Cure Salt
5.7g
Kosher Salt
51g
Nitrite
156 ppm
USDA limits sodium nitrite to 156 ppm in finished product. Prague Powder #1 contains 6.25% sodium nitrite.
| Method | Best For | Precision |
|---|---|---|
| Dry Cure | Bacon, duck breast, guanciale | Moderate |
| Wet Brine | Ham, corned beef, turkey | Lower |
| Equilibrium | Any — most precise, impossible to over-salt | Highest |
• Prague Powder is tinted pink — never confuse with regular salt
• Never exceed 2.5g Prague Powder per kg of meat (USDA limit)
• Always refrigerate during curing (36–40°F / 2–4°C)
• Use a kitchen scale — volume measures are unreliable for cure salts
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Bacon uses the lower USDA limit of 120 ppm. For 5 lbs (2,268 g) of pork belly, 4.4 g of Prague Powder #1 delivers 0.27 g of sodium nitrite at the safe maximum.
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For 2 lbs (907 g) of sliced beef, 2.3 g of Prague Powder #1 hits the standard 156 ppm. A precision scale is essential at this small batch size.
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The classic 1 oz per 25 lbs ratio. For large sausage batches this is the easiest measurement — one level ounce of Prague Powder #1 on a kitchen scale.
The standard ratio for Prague Powder #1 is 1 teaspoon (about 5.7 g) per 5 pounds of meat, which delivers approximately 156 ppm sodium nitrite — the USDA maximum for most cured products. For dry cures, use 1 oz of Prague Powder #1 per 25 lbs of meat.
| Meat Weight | Prague Powder #1 | Nitrite (ppm) | Common Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lb | ~1 g (1/5 tsp) | 156 ppm | Jerky, small batch |
| 5 lbs | 5.7 g (1 tsp) | 156 ppm | Bacon slab, corned beef |
| 10 lbs | 11.3 g (2 tsp) | 156 ppm | Large brisket, ham |
| 25 lbs | 28.3 g (1 oz) | 156 ppm | Sausage batch |
Prague Powder #1 (also called Cure #1 or InstaCure #1) contains 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% salt. Prague Powder #2 adds sodium nitrate, which slowly converts to nitrite over time, making it suitable for long-cured products like salami and prosciutto that age for weeks or months.
| Property | Prague Powder #1 | Prague Powder #2 |
|---|---|---|
| Nitrite content | 6.25% | 6.25% |
| Nitrate content | 0% | 4% |
| Cure duration | 1–14 days | 2 weeks – 12 months |
| Common products | Bacon, jerky, hot dogs | Salami, prosciutto |
Yes, when used at USDA-recommended levels (156 ppm for most products, 120 ppm for bacon). Sodium nitrite prevents botulism growth in cured meats and is safe at these concentrations. The pink dye in Prague Powder is added specifically to prevent accidental overuse or confusion with regular salt.
Multiply the weight of Prague Powder #1 by 0.0625 (6.25%) to get actual sodium nitrite, then divide by the total weight of meat plus cure, and multiply by 1,000,000. For 5.7 g of Prague Powder #1 in 5 lbs (2,268 g) of meat: 5.7 × 0.0625 = 0.356 g nitrite, so 0.356 / 2,268 × 1,000,000 ≈ 156 ppm.
| Product | Max Ingoing Nitrite | Prague Powder #1 per 5 lbs |
|---|---|---|
| Bacon (pumped) | 120 ppm | 4.4 g (3/4 tsp) |
| Most cured meats | 156 ppm | 5.7 g (1 tsp) |
| Dry-cured (short) | 156 ppm | 5.7 g (1 tsp) |
| USDA absolute max | 200 ppm | 7.3 g (1.3 tsp) |
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Last Updated: Mar 13, 2026
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