Does anyone know where to buy saltpetre?

For small quantities, try you local independent chemist.

Thanks CdMaison.

I get mine from my local butcher - but he will only sell it pre-mixed with salt.

I need it for covering a joint of meat so will probably need quite a lot I suppose. Is it expensive?

It's potassium nitrate and apart from it's uses as a preservative it is also one of the ingredients of a powerful explosive. That's why it's quite difficult to find. It used to come up on e-Bay from time to time but I haven't seen it lately. You need to make contact with a butcher's sundries supplier and assure them that you need it for culinary purposes and not for subterfuge...!

Well there is some on ebay at the moment, well I think there is, it says....

250g OF SALTPETER.
This is the main ingredient used in making vesta powder, used in spell's and sacred rituals for excorism and other purification rights.

Ooh..reckon I could do with some of that .. I could do with a good bit of purification at the mo!!!

So is my meat going to explode when I cook it??

Well, when we were talking once about why sausages were call Bangers, one theory mentioned that it was because of the saltpetre in them that made them explode.

Think I'll give the recipe a miss!!!!

Visit; [link]

Franco sells saltpetre and other cures for sausage and bacon.

My neighbour uses it to make pickled beef for Christmas - she says its easy to buy in Germany. You should be able to get it in a chemist if you can persuade them you're not a terrorist. You don't need much. I've got a recipe somewhere for pickled beef Norwegian style - I'll dig it out and post it here.

cep - well I'm living in Germany at the moment!!! Will try and track some down at the pharmacy. Thanks!