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So, is it worth it to reconsider morton tender quick vs pink salt? Well, these are the two most popular curing salts which are commonly used to preserve meat. These are also being used while cooking bacon, ham, and other food items. Moreover, curing salt prevents bacteria from growing into your meat.
Curing salt is a combination of sodium nitrate and sodium chloride that makes it easier to preserve food, especially meat items.
Morton Tender Quick and Pink Salt are two popular curing salts that do a fine job of curing meat. Both the products come with the highest quality and will surely satisfy you with the performance of the individuals. For preservation or enhancing the flavor, they both will be a great addition to your meat.
In this article, the detailed breakdown of these curing salts will be discussed to help you decide which to choose.
Morton Tender Quick Vs Pink Salt – Quick Comparison Overview
Though both are curing salt, there are some differences that should be known to the customers before using them in the kitchen.
| Key Specifications | Morton Tender Quick | Pink Salt |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.7 out of 5 | 4.7 out of 5 |
| Sodium Nitrite | Available 0.5% | Unavailable |
| Best for | Meat, Poultry | Sausage, Fish, Beef Bacon |
| Gluten-free | Yes | Yes |
| Recommended for | Home Curing | Restaurant & Home |
| Our Top Pick | Morton Tender Quick Curing Salt | Wishful Premium Quality Pink Curing Salt |
| Price | Check on Amazon | Check on Amazon |
Morton Tender Quick – Details Overview
Morton is one of the oldest spice and seasoning manufacturers in the world. Whether you’re a professional or a newbie, the fast-cure mix will take your meat to a whole new level by using just a pinch of salt.
You will have a tasty cured flavor with a characteristic pink color by using Morton Tender Quick. You can use this curing salt for most of the meat types.
Curing salt will make your recipes simple and effective. For the best result, follow the instructions placed on the package.
Top Features:
- Adds tasty cured flavor
- It makes meat tender and juicy
- Fast-cure mix for home kitchen
- Great for homemade summer sausage
- It doesn’t interfere with the meat flavor
If you want a fast cure, this curing salt from Morton will be recommended without a second thought. The salt is pretty popular because of the quick curing.
It doesn’t matter what meat or how much meat you’re curing. You will get a quick cure for sure. For home purposes, this is one of the best available in the market.
Tasty Cured Flavor
Morton Curing Salt comes with .5% of each Sodium Nitrates and Nitrites. Any meat can be cured within 12-24 hours by using this salt. If you want to prevent the bacterias and also want to add a texture with flavor, then you should definitely try this curing salt.
Tender & Juicy
Getting the perfect flavor and condition is quite challenging. Using Morton Tender quick won’t change the flavor or texture of your meat hence will make your meat taste delicious with the added flavor. The salt will be a great addition to BBQ and brisket.
Cons
- Pretty much expensive
Wishful Premium Quality Pink Curing Salt
USA Made, Wishful seasoning is a top choice for quality food products. If you prefer food with incredible flavor, you should definitely try Wishful spices. Wishful has a variety of products available to make your meals taste delicious. You are getting food-grade products for your kitchen. The products are 100% natural and don’t contain any preservatives.
Top Features:
- It doesn’t change the flavor
- Has multiple health benefits
- Suitable for most meat types
- Gluten-free and healthy curing salt
- A small pinch does the job of curing
The salt will be perfect for curing or preserving most of the meat types. For example, wishful Pink Curing Salt can be used for sausage, fish, salami, beef bacon, and jerky seasoning.
Great value
A small pinch of salt will do the job of curing thus, you won’t need much salt for the dishes. A single purchase will be enough for long-day use. The pack of 2lb will be able to cure hundreds of pounds of meat.
Health Benefits
The salt not only preserves meat with flavor but also has multiple health benefits as well. Wishful Pink Curing Salt removes the toxin of the meat. Also, it protects the meat from growing harmful bacterias.
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The Spice Lab Premium Quality Pink Curing Salt
The Spice Lab is a supplier of premium sea salts and seasoning blends. Most of the products of this manufacturer are natural, OU Kosher, and gluten-free. The creative packaging of the Spice Lab offers maximum flexibility thus, the spices remain in their quality.
The award-winning company will be a cooking inspiration for food lovers as it makes your dish more delicious.
Top Features:
- Distinctive pink color
- Quick cure for home kitchen
- Premium quality salt for meats
- Ideal for homemade seasoning
The curing salt from The Spice Lab comes quality assured and manufactured in the USA. So you are getting the best quality product available in the market.
Prague Powder
Curing salt is known as an instacure as this salt does the job in a very short time. The salt is basically table salt with added sodium nitrite. You will have a distinctive pink coloring with flavor.
Great Result
For any curing, you’ll get a great result by using this salt. The product will surely make your dish delicious with the magic touch. The Spice Lab Curing Salt will make your chicken or turkey legs taste amazing. Using the salt for a single time will make it a regular item in your kitchen.
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Anthony’s Gluten-Free Pink Curing Salt
Anthony is one of the finest spice manufacturers in the USA. The product of this company is gluten-free and doesn’t contain any trans fat. Anthony uses the finest ingredients that are collected locally from the Southwest U.S.
