I’ve been stuck on applewood smoked bacon for a while and have tried finding it cured in salt only, no nitrates. Searches so far haven’t been successful. Nitrates cannot be very good for us and I have enough things that will take me out without making it easy. I have no plans on giving up my good food choices.
Nitrates dont hurt you. You eat them in vegetables all the time. That is why we now have 'uncured' bacon in the stored that is cured with celery ( nitrates!). cooking nitrate meats at high temp, ie crispy bacon, changes nitrate to nitrosamines which has proven to cause cancer like about 1/2 the things we eat! moderation is the key. I make my own bacon and no nitrate version is grey and dosent crisp up, so I dont make it that way. But I do use alot less nitrate in my bacon. The store versions have much higher %.
Sodium NITRITE, for Pete’s sake!
Sodium nitrite (“pink salt”) is added to sausage and smoked products to prevent the growth of botulism in unrefrigerated packages, especially when vacuum packed. Botulism thrives in low and no oxygen environments and temperatures above 40 degrees.
The real reason it is added to an LOT of our meat products is because it colors the product up nicely, and people associate the sharp, salty flavor with things like bacon, jerky and smoked fish. Therefore, it is added to a plethora of products that are always kept frozen or refrigerated, so really have no food safety need for it.
Yes, it is HIGHLY carcinogenic when heated above 185 degrees.
![[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]](https://i.postimg.cc/qMjL6f8C/27-FD3-F35-D9-CF-4-FC0-AE24-D01508-F7-AF1-C.gif)
