This post is for your enjoyment, though I believe most on Amazing Ribs already know this.
Cured vs. Uncured Bacon: An Expert Explains the Difference
What Is Curing?
“Curing is the addition of salt to a product to change the chemical properties in a way that preserves it,” says Moskowitz. The salt in the brine prevents the growth of certain kinds of bacteria that cause meat to spoil. Curing also imparts flavor to the meat. In addition to salt, often sugar, herbs, or spices are added to the brine for flavor.
Both cured and uncured bacon start as slabs of pork belly that are either injected with a wet brine—a saltwater solution—or placed into a wet brine. Some bacon is still made using a dry brine—a dry salt and seasoning mixture—but wet brines are more common.
Smoking meat is also a way of preserving it, and most bacon is smoked over a low temperature after being cured to help further dehydrate the meat, and to impart a nice smoky flavor.
“There’s a more attractive color on a cured product,” says Moskowitz, “especially when it’s been cured with pink salt.” That’s a large part of the reason butchers prefer cured bacon. When exposed to air, cured bacon maintains its pink color much longer than uncured bacon, which can quickly turn gray.
Do Cured Bacon and Uncured Bacon Taste Different?
While cured and uncured bacon use different curing agents, there is hardly a difference in taste between the two. “Cured bacon may taste a bit saltier in some instances,” says Moskowitz, but it depends on how long the bacon cured. Because uncured bacon has to sit in its brine for longer, in other instances it can taste saltier than some cured bacon, but the difference is negligible.
It is more likely that you'll taste the difference in flavor based on what seasonings were added and how it was smoked.
Cured vs. Uncured Bacon: An Expert Explains the Difference
What Is Curing?
“Curing is the addition of salt to a product to change the chemical properties in a way that preserves it,” says Moskowitz. The salt in the brine prevents the growth of certain kinds of bacteria that cause meat to spoil. Curing also imparts flavor to the meat. In addition to salt, often sugar, herbs, or spices are added to the brine for flavor.
Both cured and uncured bacon start as slabs of pork belly that are either injected with a wet brine—a saltwater solution—or placed into a wet brine. Some bacon is still made using a dry brine—a dry salt and seasoning mixture—but wet brines are more common.
Smoking meat is also a way of preserving it, and most bacon is smoked over a low temperature after being cured to help further dehydrate the meat, and to impart a nice smoky flavor.
“There’s a more attractive color on a cured product,” says Moskowitz, “especially when it’s been cured with pink salt.” That’s a large part of the reason butchers prefer cured bacon. When exposed to air, cured bacon maintains its pink color much longer than uncured bacon, which can quickly turn gray.
Do Cured Bacon and Uncured Bacon Taste Different?
While cured and uncured bacon use different curing agents, there is hardly a difference in taste between the two. “Cured bacon may taste a bit saltier in some instances,” says Moskowitz, but it depends on how long the bacon cured. Because uncured bacon has to sit in its brine for longer, in other instances it can taste saltier than some cured bacon, but the difference is negligible.
It is more likely that you'll taste the difference in flavor based on what seasonings were added and how it was smoked.
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