Nitrite salt - what is it? You will find the answer to this question in the materials of the presented article. In addition, we will tell you about why this product is needed, how it differs from ordinary table salt and how to use it correctly in cooking.
Product Overview
Nitrite salt is a product that can serve as an excellent substitute for food saltpeter (i.e. sodium nitrate) or sodium nitrite (that is, E250 additives). As a rule, this spice is actively used during the production of home-made sausages and various smoked meats.
Surely many people know that food saltpeter does not go on sale. This is due to the fact that there are strict restrictions on its purchase, since it is a kind of raw material that can be easily used for making artisanal bombs. It should also be noted that in its pure form sodium nitrite is a powerful toxin. That is why its sale is tightly controlled by the authorities.
How to get nitrite salt?
The nitrite salt, the instructions for which will be presented below, is obtained by dissolving sodium nitrite in a special brine, followed by evaporation of the salt. This process is carried out when it is required to obtain a culinary product that improves not only the palatability of dishes, but also their appearance.
If you need to preserve the freshness, as well as the natural color and nutritional properties of the meat ingredient, then nitrite salt is most suitable for this. As mentioned above, a product such as sodium nitrite is a very strong poison. That is why it is very often mixed with ordinary table salt in small quantities.
Product Properties (nitrite salt)
Nitrite salt - what is it? To the question posed, we gave an exhaustive answer a little higher. But why do they use this product in cooking? The fact is that nitrate salt contributes to the fact that any meat ingredients immediately acquire a pleasant piquant taste, and also do not spoil for a long time.
Among other things, one cannot but note the fact that this product prevents the propagation of pathogenic microflora in finished sausages and other products. Also, nitrite salt is actively involved in the taste and color formation of homemade ham and dried sausages.
Many experts using this spice in cooking note that it is able to give the classic pink or red color to various smoked meats, cured meats, as well as homemade sausages and sausages.
The concentration of sodium nitrite in nitrite salt
Nitrite salt, the dosage of which (per day) is much less than table salt, should not be added to all homemade dishes that you cook. Indeed, excessive enthusiasm for this product can lead to disastrous consequences.
Thus, the normal (safe for health) content of sodium nitrite in nitrite salt is the following percentage: from 0.5 to 0.65%. The indicated amount is quite enough to give the sausages and other meat products a pinkish or reddish color.
Harm from nitrite salt after ingestion
How can nitrite salt affect health? You can get harm from this product only if sodium nitrite is contained in the spice in a larger amount than 0.5-0.65%. After all, such a chemical in high concentrations is a powerful poison. However, nitrite salt, used by cooks as an insignificant additive to table salt, does not have any negative effect on the human body. Moreover, it is allowed for use, in connection with which the presented spice is widely used during the production of various food products.
Precautions
Manufacturers are required to pay special attention to the preparation technology of a product such as nitrite salt. Damage from improperly made spices can be irreparable. This is due to the fact that too much of this salt negatively affects almost all systems of the human body. So, among the harmful effects of this spice, the formation and further development of cancer cells in the stomach and intestines can be distinguished.
It should also be noted that the nitrite salt, the use of which we describe below, very often causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. As a rule, this happens in cases where a person regularly consumes meat products with a high content of the presented spices.
By the way, speaking about the content of nitrates and nitrites in our products, as well as their harm, it should be remembered that in ordinary root vegetables that are sold on the markets, there are much more of them than in ordinary nitrite salt.
How to protect yourself from exposure to nitrites?
The safety and quality of meat products are directly dependent on the quality of a particular food additive that is used during its production. In this regard, large companies should purchase raw materials for the preparation of various marinades only from trusted suppliers. After all, this is the only way to acquire an absolutely safe nitrite salt and use it in food production.
If such a spice meets all generally accepted standards, and it was manufactured in accordance with all the rules, then this product will never harm your health.
How often can I use?
Is it possible to eat foods that contain a spice such as nitrite salt every day? The instruction for use of this ingredient states that salt is absolutely safe for health, but only if it is used only for its intended purpose, and not added to almost all dishes.
Consumers of products where this spice is added should have a clear understanding that sausages, smoked meat, sausages, and various types of dried fish should not be present on the dining table every day. It is better to limit the consumption of such delicacies, leaving them for rare holiday occasions. Otherwise, you run the risk of acquiring quite a lot of very unpleasant diseases. By the way, the most dangerous among them are cancerous tumors. As a rule, such neoplasms arise in the human body due to the presence of a large number of carcinogenic substances in food.
Thus, all the goodies that fall on your dining table should be checked for any additives. It is necessary to remember that it is desirable to consume food with a nitrite salt in small quantities.
Nitrite salt: instructions for use
As mentioned above, this spice is used for the salting of meat ingredients, ensuring their safety, making them appetizing and pleasant in appearance.
It should be noted that the main stages of food production using the presented spices must necessarily comply with all technological generally accepted schemes.
So how is nitrite salt used in cooking? The meat is salted after preliminary processing of the main raw materials. Thus, the nitrite salt is added to the component in a dry form and in the amount in which the process plan provides. In this case, the generally accepted procedure for introducing other ingredients should not be changed.
Types of production
The nitrite salt in the form of dry matter is used during production:
- cooked and stuffed sausages, sausages, sausages, as well as meat loaves and other products;
- half-smoked, stuffed, boiled-smoked sausages, sausages, sausages, as well as ham, meat loaves and other similar products;
- smoked sausages.
If, according to the recipe, a part of the nitrite salt is not available, then it is replenished with the usual table salt.
It should also be noted that in the production of smoked meats and ham products from beef or pork, this ingredient is used in the preparation of a special brine, which is subsequently used for the extrusion of products in the amount indicated in the routing.
So how do the mentioned pickle do? During the preparation of such a marinade, the following order is preserved: phosphates are dissolved in ordinary water, and then nitrite salt, sand sugar (if necessary) and ascorbic acid are added there.
Benefits of using
As a rule, such products manufactured by various companies meet all the technical and hygienic requirements of regulatory authorities. All types of salt produced for the meat industry, having a different concentration of nitrites, are certified. Moreover, each stage of production of this spice is subjected to a thorough and rigorous inspection.
The main advantages of such a product are:
- Increase the shelf life of meat products.
- Pleasant and juicy color of the finished product.
- Slowing down the reproduction, as well as the complete cessation of the development of harmful bacteria (for example, clostridia).
- Facilitated handling of basic raw materials, as well as the procedure of salting.
It should also be noted that such a product provides sanitary and hygienic safety of meat-containing products and their high taste.
Packaging and shelf life
Ready nitrite salt can be packaged in 200 and 500 g, as well as 20, 25, 50 kg. Typically, this product is placed in high-strength plastic bags that are designed for food. Shelf life is usually three years from the date of manufacture. But this is only if, after the acquisition, the salt was placed in a dry and cool room.