The Morton Salt website describes four curing methods and provides tips for curing meat.

Dry curing involves applying the cure mix directly on the meat. It is used in curing hams and bacons, as well as smaller cuts of meat.

After applying the dry cure to the meat, place the meat in a plastic food storage bag and tie end with a twist tie. For larger cuts of meat and poultry, use large-size food storage bags, available in most grocery stores.

Do not use garbage bags. After curing, rinse the meat to remove excess salt and then cook.

Brine curing, also known as a sweet pickle cure, involves mixing the curing salt with water to make a sweet pickle solution. To prepare the brine, use non-corrosive bowls, such as plastic, glass or stainless steel.

Crocks work well, too, but take up more space in the refrigerator. The meat is cured with this brine by injecting the brine using a meat pump or by soaking the meat for specific time.

If soaking, prepare enough brine so that meat is fully submerged. Use a bowl or plate as a weight to keep meat fully immersed in the brine.

Curing takes place in the refrigerator, and the meat is cooked fter curing.

Combination curing combines dry rub cure with the injection of brine solution (sweet pickle solution). It is used in curing hams to shorten the curing time and reduce the chance of spoilage because the cure process takes place inside and outside the ham.

Curing takes place in the refrigerator, and the ham is cooked after curing.

Sausage curing takes place when the curing salt and spices are mixed with ground meat. The curing takes place in the refrigerator, and the sausage is cooked after curing.

Additional curing tips

• Meat cuts differ in thickness and amount of bone and fat which affect cure penetration rate. You may have to lengthen curing time if using a thicker cut than specified in a recipe.

• Feel free to experiment with spices when curing to suit your family’s taste. However, do not exceed the curing levels indicated in the recipes.

• To eliminate guesswork, label and date meats before curing. Label the day and time the meat is to be removed from the cure.

• If meat is too salty, soak or boil in water to remove excess salt. Remember to rinse cured meat under running tap water to remove excess salt or reduce curing time slightly.

• Cure meat in the refrigerator (36° - 40°F). At colder temperatures, meat will not cure properly. Warmer temperatures encourage growth of spoilage microorganisms.

• After curing, meat and poultry are still raw and must be cooked before being eaten. For your convenience, most recipes include suggested cooking instructions. Should you decide to give a home-cured delicacy as a gift, let the recipient know if they need to cook it.

• Cured meat turns a pink or reddish color when cooked. If meat is fully cured, it will be pink throughout the cut. For poultry, use a meat thermometer to determine doneness, as meat will appear light pink when fully cooked.

– For additional information and recipes, visit Morton Salt online at http://www. mortonsalt.com/products/meat curing/index.html.