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Reusing salt???

 
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Hedonists



Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 95
Location: Romford, Essex.
PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 05 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reusing salt??? Reply with quote
    

Am having my first bash at curing a ham... yesterday I removed it from several the salt, wash, dried, wrapped & hung, etc.

Is it possible to reuse the salt for future efforts? It seems extremely wasteful to tip it all away.

jema
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28098
Location: escaped from Swindon
PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 05 2:36 pm    Post subject: Re: Reusing salt??? Reply with quote
    

Hedonists wrote:
Am having my first bash at curing a ham... yesterday I removed it from several the salt, wash, dried, wrapped & hung, etc.

Is it possible to reuse the salt for future efforts? It seems extremely wasteful to tip it all away.


I sort of wondered this myself, but have always erred on the side of caution and used new salt.

ButteryHOLsomeness



Joined: 03 Apr 2005
Posts: 770

PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 05 3:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

i don't know if you can use it again for food but you could use it as an abrasive for cleaning. a thick paste of water and salt is great for scrubbing the bathtub and tiles with.

alison
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon
PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 05 7:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Personnally I wouldn't re use any that has got wet, because of the micro organisms in there.
I do seal the pot back up if I have mixed too much cure, and there is some unused. I just use it next time.

Bugs



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 05 7:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Would it be ok, or really, really stupid (I suspect the latter) to save it up until winter and use it on the doorstep/path/whatnot for deicing (for those of you who find your whatnot ices up in winter)? Or would it smell nasty/be some kind of danger with throwing meat extract about the place?

alison
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon
PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 05 7:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I would think it would smell.

It smells after a three day cure, and if you forget to wash the fridge out

NorthernMonkeyGirl



Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 4584
Location: Peeping over your shoulder
PostPosted: Tue Oct 13, 15 2:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I googled "drying out salt" and ended up back here on a 10 year old thread

So, do you think I could dry out salt that's had beans in it, to reuse/repack the same beans in?

Hairyloon



Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.
PostPosted: Tue Oct 13, 15 3:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

If you are bothered enough then you can make the salt into a solution, boil to kill any organisms, filter any bits out then evaporate off the water.
Seems like a lot of faff to me, OTOH, it probably isn't, once you've set up to do it...

I'm not entirely convinced the boiling is necessary: isn't the whole point of the salt to kill the bugs?

Slim



Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6533
Location: New England (In the US of A)
PostPosted: Tue Oct 13, 15 3:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I've never cured a ham, so I don't know what I'm talking about or what you're looking at in terms of the used salt. How "dirty" is it?

For microbial concerns, I would think that a quick oven drying would remove any water needed for life, and that would only have been halophytic organisms anyway. I don't think they're typically considered harmful.

Isn't the anti-microbial properties of the salt the whole point? I can't imagine our ancestors just tossing away the old salt after pulling out the ham.....

I would only be worried about goopy animal product remains that might be mixed in, but those would probably rendered functionally safe after drying out, wouldn't they?

Really curious to see what that salt looks like!

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45377
Location: yes
PostPosted: Tue Oct 13, 15 4:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

i recon clean is best for dry cures .

some sources say boil brine if it gets slimey but unless salt is a rare commodity why?

i spose heating salt till it melts would remove most gunk but it would still contain leached minerals from previous batches

if one is bothering to do such things as salting meats try for the best product possible and use fresh salt

use it on the path or for pelts seem reasonable final use options

ps there is salt and salt ,i have found that even sea salts differ quite a lot (sorry mrs lot )and mined salt or ones with the anti caking agent do not make as good a ham as a sea salt you like the taste of .

wellington womble



Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands
PostPosted: Tue Oct 13, 15 6:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

My dry cures always turn into sludge anyway. Even with the best of pork.

NorthernMonkeyGirl



Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 4584
Location: Peeping over your shoulder
PostPosted: Tue Oct 13, 15 6:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I'm doing beans, not ham as per original post... have chucked the damp salt in the oven to see what it does.

Nick



Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford
PostPosted: Tue Oct 13, 15 7:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

wellington womble wrote:
My dry cures always turn into sludge anyway. Even with the best of pork.


You're not using enough salt, if that's a problem for you.(it neednt be.)

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45377
Location: yes
PostPosted: Tue Oct 13, 15 7:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

my very random ,throw lots of salt over bits of a pig in a duvet cover in a box for a couple of months was a surprise as it worked very well.i recon the cloth acts as a wick to help the water evaporate.

i have refined the methods over the years but have often not followed the plan

even allowing for random temps ,times etc etc i recon practice makes for better charcuterie

ps an eho would have a hissy fit at some of my ways but im not dead ,have never lost a batch and the 4 yr old oak smoked is still improving .well the last full shoulder is the rest has been eaten

wellington womble



Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands
PostPosted: Wed Oct 14, 15 9:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Nick wrote:
wellington womble wrote:
My dry cures always turn into sludge anyway. Even with the best of pork.


You're not using enough salt, if that's a problem for you.(it neednt be.)


It's not a problem, although I have wondered about if it's strictly 'dry' cure! It's ham-to-die for, which is the main thing. I use half salt, half brown sugar, pack it in at least and inch deep all over and chuck it in the bottom of the fridge for three days per kilo. Works really well, and I don't mind about the sludgy cure.

Not a clue about beans. Will be interested to see how it goes.

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