Evening Hugh, Just a thank you for doing these videos, both batches of Bacon I made were great. I started another batch today. Keep up the good work👍👍👍
Brilliant -- addresses many people's concerns (and gives them some good news to tell their GP when queried on their diet!) in an informative, entertaining way. Thank you!!
Just sliced up our first batch using this recipe Hugh - very tasty! 👌 Look forward to any other curing recipes or sausage making etc that you care to share in due course. 👍
Afternoon, I've come across you videos this week, Great stuff Sir. First test batch of reduce salt bacon gone in fridge this morning. No spices just salt & sugar, just to see how it tastes and then add spices on further batches. Thank you
How long does the bacon last if just refrigerated? If doing so I assume leaving it whole is best, cutting slices off as you want to use it? Would loin last longer than belly cuts?
Hi Allan. The pork cut won't significantly alter the keeping qualities. The saltier you make it, the longer it lasts as salt is antimicrobial. Similarly the colder it's stored the longer it will keep. With this recipe in a fridge turned down, three weeks should be okay.
@@EnglishCountryLife Brilliant, I should be able to eat all the bacon from a small piece of cured belly in that time. A follow up question please. If you bought a 2kg piece of loin or belly, once low salt method cured; what would you expect its final weight to be? Bacon is very expensive at the supermarket but so is belly pork!
It's an interesting point although it's spread out over a huge amount of bacon. In effect even if all the sugar was consumed ( which it isn't as a lot is in the poured away liquid), it's less than 2% sugar 😉
Can you do a ham curing vid? I live in Thailand and we have tons of fresh pork, but no cured bacon or ham unless you pay stupid prices at specialist foreigner shops!
Hi, i know this is an old video buti have decided to give this a go when i came across your channel. I am 2 days into the reduced salt version and tho8ght i would just look at your video again to go over my steps then realised after 2 days that you dont empty the liquid. I have poured the liquid out from the past couple days, would this be an issue do you think and should i keep the liquid in there from now on or can i continue to empty it?
Hi! In the reduced salt version it helps to keep the salt water around the meat. Weirdly the salt water draws more water out from the meat (through a process called osmosis where a concentrated solution pulls liquid across a membrane from a weaker solution). Pouring off the liquid gets rid of the initial salt and reduces the curing. All is not lost. Add back a little salt (25% of the initial quantity) and complete the cure with the liquid left in place
@EnglishCountryLife thanks for replying back very fast! I will leave the liquid in from now on. Do you think I should be fine for the same amount of days? I calculated 6 days from your formula (doing belly at 2inch thick) or should I add extra days to compensate?
Hi, just thought I would update you. The Bacon turned out pretty well. The only thing is it taste quite a bit salty. I still have half a jar left of this reduced salt cure from your video. Is there anything you could advise to make my next batch sweeter?
@@scarletpeate Yes and so is Arugala and other plants. But there is a difference between a chemical mixture and a natural one. I don't have a problem with eating either one.. I'm just trying to let people know that there is a natural alternative.
@@Krylon103112 definitely. Interesting fact for you. In Hungary we use wooden salting bath these baths are traditionally not washed with chemicals. Often just wiped out. Over the years of just using salt. I've been told the salt peitre then naturally collects and stays on the surface of the wood so they never need to add the chemical. That's what locals tell me.
You could do that, but not if you want nitrate free bacon. I'm well aware of the discussion around celery, but a naturally occurring nitrate is no different at a chemical level from an additive. The goal of this recipe was to avoid nitrates and nitrites 🙂
@@Krylon103112 Chemically there is no difference between the man made Nitrate and the naturally occurring one! They are exactly the same chemical. they React the same and do the same thing in your body! YOU NEED NITRATE TO STAY ALIVE! It is necessary, and your body makes more in one day that you will get from eating properly curd meat of any kind as the nitrate is CONSUMED in the curing process! The problem with information that is circulating about nitrates and cured meat is that they have no idea what they are talking about, and they are basing what they say on hearsay from a report from the 70s that was inaccurate and has been completely disproven MANY TIMES by many countries all over the world!!!!! You have more Nitrates in your Saliva that you swallow constantly and never give a single thought to than you get form properly cured meat!!!!!!!!!
I would love to see a video about making bacon from other animals such as lamb and if possible from duck meat. I have a bunch of lambs and ducks, muscovy and regular, to put in the freezer this year and I’d love to make up some bacon
You may remember me from the last bacon series you did. One thing I have been very surprised about is the lack of use of 'Low Salt'. This is a mixture of sodium and potassium. Sodium raises blood preasure and potassium lowers it. Low Salt is available in most supermarkets, I can't taste the difference although friends say they can. Not on a blind test though - odd that. It's not as cheap as ordinary salt but do you think it's worth a try for curing bacon. I do understand you are probably on unknown territory. One last point. We talked about how dreadful shop bacon is these days and how salty. I did towards the end of my last bacon curing / smoking spree 'cheat' a bit. Your method, in fact any method I found, ended in salty bacon and I did try reducing the curing time and then freezing to be safe. I did use salpetre though for a while, it's in almost everything, difficult choice. I shall follow this new method of yours soon, it seems perfectly logical. Take care my friend - Regards.
