Potassium vs Sodium Nitrate

[ped]

Was standing in the shower and a question came to me!!, (I know how Archimedes felt now !!) please could you clarify for me, what is the difference between potassium & sodium nitrate for the purposes of curing meat (and don't say K &Na ) ?

It appears that they may be interchangeable? But sodium is the preferred cure#2 choice, is there any reason why potassium could not be used?

[NCPaul]

No reason not to interchange them (Wheels I believe does this). If you like, you can make a small correction for the difference in molecular weight between the two. I would stress the importance of having an accurate and sensitive balance when working with pure potassium nitrate, this is the main reason to stick with cure #2.

[captain wassname]

No reason why you should choose one over the other.Just make sure what you are buying is food grade.

JIM

[ped]

Thanks for the responses, it was just a general question that struck me, be assured I have no intention of exceeding the boundaries of tried and trusted cures, any chemistry knowledge I may have had has long disappeared!