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8:53 pm
2nd Grader
Tue 22-Sep-09
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Going to try curing my own bacon this week, as per the recipe on the blog......wish me luck 
10:45 pm
Sat 12-Aug-06
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Go for it, Pat.
Fiona took some out of the soak last night after four days. We had some of the ends chopped up and pan fried as pancetta in a frittata last might.
This morning we had delicious grilled bacon butties (in toast sarnies).
Tonight I fried some up really crisply to accompany a chicken breast dish that was just gorgeous (blogged soon).
You get none of the white crud that oozes out of shop-bought bacon and the flavour is really different. We just hope that it is to your taste when it is cured.
Never knowingly underfed
12:46 am
1st Grader
Tue 22-Sep-09
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Definitely worth doing - tried belly first time, worked fine but not easy to slice. Loin worked better, I think. Going to have another go this weekend. Far better than shop bacon and actually cheaper than the decent stuff.
6:40 pm
Thu 1-Oct-09
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i just made my first cottage small holder bacon- took it out of its brine last night and fried a tiny slice and have to admit it was way too salty for me and the tracle taste was too dominant. However I left a day in the fridge and today its perfect!
1:43 pm
Sat 12-Aug-06
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Hi Rachel
Yes it's much better rested for a day. I must add that to the recipe - thanks for the nudge. If it's too salty/treacly you can always soak slices in cold water for ten minutes just before cooking.
This is the minimum salt needed for it to last for a few days, safely.
11:31 am
Thu 1-Oct-09
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had some with pasta last night and was lovely, have sliced half of my kilo of loin and chopped the rest into cubbetti style chunks, all stashed in serving sized portions in the freezer. Had forgotten i'd ordered pancetta from ocado so we have bacon overload at the moment now!
I did find it tricky to slice thinly and am seriously considering buying an elecritc slicer as we are roasting our own gammons for ham for packed lunches and am sure it would last longer if I could cut it thiner
11:56 am
Sat 12-Aug-06
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I did find it tricky to slice thinly and am seriously considering buying an elecritc slicer as we are roasting our own gammons for ham for packed lunches and am sure it would last longer if I could cut it thiner
We were given a basic slicer from Argos and it works surprisingly well and yes the bacon does last longer. If you are curing duck breasts the slicer gives waifer thin slices to toss in a salad.
7:54 pm
Supreme Being
Mon 21-Sep-09
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Have you any suggestions for bacon curing that doesn't involve molasses or suggest a substitute? I have been making a brine from 3:2 ratio of salt to brown sugar which works well but would like to try some alternatives. The only treacly looking stuff I can see I think is malt either from barley or rye (the rye one tastes better) but not sure that will work in bacon. I would like to try something other than brown sugar as I have to get that from a large supermarket and not my little local one, so have to remember to buy it in when I am in Riga, the capital. I had thought of honey as that is easy to get hold of but willing to try other things - no branded stuff though as I just can't get hold of that kind of thing.
By the way if people don't know Riga is the capital of Latvia where I live
8:12 pm
Sat 12-Aug-06
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Hello Joanna
Honey is great in a cure. Much more delicate than molasses. We use the ratio of 100g of salt to 900ml of water and this seems to work well but needs to be frozen within a week of making. Danny has very high blood pressure so I experimented with the minimum salt to water and pork to still taste like bacon. BTW frozen slices can be grilled from frozen.
Thinking about your power cuts you could use much more salt and then soak your slices in lots of cold water for an hour before use. The more salt that you use, the longer it will keep in an erratic fridge.
8:53 pm
2nd Grader
Tue 22-Sep-09
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Well slightly later than anticipated because of a trip to Ireland ! The bacon is sitting in the fridge for its 24 hours resting after coming out of the curing and I have baked fresh bread tonight for bacon sandwiches tomorrow...... yeah 
10:12 pm
Sat 12-Aug-06
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Good on you.
Our next bacon will be ready on Monday unless I smoke it on Saturday. Getting chilly in the evening now so perfect excuse for smoking bacon in the wood burner in the kitchen
Fiona
4:29 pm
2nd Grader
Tue 22-Sep-09
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What can I say except the bacon was wonderful, no more supermarket bacon for me
7:42 pm
Sat 12-Aug-06
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You've made my day. Weh hey!
4:19 pm
2nd Grader
Tue 22-Sep-09
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Qustion if I get a joint of pork out of the freezer, defrost and then cure it, can I then freeze it again as bacon or can I only use fresh pork to make bacon to freeze....... sorry if this is a bit garbled
4:33 pm
Expert
Sat 10-Oct-09
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I refreeze everything meat aint whot it use to be but don't quote me on that as i eat anything can't see why not belive it or not was a head chef who worked for the head chef of the sovoy hotel about 10 years ago got a memory of a gold fish. but can't see why not . i wonced worked for a top italing resturant to but when i see how thay re-heated rice under a hot water tap i left only been there two hours. and you think you are garbled lol sorry im not a lot of help but i do try. ps its time to eat squerls but can.t spell that eather. Boy i do rant on sorry.
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