Curing Salt Calculator Cure #1, Cure #2 & Nitrite PPM

As a worked example only, 6.25% Cure #1 calculates to about 1.1 grams per pound at a 156 ppm target. This is not a universal recipe or legal limit: always verify the exact product label, the product/method rules that apply, and use a calibrated digital scale — volume measurements are not a reliable substitute.

Cure #1 is commonly sold as a blend containing 6.25% sodium nitrite with the remainder largely salt. Exact formulations and product directions should be checked on the package. It is used in recipes for products such as bacon, ham and corned beef when the recipe/process calls for it.

Cure #2 is commonly sold with 6.25% sodium nitrite and up to 4% sodium nitrate. The intended use is for recipes/processes that specifically call for a nitrate-containing cure blend, often in long dry-cured products. Verify the exact product formulation and directions.

Equilibrium curing is designed so the ingredients are calculated from a chosen target and calculation basis. That does not make the process foolproof: measurement error, product composition, temperature, moisture movement and the curing procedure still matter.

No. This is an important safety distinction. Pink curing salt (Prague Powder, InstaCure) contains sodium nitrite and is intentionally dyed pink to prevent accidental confusion with regular salt. Pink Himalayan salt is simply sodium chloride with trace iron oxide (which gives it a pink color) and contains zero nitrite. Pink Himalayan salt is not a curing-salt substitute because it does not provide the nitrite used in nitrite-curing formulations. Use the curing product and tested process specified for the food.

There is no single universal PPM number for every cured-meat product. USDA FSIS gives product- and method-specific requirements. For bacon, FSIS states that sodium nitrite may not exceed 200 ppm going into dry-cured bacon and 120 ppm for pumped and immersion-cured bacon.

These are U.S. commercial reference statements for bacon, not a universal home-cure recipe. Other products can have different requirements, so use the rule or tested recipe that actually applies to the product and process.

The formula is:

PPM = (grams of curing salt × nitrite% × 1,000,000) ÷ total mass in grams

Example: 2.5g of Cure #1 (6.25% nitrite) in 1000g of meat:

PPM = (2.5 × 0.0625 × 1,000,000) ÷ 1000 = 156.25 ppm

This calculator shows the full breakdown so you can verify every step.

This calculator is an educational planning tool. Commercial meat production in the U.S. requires compliance with FSIS regulations, HACCP plans, validated lethality and stabilization processes, and establishment-specific inspection. Use this calculator for initial formulation planning, but always verify against official regulatory guidance and work with your inspector.

Some home-curing references use thickness-based planning heuristics, but cure time is process-specific. For that reason, this site treats any thickness estimate as a planning aid rather than a validated schedule. A 1-inch (25 mm) slab returns about 7 days and a 2-inch (50 mm) slab about 11 days with this rule. The calculator shows this estimate for equilibrium dry cure only — brine and pump methods are timed by the recipe or validated process, not by thickness. Actual cure time depends on temperature, meat density, and whether the meat is bone-in — always verify cure penetration per your recipe.