At SLG, we’re passionate about merging culinary tradition with precision technology. Curing meats and sausages is a time-honored craft — but success relies on more than just great recipes. It’s about control: over salt, curing agents, temperature, humidity, and time.
This guide walks you through the major steps in curing meats and sausages, highlights critical safety points, and shows how the SLG Smart App + Smart Dry Aging Fridge help you produce safe, exceptional charcuterie.
🧑🍳 1️⃣ Start with Prime Ingredients
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Choose fresh, high-quality meats with consistent fat content (20-30% for most sausages)
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Trim sinew, glands, and silverskin
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Keep the meat cold — target 34–38°F (1–3°C) during all prep
💡 Pro tip: Pre-chill knives, grinders, bowls, and stuffer parts. Fat should stay firm for a clean, even mix.
⚖️ 2️⃣ Precision in Salt + Cure
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Kosher or sea salt: 2–3% of meat weight
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Cure #1: 0.25% of meat weight (for smoked, cooked, or short-term cured meats — max 156 ppm nitrite)
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Cure #2: 0.25% of meat weight (for long-term dry-aged products — contains both nitrite and nitrate)
⚠ Never estimate cures by eye. Always use a digital scale accurate to 0.1g.
SLG Smart App advantage:
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📲 Built-in calculators for cure ratios
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📲 Safety alerts if limits are exceeded
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📲 Video guides for measuring, mixing, and safety
🌀 3️⃣ Cold Mixing + Stuffing
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Mix until tacky and uniform — always below 40°F (4°C)
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Stuff into pre-chilled casings, removing air pockets
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Keep batches small enough to maintain cold temps during processing
SLG Smart App:
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▶️ Video tutorials on mixing technique
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▶️ Real-time batch checklists
🌡 4️⃣ Ferment (For Dry-Cured Sausages)
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Hold at 75–85°F (24–29°C), high humidity (85%+)
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Promote safe acidification (pH target ~5.0 or lower)
The SLG Smart Dry Aging Fridge monitors transitions between cold prep and fermentation, keeping conditions in check.
🕰 5️⃣ Dry and Age with Control
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Dry/age at 50–60°F (10–15°C), humidity 75–85%
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Maintain steady airflow to prevent case hardening
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Monitor weight loss to track progress
SLG Smart App:
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✅ Tracks and graphs humidity + temperature
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✅ Sends alerts if anything drifts out of target
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✅ Logs batch data for full traceability
🚨 Curing Salt Safety
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Cure #1: sodium nitrite (for short-term cures) — protects against botulism
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Cure #2: sodium nitrite + nitrate (for long-term cures) — ensures protection over time
⚠ Rules to live by:
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Never exceed 156 ppm nitrite (Cure #1 max limit)
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Always store and label curing salts securely
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Follow trusted recipes or established curing guidelines
💡 Why SLG Smart Tech Elevates Your Craft
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🌟 Automated environmental control
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🌟 Real-time monitoring + alerts
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🌟 Step-by-step video support
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🌟 Data tracking for professional results
Craft charcuterie with confidence. Craft it smart.
👉 Explore SLG Smart Dry Aging solutions and let technology take your cured meats to the next level.
