Bacon Curing Calculator (dry cure: curing salt, salt & sugar by belly weight)

Understanding the bacon curing calculator — concept and principle

This calculator works out how much curing salt (sodium nitrite premix), plain salt and sugar to use when dry-curing bacon at home, based on the weight of the pork belly and the nitrite level you choose. It also checks the result against the US limit for dry-cured bacon.

Nitrite per kilogram: with the default inputs the result is 3.84 g (curing salt · 46.4 g salt).

How it is calculated

Sodium nitrite (g) = belly weight (g) × ppm ÷ 1,000,000

Curing salt (g) = sodium nitrite ÷ (nitrite share of the premix ÷ 100)

Plain salt to add (g) = belly weight × salt % ÷ 100 − salt already in the curing salt

Sugar (g) = belly weight × sugar % ÷ 100

Share of limit = ppm ÷ 200 × 100

A typical premix contains 6.25% sodium nitrite and the rest salt.

The principle

In a dry cure the whole rub stays on the meat, so the ingoing nitrite is simply nitrite mass divided by meat mass, expressed in parts per million. Nitrite gives cured colour and flavour and helps control bacteria such as Clostridium botulinum. US rules (9 CFR 424.22) limit ingoing nitrite in dry-cured bacon to 200 ppm of the skin-free green weight, and 120 ppm for pumped or immersion-cured bacon. Because the premix is mostly salt, that salt is subtracted from the recipe salt.

Worked example

Default inputs: belly 2,000 g, 120 ppm, curing salt 6.25%, salt 2.5%, sugar 1%.

Sodium nitrite = 2,000 × 120 ÷ 1,000,000 = 0.24 g.
Curing salt = 0.24 ÷ 0.0625 = 3.84 g (= 1.92 g per kg of belly).
Plain salt = 2,000 × 2.5% − (3.84 − 0.24) = 50 − 3.6 = 46.4 g.
Sugar = 2,000 × 1% = 20 g; 120 ÷ 200 = 60% of the limit.

Each point is the calculator re-run with only “Sodium nitrite in your curing salt (%)” changed; the gold point is the default example. Change the inputs above and this chart follows your numbers.

Sodium nitrite in your curing salt (%)	Curing salt (g)
1.56	15.36
3.12	7.68
4.69	5.12
6.25	3.84
7.81	3.07
9.38	2.56
12.5	1.92

How to read the result

Staying within the limit and weighing accurately are the key safety points. Salt and sugar percentages are recipe choices for taste. Keep the meat in the fridge during curing, typically for about a week depending on thickness, and cook bacon before eating.

Common mistakes

Measuring curing salt with a spoon instead of a scale that reads 0.1 g.
Using the weight with skin when the rule uses skin-free weight.
Confusing curing salt No. 1 (nitrite only) with No. 2 (nitrite and nitrate, for long air-dried products).

Keep in mind: Curing salt is toxic in large amounts; keep it away from children and never use more than calculated. Follow local food safety rules.

Frequently asked questions

What is pink curing salt?

Salt mixed with a small amount of sodium nitrite and dyed pink so it is not mistaken for table salt.

Can I cure bacon without nitrite?

Yes, but it will not have cured colour or the same protection; treat it like fresh pork.

Why weigh to 0.1 g?

The amounts are small, and spoon measures vary too much.

Sources: US Code of Federal Regulations, 9 CFR 424.22(b), Certain other permitted uses (nitrite limits for bacon)

Checked 9 Nov 2026. US Code of Federal Regulations, 9 CFR 424.22(b)(1)–(3) (bacon: 120 ppm sodium nitrite ingoing for pumped/massaged and immersion-cured bacon, at most 200 ppm for dry-cured bacon, based on skin-free green belly weight); Canadian Food Inspection Agency, “Preventive control recommendations on the use of nitrites in the curing of meat products” (premix example: Prague Powder = 6.25% sodium nitrite; side bacon 120 ppm).

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