The curing requirement for smoking sausage depends on whether you're cold smoking or hot smoking, and if you're using fresh sausage versus cured sausage.
Cure Is Required When:
- You're cold smoking the sausage (temps below 170°F/77°C). The meat spends a long time in the temperature danger zone (40–140°F / 4–60°C), where bacteria can grow.
- The sausage is semi-dry or dry cured and intended for long-term storage without refrigeration.
- You're making summer sausage, pepperoni, salami, or any type of fermented or air-dried sausage.
In these cases, you'd typically use Prague Powder #1 (pink curing salt) for short curing or Prague Powder #2 for long-term curing/fermented sausages.
Cure Is Not Always Required When:
- You're hot smoking sausage at temperatures above 170°F/77°C, where the sausage gets fully cooked quickly and is eaten soon after.
- You're making fresh sausage (like breakfast sausage or Italian sausage) that’s cooked immediately and kept refrigerated or frozen.
Why Use a Cure?
- It prevents botulism and other bacterial growth.
- It gives sausage that pink color and adds a distinct flavor.
Quick Rule of Thumb:
If the smoking/cooking process keeps the sausage in the danger zone for an extended time, add the cure!