What this calculator does
Bacon curing is calculated as percentages of the meat weight. Salt at 2 to 3% and pink curing salt at 0.25% are typical, so 2.5 kg of pork belly takes about 62.5 g of salt and 6.25 g of cure #1.
The curing salt percentage is the one that is not a matter of taste. Cure #1 is 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% ordinary salt, dyed pink so it cannot be mistaken for table salt, and it is dosed at 0.25% of meat weight to land within legal and safe nitrite limits. Getting it wrong in either direction matters: too little fails to protect against botulism, too much is genuinely toxic. Weigh it on a scale that reads to 0.1 g, and follow a tested recipe rather than improvising.
The formula
Salt, curing salt and brine water are each calculated as a percentage of the meat weight. The dry cure method rubs the salts directly onto the meat with no added water. The wet brine method dissolves them in water at the percentage given. The pink curing salt percentage should be left at 0.25% unless a specific tested recipe says otherwise.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Cure #1 | Also called Prague powder #1 or pink curing salt: 6.25% sodium nitrite in ordinary salt, dyed pink. Used for cures under 30 days. |
| Cure #2 | Contains sodium nitrate as well, for long-cured products such as salami. Not interchangeable with cure #1. |
| Dry cure | Salts rubbed directly onto the meat, which draws out moisture and concentrates flavour. |
| Equilibrium curing | Calculating salt against the meat weight so the final saltiness is fixed regardless of time, which is what percentage-based curing achieves. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Pork belly weight (kg) | Meat weight in kilograms, weighed before curing. |
| Salt (%) | Salt as a percentage of meat weight. 2 to 3% is the usual range, with 2.5% a common default. |
| Pink curing salt (cure #1) (%) | Pink curing salt as a percentage. Leave at 0.25% unless following a specific tested recipe. |
| Curing method | Dry cure or wet brine, which determines whether brine water is calculated. |
| Brine water (wet cure only) (%) | Brine water as a percentage of meat weight, used only for the wet method. |
When to use it
Curing pork belly for bacon
The standard use, with the percentages applied to whatever size piece you have rather than to a fixed recipe quantity.
Scaling a recipe to your piece of meat
Recipes specify a meat weight that never matches what the butcher cut. Percentages scale to any weight, which is the reason curing is specified this way.
Adjusting saltiness between batches
Moving the salt percentage up or down while holding the cure fixed changes the finished saltiness predictably, since the meat reaches equilibrium with whatever salt is applied.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
How much salt does each percentage give?
A fixed 2.5 kg of meat across a range of salt percentages.
| Salt percentage | Salt needed | Pink curing salt needed | Meat weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5% | 37.5 g | 6.25 g | 2.50 kg |
| 2% | 50.0 g | 6.25 g | 2.50 kg |
| 2.5% | 62.5 g | 6.25 g | 2.50 kg |
| 3% | 75.0 g | 6.25 g | 2.50 kg |
Questions
Do I need pink curing salt?
For bacon, yes. Sodium nitrite protects against Clostridium botulinum in cured meats held at temperatures where it can grow, and it is what gives bacon its colour and characteristic flavour. Curing without it produces something closer to salt pork, and it should not be cold-smoked or held for long periods.
What happens if I use too much curing salt?
Sodium nitrite is toxic in quantity, and cure #1 is deliberately diluted and dyed pink so it cannot be confused with table salt or used by the spoonful. Weigh it on a scale reading to 0.1 g, never substitute it volumetrically, and do not exceed the percentage a tested recipe specifies.
What is the difference between cure #1 and cure #2?
Cure #1 contains sodium nitrite only and is for cures under 30 days, including bacon. Cure #2 adds sodium nitrate, which converts slowly to nitrite over months and suits dry-cured salami and similar. Using cure #2 for bacon is unnecessary; using cure #1 for a long dry-cured product leaves it unprotected late in the cure.
How long does bacon need to cure?
Commonly about seven days for a belly a couple of centimetres thick, turning it daily, with thicker pieces needing longer. Because percentage curing brings the meat to equilibrium, a few extra days does not make it saltier, which is the main advantage of the method over older salt-box approaches.
For a simple salt brine without curing salts, see the brine strength calculator. For ham cooking times once cured, see the ham cooking time calculator.