i was looking at summersausage and salami and was wondering how you can tell if store bought can be left unrefridgerated? i'm going on the premise that no electricity means freezer foods would be a waste so wanted to stock up on some smoked meat. The stuff i was looking at had a "skin" and was also sealed in plastic. thanks for any responses
We bought few salamis from small distributor and they were actually smoked {not chemically) and hang them in very airy room ,after few month they are hard like rock but smell just beautiful.Just last week we made 20 lbs of our own sausage and cold smoke them for few days and I know they will last for a very long time after drying them for at least 3 wks. than they will just hang in a cool room. i do not trust too much stuff from the store , just because I do not know how it is made and what they use to make it.
henry
hi, I am sorry that I can't help answer your questions in regards to how long something like this will keep when its bought at the store, homemade and properly stored in a cool ideally dry cellar will indeed last a good long time.. I have had salted leg of lamb be excellent a year later.. I am with henry on this one, I just would not trust what and how the store got meats were perserved.
If you really want to have store bought meats that have a good long life span unrefridgerated, then I would recommend pressure canning meat in small jars, it will keep a number of years if properly stored and as its a jar size tailored to your family needs you would be able to eat it before it went bad.
http://livingmydreamlifeonthefarm.wordpress.com/
We bought few salamis from small distributor and they were actually smoked {not chemically) and hang them in very airy room ,after few month they are hard like rock but smell just beautiful.Just last week we made 20 lbs of our own sausage and cold smoke them for few days and I know they will last for a very long time after drying them for at least 3 wks. than they will just hang in a cool room. i do not trust too much stuff from the store , just because I do not know how it is made and what they use to make it.
henry
Henry,
could you explain the cold smoke process a bit?
I would love to learn this...
and maybe a recipe, if you were so inclined!
Henry, I have been wondering what you are using for your cure. Straight salt or are you using sodium nitrate as well? I too would not attempt to store the store bought stuff. They rely on chemical preservatives (more then just sodium nitrate) and refridgeration and if the meat comes from a bulk factory its too high risk for me. Anyone else notice how limited the types of sausage you can buy is? So many good things to be had if you do it yourself.
I save all my apple tree prunings for when the smoke house finally gets built.
We smoked some sausages from store before but they have to be in real casing not plastic.We use at home casing for sausage or salami or cloth casing for salami.Length of smoking deepens on size and how long we plan to store it.Hot smoking (156 F) sausages 12 to 16 hours slowly increasing temperature to 160 F.Salami are smoked (summer sausage salami) 1 hr at 120F , 1hr 140F than smoke it at 160F until centre of salami (inside) reaches 160F.
Cold smoking is up to app. 100 to 120 F.Sausages 3 to 5 days increasing temperature just a bit last few hours. Bacon cold smoking is for at least 1 wk for thin to medium thickness.
For curring I use sea salt pepper garlic and 1 medium onion.Make sure you turn your meat every day .Bacon 1 wk in cure ,ham for 1 month.
Henry