You are guaranteed top-quality ingredients as the manufacturer maintains the commitment of delivering the best ingredient to their customer. This commitment made Anthony the winner of multiple awards including Zesty Best and America’s Best awards.
Top Features:
- Prague powder
- Natural and gluten-free
- Contains 6.25% Sodium Nitrite
- Removes harmful microorganisms
- An ideal choice for white fish, hams, and bacon
Don’t be concerned about health issues while using this product, as the product is safe for anyone. There are no harmful ingredients in this curing salt. The salt from Anthony is natural and gluten-free.
Protects the Meats
This curing salt will ensure no bacteria inside the meat. It will work great for preserving meats. The curing salt will make sure not to grow any microorganisms into your meats. Thus you will have the best quality meat by using this salt.
Perfect for Meats
You can use this curing salt while preserving sausages, ham, salamis, and all kinds of bacon. The meat will also be an ideal choice for pork, smoke ring, and others.
Check below to know more about the ingredients –
Morton Tender Quick Vs Pink Salt- An Overview of the Differences
Ingredients
Morton Tender Quick salt contains natural salt and other elements. The curing salt has both sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite. There are other curing agents available in the product, but the main distinct ingredient is sodium nitrate.
The combination of the elements enhances the flavor and color of meats and adds a pinkish hue to the dish.
On the other hand, Pink Salt doesn’t have the same ingredients as the previous one. This salt has 6.25 sodium nitrite. The salt can not be used as natural salt thus used only for curing meats for the best result.
Usage
Morton Tender Quick won’t be a safe option to use in bacon. Also, there is a USDA guideline about using curing salts in commercial food items. Sodium Nitrate is the element behind this restriction. So if you’re using the salt in your home, then it’s okay but you can’t use this salt in restaurants or commercial food places.
Pink Salt is fine to use in bacon. There is no problem using it in beef bacon or sausages. For quick and healthy curing, you can definitely use this salt in your food items.
Working Process
Here comes one of the most interesting differences. Using Morton Tender Quick will take comparatively more time than other salts. Dry curing foods or meats can not be perfectly cured with this curing salt. Sodium Nitrates take time to start curing. This is why the process also takes time to complete.
On the other hand, Pink Salt is quite popular for quick curing. Sodium Nitrites start contact with the meat immediately and start the process as well. Pink Salt will be the perfect choice if you prefer to cure the meats in a short period of time.
Category
There are some cure categories available for the seasoning salts. The commercial spaces use salts based on the category. Especially, if you are a US resident you should have sound knowledge about the categories. For example, Morton Tender Quick is included in the #cure-2 category.
Pink Salt belongs to the #cure-1 category. Pink Salt is also known as InstaCure as the salt starts the curing immediately.
An Overview of the Similarities
Cure Any Meat
You will be able to cure any meat by using Morton Tender Quick. The salt will enhance the taste by adding a tasty cured flavor. Morton Tender Quick will be a great choice for pork chops, small cuts of meat, and spareribs.
Pink curing salt also enhances the flavor of meats. The Pink Salt is compatible with beef, chicken, and other types of meats. Pink salt will be a perfect choice if you are using it for a quick cure.
Just a Pinch
With a small pinch of salt, you will get the expected flavor in your dish. A small amount of Morton Tender Quick will add a tasty cured flavor with characteristic pink color.
Pink salt will also make it last for a long period. It’s recommended to use only 1 ounce of Pink Curing salt for 25 pounds of meat. 1 teaspoon of salt will be enough for 5 pounds of meat or fish.
Cured Flavor
Curing salt is mainly used for preservations. They add flavor and color as well. Morton Tender Quick will add a nice cured flavor to your meat or fish. This flavor will surely enhance the taste of your dish.
Pink Salt is also perfect for curing sausage and meats to enhance the flavor. You may use this salt for jerky seasoning as well. The curing will automatically add a flavor to your dish. No need to use the salt just to add flavor.
Why is curing salt toxic?
Curing salt is toxic as there are some chemical elements that should not be used as natural salt. The Sodium Nitrites and Nitrates both are added to the curing salt with a very limited percentage. Curing salt is never a substitute for natural salt.
Is curing salt necessary?
Curing salt is essential for preserving meats for a longer duration. This element prevents the meat from growing harmful elements such as bacterias. Curing salts enhance the flavor of meats as well.
Can I make my own curing salt?
You may be able to make your own curing salt but as there are some chemical ingredients it’s not recommended to make one. There are specific percentages for all the ingredients that make the salt accurate for meat preserving.
What’s the difference between curing salt #1 and #2?
The major difference between curing salt #1 and #2 is the raw elements and the purposes. Curing salt #1 contains only sodium nitrite while the other one has sodium nitrate as well.
Conclusion
Using curing salt makes the meat stay bacteria-free and also enhances the flavor of the meats. There are a variety of curing salts available in the market. Thus you always should pick the perfect one for your recipes. The ingredients are suitable for different applications. For dry and quick curing, use Pink Salt. Otherwise, you may use the Morton Tender Quick salt for curing meats. It’s always recommended to read the manual carefully before applying the salts in your dish as they contain several toxic elements that will affect your body if you don’t use them as they should be.
