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Meat Curing FAQs
 1) How many meat curing products does Morton make?
 2) Meat curing products are hard to find in my area? Where can I buy them?
 3) Are the meat curing products interchangeable?
 4) Are there specific uses for Morton Meat Curing products?
 5) Can I use table salt or canning salt in place of curing salt?
 6) How do I cure a ham?
 7) What is a brine?
 8) I have an old Morton Home Meat Curing Guide and it is worn. Can I get another?



 1) How many meat curing products does Morton make?

Morton makes three meat cures: Morton® Tender Quick® Mix, Morton® Sugar Cure® Plain and Morton® Sugar Cure® Smoke Flavored. Morton also makes Morton® Sausage and Meatloaf Seasoning Mix which is NOT a meat cure but a spice flavoring mix. Morton also makes a four ounce stainless meat pump which is used for hams. Back to Top

 2) Meat curing products are hard to find in my area? Where can I buy them?

Meat Curing Products as well as other hard to find Morton products are available from the online store. Back to Top

 3) Are the meat curing products interchangeable?

Only Morton® Tender Quick® and Morton® Sugar Cure® PLAIN are interchangeable measure for measure. Morton® Sugar Cure® Smoke Flavored is used for DRY curing ham and bacon only. Back to Top

 4) Are there specific uses for Morton Meat Curing products?


Morton Salt manufactures and markets three complete meat curing products: Morton® Tender Quick®, Morton® Sugar Cure® (Plain) and Morton® Smoke Flavored Sugar Cure®.

Morton® Tender Quick® and Morton® Sugar Cure® (Plain) are fast meat cure products that have been developed as cures for fresh and frozen meat, poultry and game. Both Morton® Tender Quick® and Morton® Sugar Cure® (Plain) may be used for either dry curing or sweet pickle curing. Generally, sweet pickle curing is used for smaller cuts of meat and poultry, while dry curing is used for larger cuts, such as shoulders or hams.

Morton® Tender Quick® contains salt, sugar, propylene glycol, sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite. 
 
Morton® Sugar Cure® (Plain) contains salt, sugar, propylene glycol, sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite, spice extractives and dextrose.

Salt acts as a preserving agent, along with sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite, which also contribute to color and flavor development. Propylene glycol helps to keep the mixture uniform.

With the exception of the added spice packet in Morton® Sugar Cure® (Plain), Morton® Tender Quick and Morton® Sugar Cure® (Plain) are essentially the same and can be used interchangeably in recipes.

Morton® Smoke Flavored Sugar Cure® is formulated especially for dry curing large cuts of meat, such as hams or bacon. It contains salt, sugar, propylene glycol, sodium nitrate, dextrose, caramel color, natural hickory smoke flavor and a blend of natural spices. 

When using Morton® Smoke Flavored Sugar Cure®, a cure is achieved only after a considerable period of time. As a result, it is recommended only for dry curing hams and bacon and should not be used for making a brine solution.

All the recipes and information currently available from Morton on meat curing are included in our Home Meat Curing Guide. Our meat curing guide is a 32‑page completely illustrated guide to curing hams, bacons, sausage and small cuts of meat.

Please note: Morton® Tender Quick® Mix, Morton® Sugar Cure® (Plain) and Morton® Smoke Flavored Sugar Cure® are not meat tenderizers and cannot be used for regular cooking, baking, or table use. The only application for these products is curing ham, bacon, small cuts of meat, and sausage making. 
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 5) Can I use table salt or canning salt in place of curing salt?

No, table salt or canning salt cannot be used in place of curing salt. If used, you will get salted meat but the color and flavor of the meat will not be properly developed. Back to Top


 6) How do I cure a ham?


This is a long process and information can be found in Morton's Home Meat Curing Guide available from the online store. Back to Top


 7) What is a brine?

For meat curing purposes, a brine, also known as a sweet pickle cure, is a mixture of Morton® Tender Quick or Morton® Sugar Cure (Plain) and water. This mixture is then pumped into the meat or the meat is placed in the brine and refrigerated for a specific period of time. Back to Top
 
 8) I have an old Morton Home Meat Curing Guide and it is worn. Can I get another?

Unfortunately, old guides are no longer available. The current edition updated a few years ago is available from the online store. Back to Top