Sodium Ascorbate

[Leesel]

Hey All
After reading various threads here and further reading I thought I’d try adding sodium ascorbate to my next batch of salami.
I’d like to see how it effects the colour brightness and helps hold it for longer.

I’ve had a scout round the internet looking for uk suppliers for small quantities. Buying from food chemical companies seems out of the question as the minimum you need to buy is in such vast quantities and in some cases a minimum order of 100kg.

Buying from uk health food shops seems like the best option as you can buy in smaller quantities but I wanted to make sure I was buying the right product as a lot sold as Vit c.

This is the one I’ve opted for
https://www.londonsupplements.co.uk/pro ... o_s=gsuruk

Before I go a head and purchase this I thought I’d check with you guys.

Many thanks
Lee

[Bob K]

That is the right kind. Try looking in spice stores.
You can also use use Sodium erythorbate. It does the same job and uses the same amounts as Sodium ascorbate.

https://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausag ... /additives

[Leesel]

That is the right kind. Try looking in spice stores.
You can also use use Sodium erythorbate. It does the same job and uses the same amounts as Sodium ascorbate.

https://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausag ... /additives

Great thanks Bob, just ordered looking forward to posting the results

[Africantanman]

Hi everyone. Sorry to reply to an old thread but I just wanted to make sure that in salami making you can use sodium ascorbate interchangeably with sodium erythorbate. It is almost impossible to find the latter in South Africa but I can find the former much easier. Thank you!!

[michi]

They are not quite the same. Both are antioxidants that help to maintain red colour. And both convert nitrite into nitrogen oxide. But sodium erythorbate is fast acting. Usually, it is enough to wait overnight before consuming the sausage. Sodium ascorbate is slow acting, and is preferred for salami or anything that cures for a week or more, so there is a longer period where nitrite is still present and protects against botulinum.

Nothing terrible will happen if you swap one for the other. If you use sodium ascorbate as a substitute for sodium erythorbate, you might want to leave fresh sausage in the fridge for an extra day or two before eating it. That way, you'll remove a bit more of the nitrite. For salami, sodium ascorbate is the preferred antioxidant anyway.

From what you write, it seems that your recipe suggests sodium erythorbate for salami, which is surprising. Erythorbate normally is used for sausages that are meant to be consumed soon after making them. Typically for sausages that are smoked, so the nitrite is needed for safety, and then fried, at which point you want to have as much as possible of the nitrite converted to avoid eating nitrosamines.

[redzed]

Hi everyone. Sorry to reply to an old thread but I just wanted to make sure that in salami making you can use sodium ascorbate interchangeably with sodium erythorbate. It is almost impossible to find the latter in South Africa but I can find the former much easier. Thank you!!

You can use S. erythorbate instead of S. ascorbate. The only thing you have to take into account is that S. ascorbate can lower the pH to some degree, while S. erythorbate does not. Both act as anti oxidants and can help in retaining the colour in the salami for an extended period of time. Gerhard Feiner, in his manual on salami making, states that S. erythorbate is a better choice. Exactly what type of salami are you making?