Anybody find bacon WITHOUT nitrates?

[wolbi123]

Is there a bacon or ham out there without nitrates? I live in NC and have looked without success. :confused: Thanks, if you can help me! :D

[Gaelen]

Hormel makes a line of nitrite free deli meats called "Natural Choice Meats" (http://www.hormel.com/products/refrigerated/HormelNaturalChoiceMeats.aspx) - ham, salami, turkey and roast beef sliced for sandwiches and sold (nationwide) in the same section as other packaged deli meats.

I live in Wegmans supermarket land, and their own brand of uncured (nitrate/nitrite free) bacon is terrific. I can also sometimes get Applegate Farms (http://www.applegatefarms.com/) nitrate/nitrite free bacon. Look in the bacon case for "uncured" bacon or "organic" bacon - if bacon or deli meats are cured only with sea salt and celery juice (which contains naturally occurring nitrates) then it has to be labeled "uncured" because it didn't use chemical agents to cure.

However, celery juice does have a lot of nitrate - and in the presence of some of the rest of the "cure" ingredients, can form nitrites. There is some evidence that products labeled "nitrite free" because they didn't add sodium nitrite actually contain MORE nitrites than traditionally cured bacon.

Bottom line? If you can find a local supplier, and keep things like cured meats to a smaller proportion of your diet (eat them for taste, not as a protein source) you're probably better off. ;)

Hope this helps.

[Driven]

'Uncured bacon' is also called "side pork"...

[Dess]

Trader Joe's has nitrate free beacon. Although there is no substitute for bacon fat... watching Emerald too much.. Wal-Mart has Canadian bacon and BJ's has it as well in a 3 pack that's a pretty good deal.

[porcupine73]

I've been picking some up at our local large grocery store. I don't know who makes it because it is private labeled as the store name (Wegmans). It doesn't specifically have nitrates, except it does say it has celery juice or something added, which I guess does contain some nitrates. It's cured with brown sugar though.

[DarleenMB]

Yup! Unbelievable as it sounds, out here in the wilds of Wyoming I found nitrate free bacon at the health food store and then miracle of miracles, at our local Safeway! It's Open Nature and is distributed by Lucerne foods which is Safeway's store brand. Its YUMMMY!

[porcupine73]

Congrats on finding the bacon!

I also purchase bacon from a local farmer, but it is cured with brown sugar and nitrates. I asked him if I could buy just pork belly, and he said has has done that for people in the past, but since he sells out of all his bacon pretty quickly he isn't really interested in taking special orders for pork belly at this time.