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Curing Salt Calculator
Computes the grams of Prague powder #1 or #2 (6.25 % sodium nitrite) needed to reach a target ingoing nitrite concentration in parts per million for an equilibrium dry cure or wet brine, plus the extra salt (net of the salt contained in the cure) and sugar for chosen percentages of the total meat and water mass.
When to use
You are making bacon, ham, pastrami, corned beef or salami with an equilibrium (measured-percentage) cure and need exact cure, salt and sugar weights for a given meat weight.
Do not use when: You are using a traditional excess-salt dry cure, a commercial pre-mixed cure with its own dosage, or a plain salt brine without nitrite (use brine); regulatory limits must never be exceeded.
Formula
total_mass_g = 1000 × (meat_weight_kg + water_weight_kg for a wet brine); cure_g = total_mass_g × target_nitrite_ppm / 62 500 (the cure is 6.25 % sodium nitrite); nitrite_mg = cure_g × 62.5; nitrate_mg = cure_g × 40 (#2 only); salt_from_cure = cure_g × 0.9375 (#1) or 0.8975 (#2); total_salt_g = total_mass_g × salt_percent / 100; salt_g = total_salt_g − salt_from_cure; sugar_g = total_mass_g × sugar_percent / 100; teaspoons ≈ cure_g / 6
Equilibrium curing doses every ingredient as a fixed percentage of the total mass, so the product cannot over-salt or over-cure however long it sits; the meat reaches the target concentration after about 1 day per 1.3 cm of thickness plus 2 days. USDA ingoing nitrite limits (9 CFR 424.21) are 200 ppm for immersion-cured or massaged products, 156 ppm for comminuted products and 120 ppm for pumped bacon (with 550 ppm sodium ascorbate or erythorbate).
Inputs
| Parameter | Type | Unit | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
meat_weight_kg | number | kg | yes | Weight of the meat to cure, in kilograms. Range: > 0, ≤ 500 |
cure_type | enum: prague_powder_1 | prague_powder_2 | default prague_powder_1 | Cure #1 for products cured within days and then cooked; cure #2 for salami and whole-muscle dry cures lasting weeks, where the nitrate converts slowly to nitrite. | |
target_nitrite_ppm | number | ppm | default 156 | Sodium nitrite in mg per kg of total mass. USDA ingoing limits: 200 ppm for immersion-cured or massaged whole muscle, 156 ppm for comminuted products (sausage), 120 ppm for pumped bacon. Range: ≥ 50, ≤ 200 |
salt_percent | number | % | default 2 | Total salt as a percentage of the total mass, including the salt in the cure; 1.75–2.5 % is typical for bacon and ham, 2.5–3 % for salami. Range: ≥ 0, ≤ 10 |
sugar_percent | number | % | default 1 | Sugar as a percentage of the total mass (0.5–1.5 % typical). Range: ≥ 0, ≤ 10 |
method | enum: dry_equilibrium | wet_brine_equilibrium | default dry_equilibrium | Dry cures are dosed on the meat weight; equilibrium brines on meat plus water weight. | |
water_weight_kg | number | kg | no | Water in the brine in kilograms (1 L = 1 kg); required for wet_brine_equilibrium and ignored for dry cures. Range: ≥ 0, ≤ 500 |
Outputs
| Output | Type | Unit | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
total_mass_g | number | g | Meat (plus water for a brine) on which the cure, salt and sugar are dosed. |
cure_grams | number | g | Prague powder to add; weigh it on a 0.1 g scale. |
cure_teaspoons_approx | number | tsp | Approximate volume at about 6 g per level teaspoon; for information only, never dose by volume. |
nitrite_mg | number | mg | Nitrite delivered by the cure (= target ppm × total mass in kg). |
nitrate_mg | number | mg | Nitrate delivered (Prague powder #2 only; 0 for #1). |
salt_from_cure_grams | number | g | The cure is 93.75 % (#1) or 89.75 % (#2) plain salt. |
salt_grams | number | g | Plain salt to add so that the total salt equals salt_percent of the mass. |
total_salt_grams | number | g | Extra salt plus the salt contained in the cure. |
sugar_grams | number | g | Sugar to add. |
total_salt_percent | number | % | Total salt as a percentage of the total mass. |
safety_warning | string | Handling and dosing warnings for nitrite cures. |
Example
1 kg pork belly, dry equilibrium cure, 156 ppm, 2 % salt, 1 % sugar: {"meat_weight_kg":1,"cure_type":"prague_powder_1","target_nitrite_ppm":156,"salt_percent":2,"sugar_percent":1,"method":"dry_equilibrium"} → {"total_mass_g":1000,"cure_grams":2.5,"nitrite_mg":156,"salt_from_cure_grams":2.34,"salt_grams":17.7,"total_salt_grams":20,"sugar_grams":10,"total_salt_percent":2,"cure_teaspoons_approx":0.42}
2 kg ham in 1 kg water brine, 120 ppm, 2.5 % salt: {"meat_weight_kg":2,"cure_type":"prague_powder_1","target_nitrite_ppm":120,"salt_percent":2.5,"sugar_percent":1,"method":"wet_brine_equilibrium","water_weight_kg":1} → {"total_mass_g":3000,"cure_grams":5.76,"nitrite_mg":360,"salt_grams":69.6,"sugar_grams":30,"cure_teaspoons_approx":0.96}
GET https://tttkmbb.com/api/v1/calculate/curing-salt?meat_weight_kg=1&cure_type=prague_powder_1&target_nitrite_ppm=156&salt_percent=2&sugar_percent=1&method=dry_equilibrium
Machine access
- API:
GET https://tttkmbb.com/api/v1/calculate/curing-salt(query parameters) orPOSTwith a JSON body{"inputs": {...}} - Schema: https://tttkmbb.com/api/v1/calculators/curing-salt · Markdown: https://tttkmbb.com/food/curing-salt.md · JSON definition: https://tttkmbb.com/food/curing-salt.json
- MCP: server
https://tttkmbb.com/mcp, toolrun_calculator with calculator_id="curing-salt" - OpenAPI operationId:
calculate_curing_salt - Freshness:
static. Authentication: none. Rate limit: fair use (see rate limits).
Sources
FAQ
Why is the extra salt less than 2 % of the meat?
Because Prague powder is itself about 94 % salt; the calculator subtracts that so the total salt, cure included, equals the chosen percentage.
Can I use Prague powder #2 for bacon?
No. #2 contains nitrate meant to release nitrite slowly over weeks of dry curing; bacon, ham and other products cured for days and then cooked use #1 only.
What if I only have Morton Tender Quick or a pre-mixed cure?
Those are different formulations (Tender Quick is 0.5 % nitrite and 0.5 % nitrate) and must be dosed by the manufacturer's instructions, not with this calculator.
Related calculators
- Brine Calculator — Plain salt brine without nitrite.
- Meat Cooking Time Calculator — Roasting the cured joint afterwards.
- Mass / Weight Converter — Convert pounds of meat to kilograms.