Where To Find Curing Salt In Grocery Store?

Curing salt is a kind of salt often used on meats. As a result, you should find it on spice or seasoning shelves in grocery stores. It is put next to other kinds of salt such as Celtic salt or sea salt.

Plus, take a careful look at the label of the salt package to check if it is the one you are looking for. Some people are confused between curing salt and Himalayan pink salt cause they have the same color.

Which Stores Sell Curing Salt?

Like other cooking ingredients, I suggest you find the curing salt first on Amazon and Walmart cause these are the two most popular stores globally.

On Amazon online stores, you can find both types of curing salt. Moreover, there is a wide range of brands for you to refer to.

Of course, the biggest reason I pick up this place to buy is its comfort. It just requires a few clicks for your desired product lying right in front of your door. Which could be more relaxing than that buying experience?

The second name is Walmart, the largest retailer in the world. You can find the curing salt on the spice aisle of any Walmart store. Suppose you can not see any Walmart branch nearby; access to the company’s app to locate the nearest grocery store selling the condiment.

Moreover, the Kroger and World Spice Merchants are great places to seek to cure salt. Both have a high reputation for providing many kinds of spices and cooking stuff.

The Wegmans is also a familiar place to buy the salt cause they are satisfied with the Morton Tender Quick brand often appearing there.

What’s more, you can check out the H-E-B stores or Asian markets if the above shops are not available. There are many kinds of salt, including the pink salt and Asian ingredients found there.

Last but not least, the Albertsons, Safeway, and the local butcher supply stores are all worth visiting to take your item. For example, there are both online and offline Safeway shops for you to choose from.

What Should You Know About Curing Salt?

Now you know where to find the curing salt, it is crucial to grasp more about this particular condiment.

A Quick Look At Curing Salt

Curing salt, also sometimes called pink salt, is used to make sausages and cured meats such as pastrami, bacon, ham, and corned beef. It can pickle the meats well before being cooked.

Concerning its structure, curing salt combines sodium nitrite and table salt (sodium chloride). Plus, to distinguish it from the table salts, makers add into it the red dye. That is why it has a different pink hue.

Types Of Curing Salt

There are two types of curing salt: Type 1 and Type 2.

The curing salt Type 1 has the other two names: Instacure 1 or Prague powder 1. It includes nearly 94% sodium chloride and about 6% sodium nitrite, coming together with a few anti-caking agents.

The curing salt 1 has a pink color, different from the typical white table salt. The primary function of the ingredient is to cure meats needing cooking, smoking, canning, and brining.

Suppose you want to pickle corned beef, bacon, ham, fish, or poultry; the salt is the right one to pick up.

However, keep in mind to use a suitable amount of salt. For most chefs, only use one teaspoon of curing salt with nearly 2.8 kg of meats.

Regarding the curing salt Type 2, its other names are slow salt, insecure 2, or Prague powder 2. There are nearly 5% sodium nitrate, about 6% sodium nitrite, and 89% sodium chloride in the salt. Moreover, the ingredient contains additional anti-caking agents and pink dye.

As you can see, Type 2 has a higher percentage of sodium nitrate than Type 1. That makes it more helpful in preserving meat for an extended period.

Therefore, Instacure 2 is better at curing meat in dry conditions such as dried sausages, salami, and pepperoni.

While using, you should mix one teaspoon of the curing salt Type 2 with 2.27kg of meats for the best result.

Curing Salt Usage Guides

The pink salt is pretty toxic if you overuse it. Therefore, strictly follow the dosages I recommend above.

Besides, you might want to have a hard look at the instructions attached with the salt pack before using it. Different kinds of ingredients always require distinct cooking techniques.

Especially, given that you use the cured salt the wrong way, the result might be a severe sickness or even death in a minute.

Hence, being cautious is never superfluous.

Additional Tips To Buy Curing Salt

Up to now, there are hundreds of brands of curing salt on the market. So, which one is better to purchase?

According to my experience, there are three best kinds of curing salt that you can refer to Hoosier Hill Farm, Morton, and Insta curing salt. While they have their demerits, that pales into insignificance when compared with their merits.

For example, the Hoosier Hill Farm Prague is well-known for its high quality, adequate packaging, and detailed instructions.

Other than that, the Morton curing salt would be more suitable if you have a tight budget, yet you want the product coming from a famous cooking brand. On the other hand, you might not be impressed with the dark handbag of the salt.

Likewise, the Insta curing salt is pretty cheap for a quick BBQ meal. But, do not handle the package with sodium chloride, or you would be in trouble.

Difference Between Sodium Nitrite, Nitrate & Pink Curing Salt

Frequently Asked Questions 

What Are Substitutes For Curing Salt?

Once you do not have to cure salt available in your kitchen and want to use nitrate, there are other alternatives. For example, you can use celery powder, kosher salt, and vinegar.

Plus, saltpeter, a kind of potassium nitrate, helps cure meat. Sometimes, I also use Himalaya salt and non – iodized sea salt as substitutes.

Is Curing Salt And Pickling Salt Different?

Of course, they do have some distinct features. For instance, the curing salt contains nitrites and nitrates, while the pickling one does not. That means the pickling salt dissolves faster than other kinds of salt. For this reason, it is mainly for pickling.

Can I Use Normal Salt Instead Of Curing Salt?

Of course, any salt has unique preservation properties, so you can use it to cure meats instead of curing salt.

However, following some experts, you should not buy iodized salt to preserve your meat. The iodine included could make the meal have a worse flavor.

Are Curing Salts Really Necessary?

Conclusion

To sum up, above is the complete knowledge about where to find curing salt in the grocery store.

Coming to the spice or seasoning aisle in those stores would help you have the ingredient. Plus, suppose you can not find it in the local shops, you can visit some well-known retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Kroger, Safeway, and others.