"Whirled Peas" > wrote in message
...
> On 03/08/2016 12:37 PM, Ophelia wrote:
>>
>>
>> "Whirled Peas" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>>
>>> . . . or, just leave it out. Saltpetre was there to preserve meat on
>>> long
>>> voyages (several months) on wooden sailing ships. These days, we can
>>> keep
>>> it under refrigeration until needed. The trade-off is the lack of that
>>> unique shade of pink we associate with corned beef. It will be grey
>>> instead, but taste almost exactly the same. I'd prefer to leave out
>>> nitrates/nitrites from my food, if I can.
>>
>> Interesting, thanks! So, do you have a recipe which leaves out that
>> stuff?
>>
> I think Carol has the nitrate-free corned beef recipes covered very well.
> I defer to her.
>
> Wikipedia says that saltpetre was the main preservative used from the
> Medieval era until sometime in the 1700s. It will inhibit the growth of
> the botulism bacteria also. Unfortunately, nitrates/nitrites are linked to
> cancer.

Thanks for your comments. I agree about preservatives and avoid them
whenever possible

I have a good recipe from sf in which the sodium nitrite is optional so that
is perfect for me.

Thank you again for your input it was most appreciated))


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