Is there a curing salt with zero red dye?

[ColonialDawg]

I am trying to find curing salt that does not contain the Red#3 dye. I am pro-nitrite/nitrates but we try to avoid food dyes with our children. Does any curing salt exist that does not have red dye? I’ve heard celery salt can be a substitute but I don’t want a celery flavor imparted to my food.

[jfmorris]

I think that is gonna be hard to find, as the pink color is added for safety reasons, so that people don't confuse it with regular salt and end up poisoning themselves. And while celery contains sodium nitrate (not the nitrite you probably want), predicting the amount in a teaspoon of any given brand of celery salt is likely gonna be next to impossible.

Here's a thread on the subject on another website that is worth reading. Morton's Tender Quick might be a alternative, but I think the amount of food coloring in the cured meat is so infinitesimal that its not worth worrying about.

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/red-dye-allergy.138068/

[jfmorris]

Read this link:

https://www.sausagesource.com/sausage-cures-meat-brines/spices-seasoning-blends-kits/all-purpose-cure-brine-prague-powder-1-1-2-lb/

According to that, the Praque Powder #1 contains:

• Ingredients: salt, sodium nitrite (6.25%), FD&C red #3 (0.00099%) with not more than 1% sodium carbonate added to prevent caking.

At about 1/4 teaspoon per pound of cured meat, that .00099% red dye #3 is spread pretty thin. If you are liquid curing, its spread throughout the liquid that you end up discarding as well.

[Troutman]

Yea jfmorris hit the nail on the head, the amount of red dye is so minuscule in the amount you use that it's really not worth the worry, at least in my uneducated opinion.

[ColonialDawg]

OK, thanks guys. That is indeed a very minuscule amount so I’m not nearly as concerned as I was. Also it appears that Red 40 is the one most are concerned about, not Red 3, which is the one we are talking about here.

[Jon Solberg]

Morton Quick Tender

You may need to make some recipe adjustments.

[jfmorris]

The Morton Quick Tender has sodium nitrate in addition to nitrite at lower levels than Prague Powder #1 or #2, along with sugar and salt. I think using it means an entirely different cure recipe than most cures I've seen listed on here.

[Jon Solberg]

Like I said. You may need to make adjustment. The OP was looking for dye free cure. No recipe was stated.

[Jerod Broussard]

FYI- no go on the celery, not even close to being approved for curing purposes

I would stick with Prague #1 and Meathead's guidance on the free site.

[HorseDoctor]

Probably the only way to avoid the "pink" is to build the curing salt from scratch. Celery salt ain't even close!!!!! FWIW: The risk of a miniscule amount of red dye (of any number) is likely much less than walking across the street to check your mai boxl... Seriously!!!!

[ColonialDawg]

I'm good now guys. I appreciate all the help. I'm sticking with Prague #1.