What is the equilibrium curing method?

Equilibrium (EQ) curing means you apply exactly the amount of salt and cure needed to reach the desired final concentration in the meat — no more, no less. Unlike traditional excess-salt curing, EQ curing produces a consistently seasoned result regardless of how long you leave the meat in the fridge (within reason). You simply weigh out a fixed percentage of salt and curing salt relative to the meat weight, rub it in, vacuum-seal or wrap tightly, and refrigerate. The salt migrates into the muscle until equilibrium is reached.

How much Prague Powder Number 1 do I use per kg of meat?

The standard dose for Prague Powder Number 1 is 0.25% of the meat weight, which equals 2.5 grams per kilogram. This delivers approximately 156 ppm of nitrite — the upper limit recognised as safe and effective by the USDA. Never exceed this dose; curing salt is not a seasoning and too much nitrite is harmful.

What is the difference between Prague Powder 1 and Prague Powder 2?

Prague Powder Number 1 contains 6.25% sodium nitrite mixed with salt and is used for products that will be cooked or eaten within 30 days — bacon, corned beef, pastrami, ham and hot-smoked fish. Prague Powder Number 2 additionally contains 4% sodium nitrate, which converts slowly to nitrite over weeks and months, making it suitable for long-aged, uncooked charcuterie such as bresaola, coppa, guanciale and prosciutto. Never substitute one for the other.

Can I use table salt instead of kosher salt when curing?

You can, but weight-based measuring is essential because table salt is denser than kosher or sea salt — the same volume contains significantly more sodium. This calculator works by weight (grams), so as long as you weigh your salt accurately the type does not matter for the outcome. Kosher and flaky sea salts are preferred by most curers because they are easy to see on the meat surface and dissolve evenly.

How long should I cure bacon using this calculator?

A typical pork belly for bacon is 30–50 mm thick at its thickest point. At the standard 0.4 days-per-millimetre guideline that gives a minimum of 12–20 days for equilibrium to be reached. Many curers leave a pork belly for 7–10 days in practice because the EQ method is forgiving — you cannot over-salt as you would with an excess-salt cure. Once cured, cold-smoke (if desired) and cook to an internal temperature of 71 °C before eating.

Is 156 ppm nitrite safe?

Yes. The USDA limits sodium nitrite in cured meat products to 156 ppm (156 mg per kg of meat). The standard dose of 0.25% Prague Powder Number 1 — which contains 6.25% nitrite — delivers almost exactly this level. Nitrite is what prevents botulism and other dangerous bacteria in anaerobic (low-oxygen) curing environments; it also gives cured meat its characteristic pink colour and flavour. Using less than the recommended dose risks under- protection; using more than the recommended dose provides no extra safety and raises health concerns.

Meat Curing Calculator

Whether you are curing your first slab of bacon or perfecting a bresaola that will hang for three months, getting the quantities of salt and curing salt exactly right is the single most important step in charcuterie. Too little salt risks spoilage; too much curing salt poses a health hazard. This calculator takes the guesswork out of the equation by applying the equilibrium curing method — the same approach used by professional charcutiers — to give you precise, food-safe ingredient weights every time.

How it works

The calculator uses the equilibrium (EQ) curing method, in which salt and curing salt are applied as a fixed percentage of the total weight of the cured system:

For a dry cure:

Salt grams = meat weight (g) × salt% ÷ 100
Sugar grams = meat weight (g) × sugar% ÷ 100
Curing salt grams = meat weight (g) × 0.25 ÷ 100

For a wet cure (brine):

The same formulas apply, but the percentages are taken against meat weight PLUS water weight, so the salt concentration equilibrates correctly across both phases.

The curing salt dose is fixed by food-safety standards: 0.25% of meat weight for Prague Powder #1 and #2, delivering approximately 156 ppm of nitrite — the USDA maximum. Morton Tender Quick has a different nitrite concentration so uses a different per-gram dose (approximately 1.667 g per 100 g of meat).

The minimum curing time is a thickness-based guide: roughly 0.4 days per millimetre of the thickest point for PP#1 products, and 1 day per millimetre for long PP#2 dry-cured whole muscles. These are minimums; longer is safer for large pieces.

Worked example — dry-cured bacon (pork belly)

Imagine a 1,200 g pork belly, approximately 40 mm thick at its thickest point, using Prague Powder #1:

Ingredient	Calculation	Amount
Prague Powder #1	1,200 × 0.0025	3.00 g
Kosher salt (2.5%)	1,200 × 0.025	30.00 g
Brown sugar (0.5%)	1,200 × 0.005	6.00 g

Estimated nitrite: 156 ppm (exactly the USDA limit)
Minimum cure time: 40 mm × 0.4 = 16 days in the fridge

Combine all ingredients, rub thoroughly all over the belly, place in a zip-lock bag or vacuum bag, and refrigerate. Turn the bag every day or two. After 16 days, rinse, pat dry, and either cold-smoke or roast.

Formula note

The nitrite concentration in finished meat is calculated as:

ppm = (cure grams × nitrite%) ÷ meat grams × 1,000,000

For PP#1: (3.00 × 0.0625) ÷ 1,200 × 1,000,000 = 156 ppm

This matches the USDA limit of 156 mg nitrite per kg of meat. The calculator flags any dose that would exceed this threshold and reminds you to re-check your measurements.

All calculations run entirely in your browser — no data is sent to any server.