Either, And, Or....(fermento)

[partapache]

Are you supposed to use fermento in addition to instacure or prague powder or in place of. The information on it isn't too clear.
Thanks in advance

[Harry Nutczak]

Fermento is strictly used to add a tangy flavor! Fermento is not a starture culture or a curing agent.

You still need to use the appropriate cure for the type of sausage you are making. If it is going to be a cooked sausage (my guess is yes by you asking about fermento) you would use cure #1, if it is to be a raw fermented dried sausage you would use cure #2 and the appropriate starter culture.

Think of fermento along the same lines as liquid smoke;

If you correctly smoke a cured sausage for either a dry-style, or semi-dry product. it takes time to get the correct smoke characeristics.

But if you use liquid smoke, that time needed to smoke a sausage is not needed.
Same thing as using fermento instead of using a lactic acid starter culture.

to create a natural tang, the sausage needs to be kept raw at a temperature ranging from 90-105 degrees for several days with 90% humidity for the bacteria to start to work, the fermenting action lowers the PH of the meat and kills off harmful bacteria and adds the delightful tang to fermented meats.

There is a book aptly named "Charcuterie" it is a great read and touches on old-world raw, dried, fermeted meats. It also handles newer processes too.
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