You say it has to be kept in the fridge after the process. So you can't keep this for months or years? 🤔 Isn't that what cutting is for, so you can keep it for a long time?
Hi Em. It's possible to cure bacon so that it doesn't need refrigeration certainly. To do this you need a LOT more salt. That amount of salt is unpalatable even to old fashioned tastes so bacon cured this way had to be soaked overnight before cooking to leach out a lot of the salt
@@EnglishCountryLife Ah. I think I missed a bit! Thank you for taking the time to explain. I don't have, or want a smoker, so will watch your video again, asking with a couple of other really good ones and work out what to do. Thank you 👍
Always happy to answer questions. We have a whole series on bacon making that should hopefully guide you through the process step by step ruclips.net/p/PLDluIIoNPsle_0IV4sryTi76-pwXOP_PP&si=xhuwIZPUCkATn5zt
Brilliant, this video has definitely given me the confidence to have a go myself 😊
@@Julie-ix7wv So worth it, home cured is the best!
Cinematic ending to boot! Loved the option of regular and low sodium bacon & the printable formulas you have given us!!
Why thank you Ma'am
I'm absolutely going to try this! Bacon, eggs and strong coffee is the perfect start to any day. Thanks for sharing x
You've got my vote for breakfast 🙂
Great timing given the current advice on reducing salt.
It's always nice to have options 🙂
very good infotmation cheers chum
Glad you liked it!
Evening Hugh, Just a thank you for doing these videos, both batches of Bacon I made were great. I started another batch today. Keep up the good work👍👍👍
Thanks so much - which did you prefer?
Brilliant -- addresses many people's concerns (and gives them some good news to tell their GP when queried on their diet!) in an informative, entertaining way. Thank you!!
Glad you liked it - are you keeping well?
@@EnglishCountryLife We are indeed! Though spring in threatening and the weeds are taking over!!
all of the hens are so cute
They are
Love bacon. Thanks 4 your video. Cheers and stay safer.
Thank you!
Great instructional video👍
Why thank you 🙂👍
Brilliant alternative - thanks Hugh. We’ve enjoyed making traditional but we’ll give this a go too…that sizzle at the end sold us. 😂👍
It honestly tastes just as good, less salty but still very much bacon
@@EnglishCountryLife let’s face it, at the end of the day it’s all about the taste! 😉
Just sliced up our first batch using this recipe Hugh - very tasty! 👌
Look forward to any other curing recipes or sausage making etc that you care to share in due course. 👍
I'm so pleased! I must do a similar series on sausages.
@@EnglishCountryLife we’ll look forward to that!
Good I like the video and it is very good
I'm glad you like it
Afternoon, I've come across you videos this week, Great stuff Sir. First test batch of reduce salt bacon gone in fridge this morning. No spices just salt & sugar, just to see how it tastes and then add spices on further batches. Thank you
Glad you liked the video 🙂. Let me know if you enjoy the bacon when you try it?
@@EnglishCountryLife Will do👍
i like all your video
Thank you
How long does the bacon last if just refrigerated? If doing so I assume leaving it whole is best, cutting slices off as you want to use it? Would loin last longer than belly cuts?
Hi Allan. The pork cut won't significantly alter the keeping qualities. The saltier you make it, the longer it lasts as salt is antimicrobial. Similarly the colder it's stored the longer it will keep. With this recipe in a fridge turned down, three weeks should be okay.
@@EnglishCountryLife Brilliant, I should be able to eat all the bacon from a small piece of cured belly in that time. A follow up question please. If you bought a 2kg piece of loin or belly, once low salt method cured; what would you expect its final weight to be? Bacon is very expensive at the supermarket but so is belly pork!
@@allanpennington You should never lose more than 20% of the weight and often less than 10%
Can this nitrate free process be used on loin cuts as well just starting to get interestedin home curing regards edd.
You definitely can, I've done it many times
Can’t beat a good rasher :)
It's hard to think of a better smell!
Where did you get the smoker from?
Here you go 😀
amzn.to/3RxMTYu
more please
Will do 🙂
Mmmm I love dry cured bacon. Just a thought isn’t the Demerara sugar more detrimental to our health than salt!? 🤔
It's an interesting point although it's spread out over a huge amount of bacon. In effect even if all the sugar was consumed ( which it isn't as a lot is in the poured away liquid), it's less than 2% sugar 😉
Can you do a ham curing vid? I live in Thailand and we have tons of fresh pork, but no cured bacon or ham unless you pay stupid prices at specialist foreigner shops!
That's a great idea, I will add it to the list
Hi, i know this is an old video buti have decided to give this a go when i came across your channel. I am 2 days into the reduced salt version and tho8ght i would just look at your video again to go over my steps then realised after 2 days that you dont empty the liquid. I have poured the liquid out from the past couple days, would this be an issue do you think and should i keep the liquid in there from now on or can i continue to empty it?
