F. Dick 7.5-inch Brine Tester, 0 to 25 Percent

Curing ham, bacon or corned beef depends on a brine of the right strength, and this F. Dick brine tester measures it. The glass instrument floats in the solution and shows the salt content on a scale from 0 to 25 percent.

A brine that is too weak may not cure the meat safely, and one that is too strong makes it salty and firm. Checking each batch with a tester takes the guesswork out of following a recipe, and checking again during a long cure shows whether the brine has been diluted by moisture drawn from the meat.

Recording each reading in a log builds a reliable record for the next batch.

To read it, float the tester gently in a tall container of brine and read the scale at the surface once it settles. Rinse it in clean water after use. In the brining room, the F. Dick hand hook lifts meat from the tank without putting hands in the solution.