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Salt peter typically refers to the chemical compound potassium nitrate, though it may also refer to sodium nitrate. Salt peter was once collected from decomposing material, but today, it is generally manufactured by treating sodium nitrate, mostly mined in Chile, with potassium chloride and collecting the precipitate.
Finally, note that saltpeter is poisonous and flammable (it's used in pyrotechnics and to burn out dead tree stumps). Sodium nitrite itself can be fatally toxic if a human were to ingest an amount equivalent to 4.6 grams (citing from wikipedia), which again is why they make the curing preparations pink. realize there is another question about corned beef from scratch, but the answers don't really cover my question. Many recipes for making your own corned beef still refer to the use of saltpeter (potassium nitrate) or sodium nitrate.