Curing is the process of maintaining satisfactory temperature and moisture conditions in concrete long enough for hydration to develop the desired concrete properties. The potential strength and durability of concrete will be fully developed only if concrete is properly cured.
Curing of concrete by steam at atmospheric pressure accelerates compressive strength development and improves the properties of concrete at early ages. The gain in early strength can be increased manifold by curing in steam, as a result of the increase rate of cement hydration with the increase in the temperature.
Disadvantages of Ponding Curing
The method is used for flat surfaces like pavements and floors. Ponding curing needs to be done under continuous supervision by professional labors. Cold wind affects ponding. After curing, a large amount of water needs to be disposed of the curing side.
Curing is the addition to meats of some combination of salt, sugar, nitrite and/or nitrate for the purposes of preservation, flavor and color. Some publications distinguish the use of salt alone as salting, corning or salt curingand reserve the word curing for the use of salt with nitrates/nitrites.
No water is added in this process – the meat is simply left to cure for a full, robust flavour. Dry curing is the older and more traditional method of the two, and the lack of added liquid means there is less shrinkage in the pan when cooked.
Ponding Method
This is the best method of curing. It is suitable for curing horizontal surfaces such as floors, roof slabs, road and air field pavements.
Examples of these products include cooked ham, sausages, bacon, and bologna. The addition of curing salts containing nitrate, nitrate, sodium chloride, phosphates, extracts, and flavorings inhibits the growth of bacteria. The addition of sodium lactate reduces water activity (aw), which also inhibits microbial growth.
In short, the curing should start after minimum six hours (Final setting time of cement) and not less than 24 hours.
Cured meat products have the disadvantages of the presence of nitrosamine that is formed during curing. This compound is a potent carcinogenic component and has been detected in bacon after frying. On the other hand, because of the high biological value of protein, they present a high nutritive value.
Potassium nitrate (salt peter) or sodium nitrate kills dangerous bacteria in the cured meat, gives cured meat its characteristic flavor and reddish-pink color, and helps prevent rancidity.
The absence of water creates an environment that prevents bacteria from growing and therefore makes cured meats perfectly safe and delicious to consume.
Basic methods of curing are dry curing, in which the cure is rubbed into the meat by hand, and brine curing, in which the meat is soaked in a mixture of water and the curing agents. Brine curing requires about four days per pound of ham; dry curing is faster (two to three days per pound).
Disadvantages in the present method of curing
Generally, poor quality fish is used for making cured products. dirt and sand. Fish cured using this type of salt, without proper care for the hygienic conditions, are naturally of low quality. Good quality water is not available in such fish curing yards.
Why does cured meat last so long? Cured meat lasts so long because it's dried. It's all about the moisture content. The use of salt and other curing agents draws moisture out of the meat, and without moisture, the bacteria that spoil meat can't survive.
Curing is actually a general term referring to any process that helps preserve meat. It can mean salting, brining, aging, drying or canning. The goal of all of these processes is to slow spoilage and prevent the growth of microorganisms.
Dry Cured Meats
These are the cornerstone of salumi and charcuterie – salt dry-cured meat, dried out enough to perfectly intensify the flavor and preserve it for the long term.
Dry curing may or may not destroy S. aureus, but the high salt content on the exterior of dry cured meats inhibits these bacteria. When the dry cured meat is sliced, the moist, lower salt interior will permit staphylococcal multiplication.
The Importance of Drying and Curing Cannabis
Drying and curing are crucial steps in the production of top-quality cannabis buds. Drying removes excess moisture, while curing allows the buds to mature and develop their full flavor and potency.
Because curing increases the solute concentration in the food and hence decreases its water potential, the food becomes inhospitable for the microbe growth that causes food spoilage. Curing can be traced back to antiquity, and was the primary way of preserving meat and fish until the late 19th century.
Curing entails four essential steps: wilting, yellowing, colouring, and drying.