Lamper]

I actually eat little ham and bacon. Nitrite is listed as one of the triggers for migraines and the occurrence of them with both of these batches of summer sausage seemed very indicative. Might be something else. I stopped eating my summer sausage and the headaches ceased.

[Dave in AZ]

Lamper
Celery juice contains the exact same chemical as cure1, NaNO2 sodium nitrite. It just happens to be found in the celery. It’s use is somewhat of a scam to market to the uneducated, and they use the labeling, “No Added Nitrites… besides those found naturally occurring in Celery Juice” etc. They just don’t tell you it is the same amount.

There are 2 options for you that may be useful:

1. Use regular cure1 nitrite. However, measure your own amount. USFDA has found that 60 to 75 ppm can be sufficient to cure meat. You may be using 156ppm (normal amount of 2.5g cure1 per 1kg meat). You can get by with less if evenly mixed with water and well blended. Try using 1.2g cure1 per kg meat, about 75ppm.
   NOW, to be sure there are NO REMAINING NITRITES, ADD SODIUM ERYTHORBATE OR VITAMIN C. This will rapidly convert all the NaNO2 to NO gas, which will cure meat and off gas. Let the meat sit in fridge for 18 hrs. Don’t smoke for super long, get 2 to 4 hrs then finish your SS via sous vide to achieve pathogen lethality temps before 6 hrs is up.

All the nitrites will be gone, meat cured for flavor desired, and safety times met.

2. There is a cure product out with actually zero nitrites. Go look at 2guysandaCooler youtube, about 2 months ago he did a video on it. It is NOT a beet or celery juice with nitrites. I don’t know how it works, but watch his video.

Good luck! I would try option1 first.

[dawg]

Lamper
Just curious? Your homemade summer sausage didn’t accidentally get too much nitrates in it. How big of batches and how much cure?

[Deepwoodsbutcher]

Dave in AZ great information. Thanks

[Jonathon]

Lamper It sounds like you might have used something with MSG in it? MSG or Mono-Sodium Glutamate is an additive that gets somewhat unfairly lambasted as it is a small percentage of the population that experiences a negative effect from eating it. However, that negative effect is often a migraine-like headache. Check the seasonings ingredients for that, MSG must be listed in ingredients, it cannot be a hidden ingredient.

[Lamper]

Jonathon Thanks…I’ll check the label to see if MSG was part of the ingredients.

[Lamper]

Dave in AZ Great advice…thanks! I’ll try it.

[Ridley Acres]

Lamper said in Cure for summer sausage not involving nitrite:

Jonathon Thanks…I’ll check the label to see if MSG was part of the ingredients.

MSG is a trigger for my wife. Depending on the load of other foods she has eaten, cured meats will do it too. One thing that has helped when eating out or away from home is drink copious amounts of water to help flush it through.

I have used the small packet of celery juice powder that Walton’s sells with bacon and ham, with great success. Although I didn’t use the whole packet and the next time I went to use it, the contents was far too clumpy. So I would suggest use quickly once opened .

[gus4416]

Lamper I used to get migraines a lot but when I put a stop to all msg I haven’t had one in years Chinese restaurant used it a lot and traveling I ate a lot of it now I ask if it is in there and no problems

[Kaleb Trojacek]

I’ve used Eco Cure from the Sausage maker to make smoked sausages before and it turned out great. I’m planning on making summer sausage with it soon. It does not have any nitrites in it.

[Lamper]

Kaleb Trojacek Thanks…I’ll check it out.

[mdseaside]

Maybe this will help. Sometimes I use my smoker as an oven to cook my summer sausage with no smoke. So if I am cooking in a High oxygen atmosphere do I need nitrite in my mix?
Maybe someone can help answer this question.

[processhead]

mdseaside said in Cure for summer sausage not involving nitrite:

Maybe this will help. Sometimes I use my smoker as an oven to cook my summer sausage with no smoke. So if I am cooking in a High oxygen atmosphere do I need nitrite in my mix?
Maybe someone can help answer this question.

I don’t think the issue is whether you smoke or don’t smoke.
The issue is the relatively low temperatures over a long period of time during typical thermal processing of sausage.
Also consider that regardless of how much oxygen is around the outside of a sausage, the meat inside is sealed in a relatively oxygen free environment where anaerobic spores could grow under the right temperature conditions.
It is this period of time in the danger zone that that calls for the use of cure #1.