Cure-Mix Reference

What this is

A reference for equilibrium cure mixes — salt weighed as a percentage of the food, applied so the food reaches one known salt concentration. Unlike a box cure, an EQ cure cannot over-salt: the salt distributes and stops. The optional cure-salt column shows where nitrite/nitrate belongs in principle, but every cured-meat process that depends on it is a refer-out.

Characteristics

Property	Value
What it is	Salt (± optional cure salt) weighed against food mass
Salt convention	Salt as % of food weight (dry-salt basis)
Salt range	2.0–5.0% depending on application
Target outcome	Lower aw; for shelf stability, measured aw <0.85
Best for	Flavor cures, gravlax-style cures, dry-cure pre-treatment
Cure temperature	2–4 °C / 36–39 °F

EQ salt by application

All salt percentages are of food weight. Use the dry-salt calculator to convert a percentage to grams for your exact piece.

Application	EQ salt %	Optional cure salt	Notes
Light flavor cure (fish for smoking, quick bacon-style)	2.0–2.5%	Cure #1 (per tested recipe)	Short, cooked or cold-smoked soon after
Gravlax-style cure (salt + sugar, no nitrite)	3.0–4.0%	None	Refrigerated, eaten fresh — not shelf-stable
Firm preservation cure	3.5–5.0%	Cure #1 or #2 (per tested recipe)	Pre-treatment before drying/smoking
Long dry-cure (salami, country ham)	Per validated recipe	Cure #2 (nitrite + nitrate)	Refer out — do not improvise

The formula

Cure mass scales by ratio against the food:

Salt: food weight × target % (e.g., 1,000 g × 3.0% = 30 g)
Sugar (gravlax-style): typically half to equal the salt, for flavor and texture
Cure salt (only when a tested recipe calls for it): weighed to the recipe’s exact ingoing-nitrite spec, never estimated

Scaling table

Grams of salt for a 3.0% EQ flavor cure, by batch. Scale sugar and any prescribed cure salt against the same food weight.

Component	1 Jar (500 g food)	2 Jars (1,000 g food)	1 Crock (2,500 g food)	6 Crock (15,000 g food)
Food	500 g	1,000 g	2,500 g	15,000 g
Salt @ 3.0%	15 g	30 g	75 g	450 g
Sugar (optional, ≈½ salt)	7.5 g	15 g	37.5 g	225 g
Cure salt	per tested recipe	per tested recipe	per tested recipe	per tested recipe

Calculated values

EQ salt %: 3.0% of food weight (adjust 2.0–5.0% per application above)
Target finished aw for shelf stability: <0.85 (must be measured — see drying)
Refrigerated cure-and-eat products: no aw target; treat as perishable and keep at 2–4 °C

Variations

Salt + sugar (gravlax): sugar softens harsh salt and firms texture; refrigerated, fresh-eating only.
Aromatic cure: add crushed juniper, pepper, bay, or citrus zest to the salt — flavor only, no effect on safety math.
Pre-smoke cure: a 3.5–5.0% cure lowers starting aw before smoking.