Sausage Calculator: Salt, Cure #1, Fat and Water by Weight

How this is calculated

Everything after the fat is a percentage of the meat block, which is the meat plus the fat you add. Weigh once, multiply, and the batch comes out the same at 2 lb or 20.

fat to add (g)  = meat (g) x (target fat - meat fat) / (1 - target fat)   back fat counted as all fat
block (g)       = meat (g) + fat to add (g)
Cure #1 (g)     = block x 0.0025                       smoked or slow-cooked only
ppm nitrite     = Cure #1 (g) x 0.0625 / block (g) x 1,000,000   = 156
salt (g)        = block x salt% - Cure #1 (g) x 0.9375  the cure is 93.75% salt
ice water (g)   = block x water%
pepper (g)      = block x pepper%
sugar (g)       = block x sugar%

Worked example

5 lb of pork shoulder is 2,268 g. Taking its fat from 20% to 25%:

1. Back fat to add: 2,268 x (0.25 - 0.20) / (1 - 0.25) = 151 g.
2. Meat block: 2,268 + 151 = 2,419 g.
3. Salt at 1.75%: 2,419 x 0.0175 = 42.3 g, about 5 tbsp Diamond Crystal.
4. Ice water at 3%: 72.6 g. Black pepper at 0.2%: 4.8 g.
5. Smoked instead: Cure #1 at 0.25% is 6 g, which carries 5.7 g of salt, so the added salt drops to 36.7 g and the total stays at 1.75%.

Salt

Meats and Sausages puts most sausages at 1.5 to 2% salt, and The Curesmith recommends 1.5 to 1.8% for fresh sausage, warning that past 2% it tastes too salty once cooked. The default is 1.75%. The salt also pulls protein out of the meat during mixing, which is what makes the links bind instead of crumbling.

Cure #1 and the 156 ppm limit

Cure #1 (Prague Powder #1, Insta Cure #1) is 6.25% sodium nitrite in salt. At 0.25% of the meat block it delivers 156 ppm, which is exactly the USDA FSIS limit for ingoing nitrite in comminuted (ground or chopped) products. FSIS also writes that limit as 1/4 oz of sodium nitrite per 100 lb of meat, which works out to 4 oz of Cure #1 per 100 lb. The dose is fixed rather than a field because there is no reason to go under it in smoked sausage and no room to go over it. 5 lb of meat block takes 5.7 g, a little under a level teaspoon (about 6 g), so weigh it; a heaped or rounded spoon goes over the limit.

Fat

Meats and Sausages puts sausage meat at 25 to 30% fat, The Curesmith starts fresh sausage at 20%, and a classic blend is 70% pork shoulder to 30% back fat. Pork shoulder alone is about 75 to 80% lean. The formula treats back fat as pure fat, which slightly overstates its fat, so the finished sausage lands a little under the target rather than over it.

Water and pepper

Ice water at 3 to 5% of the meat and fat is typical for fresh sausage (The Curesmith); it helps the mix bind and keeps it cold. USDA FSIS allows 3% added water in commercially sold fresh sausage, so 3% is the default. Black pepper runs 0.1 to 0.4% of the meat, 1 to 4 g per kilogram (Meats and Sausages). Add herbs and other spices to taste; they do not change the salt math.

Seasoning by weight

The amounts a professional sausage maker adds per kilogram of meat, from Meats and Sausages. Their general rule is 1 to 2 g of a spice per kilogram; garlic, onion, and pepper run higher. The first column scales each one to the meat block in the calculator above. Pick the few that fit the sausage you are making, weigh them, and fry a small piece to taste before stuffing.

Sugar, if a recipe uses it: 1 to 2 g per kilogram helps hold the color, and above about 3 g per kilogram it starts to taste sweet (Meats and Sausages).

Making the sausage, step by step

1. ChillKeep everything cold. Cube the meat and fat and spread them on a tray in the freezer for 30 to 45 minutes, until firm but not frozen solid. Cold meat grinds cleanly; warm meat smears. Keep the meat at 40°F (4°C) or below throughout.
2. WeighWeigh the meat and fat. Enter the meat weight above, weigh out the back fat it gives, then weigh the salt, cure, pepper, and sugar separately.
3. GrindGrind the meat and fat together through a cold grinder plate.
4. MixAdd the salt, cure, and spices, then the ice water. Mix by hand for 2 to 3 minutes until the mix turns tacky and sticks to your hand when you turn it over.
5. TestFry a small patty and taste it for salt and spice before stuffing. Adjust the spices if you like; leave the cure alone.
6. StuffStuff into casings or form patties, and refrigerate until cooking.
7. CookCook to 160°F (71°C) in the center, or 165°F (74°C) for chicken or turkey, per USDA FSIS (160°F for venison too, per University of Minnesota Extension). Smoked sausage made with Cure #1 is smoked until it reaches the same internal temperature.

Safety

• Use Cure #1 in any sausage smoked or cooked at low heat. Low-temperature smoking holds ground meat between 40 and 140°F for hours, which is what the nitrite protects against.
• Weigh the cure on a scale that reads to 0.1 g, mix it into the salt first, and keep it labeled and away from table salt. Never go above 0.25% of the meat block.
• This page does not cover fermented or dry-cured sausage such as summer sausage or salami. Those need a starter culture and, for long dry cures, Cure #2 and controlled drying; follow a tested recipe for them.
• Fresh sausage: 1 to 2 days in the fridge, 1 to 2 months frozen. After cooking: 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 2 to 3 months frozen (USDA FSIS).

What you'll need

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How this page is checked

Frequently asked questions

Related calculators and guides

• Curing salt guide What Cure #1 and Cure #2 are, how much to use, and the nitrite limits
• Bacon curing calculator Cure #1, salt, and sugar by belly weight, with days to cure
• Salt conversion calculator Swap Diamond Crystal, Morton, table, and sea salt by weight
• Equilibrium brine calculator Salt as a share of the meat plus water for whole cuts

References

• USDA FSIS, Sausages and Food Safety (cook to 160°F, poultry 165°F; storage times)
• USDA FSIS, Sausage Operations Equations Quick Reference (nitrite 156 ppm ingoing or 0.25 oz per 100 lb; added water 3% in fresh sausage)
• Meats and Sausages, sausage recipe secrets (salt 1.5 to 2%, fat 25 to 30%, pepper 0.1 to 0.4%, 1 tsp Cure #1 = 6 g)
• The Curesmith, fresh sausage calculator (salt 1.5 to 1.8%, fat 20%, water 3 to 5%, sugar 0.3 to 0.5%)
• Meat Identifier, homemade sausage ratios and first batch (pork shoulder 75 to 80% lean; mixing until tacky)
• USDA FSIS, refrigeration and food safety (40°F or below)
• University of Minnesota Extension, cooking venison for flavor and safety (ground venison to 160°F)
• 9 CFR 424.22, certain other permitted uses (nitrite rules for cured meat)

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