Hi! In the reduced salt version it helps to keep the salt water around the meat. Weirdly the salt water draws more water out from the meat (through a process called osmosis where a concentrated solution pulls liquid across a membrane from a weaker solution). Pouring off the liquid gets rid of the initial salt and reduces the curing. All is not lost. Add back a little salt (25% of the initial quantity) and complete the cure with the liquid left in place
@EnglishCountryLife thanks for replying back very fast! I will leave the liquid in from now on. Do you think I should be fine for the same amount of days? I calculated 6 days from your formula (doing belly at 2inch thick) or should I add extra days to compensate?
Keep to the same time, just add a little more salt to replace the lost brine
@@EnglishCountryLife thank you
Hi, just thought I would update you. The Bacon turned out pretty well. The only thing is it taste quite a bit salty. I still have half a jar left of this reduced salt cure from your video. Is there anything you could advise to make my next batch sweeter?
If you add celery powder to your mix you will keep the color of the meat and help preserve the meat.
Hi there .. XX from my research Celery is full of the chemical is technically it's the same. But I'm happy using either ..
@@scarletpeate Yes and so is Arugala and other plants. But there is a difference between a chemical mixture and a natural one. I don't have a problem with eating either one.. I'm just trying to let people know that there is a natural alternative.
@@Krylon103112 definitely. Interesting fact for you. In Hungary we use wooden salting bath these baths are traditionally not washed with chemicals. Often just wiped out. Over the years of just using salt. I've been told the salt peitre then naturally collects and stays on the surface of the wood so they never need to add the chemical. That's what locals tell me.
You could do that, but not if you want nitrate free bacon. I'm well aware of the discussion around celery, but a naturally occurring nitrate is no different at a chemical level from an additive. The goal of this recipe was to avoid nitrates and nitrites 🙂
@@Krylon103112 Chemically there is no difference between the man made Nitrate and the naturally occurring one! They are exactly the same chemical. they React the same and do the same thing in your body! YOU NEED NITRATE TO STAY ALIVE! It is necessary, and your body makes more in one day that you will get from eating properly curd meat of any kind as the nitrate is CONSUMED in the curing process! The problem with information that is circulating about nitrates and cured meat is that they have no idea what they are talking about, and they are basing what they say on hearsay from a report from the 70s that was inaccurate and has been completely disproven MANY TIMES by many countries all over the world!!!!! You have more Nitrates in your Saliva that you swallow constantly and never give a single thought to than you get form properly cured meat!!!!!!!!!
I would love to see a video about making bacon from other animals such as lamb and if possible from duck meat. I have a bunch of lambs and ducks, muscovy and regular, to put in the freezer this year and I’d love to make up some bacon
I'll add it to the list 🙂
Thank you! I can’t wait to watch it!
Duck bacon is the best bacon, makes such nice proceutto too
@@Silverstreamhomecrafts Interesting. Is it the breast that you use?
@@EnglishCountryLife it is yes
You may remember me from the last bacon series you did. One thing I have been very surprised about is the lack of use of 'Low Salt'. This is a mixture of sodium and potassium. Sodium raises blood preasure and potassium lowers it. Low Salt is available in most supermarkets, I can't taste the difference although friends say they can. Not on a blind test though - odd that. It's not as cheap as ordinary salt but do you think it's worth a try for curing bacon. I do understand you are probably on unknown territory.
One last point. We talked about how dreadful shop bacon is these days and how salty. I did towards the end of my last bacon curing / smoking spree 'cheat' a bit. Your method, in fact any method I found, ended in salty bacon and I did try reducing the curing time and then freezing to be safe. I did use salpetre though for a while, it's in almost everything, difficult choice.
I shall follow this new method of yours soon, it seems perfectly logical. Take care my friend - Regards.
Low Salt is certainly worth considering & is a great idea. Of course it would need freezing, but I can see no reason for it not to work!
You say it has to be kept in the fridge after the process. So you can't keep this for months or years? 🤔 Isn't that what cutting is for, so you can keep it for a long time?
Hi Em. It's possible to cure bacon so that it doesn't need refrigeration certainly. To do this you need a LOT more salt. That amount of salt is unpalatable even to old fashioned tastes so bacon cured this way had to be soaked overnight before cooking to leach out a lot of the salt
@@EnglishCountryLife Ah. I think I missed a bit! Thank you for taking the time to explain. I don't have, or want a smoker, so will watch your video again, asking with a couple of other really good ones and work out what to do. Thank you 👍
Always happy to answer questions. We have a whole series on bacon making that should hopefully guide you through the process step by step
ruclips.net/p/PLDluIIoNPsle_0IV4sryTi76-pwXOP_PP&si=xhuwIZPUCkATn5zt
SAUSAGES PLEASE!!!
Then sausages there will be!
@@EnglishCountryLife seconded, that would be a great video.
@@jasonblack7503 Then I must think about making one 🙂
Change of name? Did I miss something?
You've lost me there Trev? Change of name?
@@EnglishCountryLife When did "Partnership" get added to the channel name? Just asking, I know I view late at night here but never noticed it before!
@@bgtrev Just correcting some settings 😁
@@bgtrev Back to normal now 😉
oxymoronic
Not at all. Nothing unhealthy about pork and cured meats in moderation are fine.