Meat Curing Salt Calculator

Equilibrium curing means you apply salt as a precise percentage of the total weight (meat, or meat plus water for brines). Over time the salt fully distributes throughout the meat to reach that exact concentration — no more, no less. Unlike cover-curing or brining with arbitrary salt amounts, equilibrium gives you consistent, predictable saltiness every time, regardless of the size or shape of the cut.

The standard is 0.25% of total weight for both dry and wet cures. For dry cures especially, do not exceed 0.25% — this is the accepted upper limit for safety and flavour. Pink curing salt is used at much lower quantities than sea salt, and the two are calculated separately: pink salt at 0.25%, and sea salt is added on top to reach your desired total salinity (e.g. 2.25%).

Prague Powder No. 1 contains sodium nitrite and is used for short cures under 30 days — such as bacon, ham, corned beef, and hot smoked meats. Prague Powder No. 2 contains both sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate, making it suitable for long-aged, dry-cured meats like salami, prosciutto, and bresaola that cure for more than 30 days. Never substitute one for the other.

Place your meat in your curing container, add just enough water to cover it completely, then remove the meat and measure that water. Use that measured amount in the calculator. The calculation is then based on the combined meat-plus-water weight, ensuring the correct salt concentration throughout the brine. Do not guess the water volume — accuracy here matters.

It depends on the container and cut of meat. The most accurate approach is to physically measure how much water you need to just cover your meat in your specific container, then calculate cure based on that measured water plus meat weight. A fixed percentage like 40% may not suit every container shape or cut, so measuring directly is more reliable than following a generic ratio.

Most charcuterie practitioners settle on 2% to 2.5% for a balanced, not-too-salty result. A 2% cure is milder and works well for fresh cuts and shorter projects. 2.25–2.5% suits most bacon, ham, and dry-cured products. Going above 3% can result in a noticeably salty product. Start around 2–2.25% and adjust based on your taste preferences.

Yes. Sea salt and pink curing salt are always calculated independently. Pink curing salt is applied at its own percentage (typically 0.25%), while sea salt makes up the remainder to reach your chosen total salinity. For example, at 2.25% total: 0.25% is pink curing salt and 2% is sea salt. The calculator handles this split automatically.

Yes — accuracy is critical in curing. A kitchen scale that reads to 0.1g is recommended, especially for pink curing salt amounts which can be just a gram or two for smaller cuts. Standard kitchen scales accurate to 1g are sufficient for sea salt. Never estimate curing salt quantities by volume (teaspoons) as density varies and errors in nitrite amounts have food-safety implications.