Summer sausage question

[Arklatex]

Does anybody know how long summer sausage will last? I got a bunch of it over Christmas (Hillshire Farms) and the package say they're good for only a few months. I always thought that they lasted a lot longer than that... At least a year? The fda and other similar websites are saying 3 months. I just don't buy that. What do yall think?

[Inor]

Does anybody know how long summer sausage will last? I got a bunch of it over Christmas (Hillshire Farms) and the package say they're good for only a few months. I always thought that they lasted a lot longer than that... At least a year? The fda and other similar websites are saying 3 months. I just don't buy that. What do yall think?

If you freeze it, it will last close to a year or until it gets freezer burn.

Salami and other fermented meats will last forever even without being in the refrigerator.

[Arklatex]

Thanks Inor. I figured it was like salami but I guess I was wrong. Oh well. I'm gonna have to throw a few parties with cheese, crackers and summer sausage to get rid of the stuff!

[juskom95]

Does anybody know how long summer sausage will last? I got a bunch of it over Christmas (Hillshire Farms) and the package say they're good for only a few months. I always thought that they lasted a lot longer than that... At least a year? The fda and other similar websites are saying 3 months. I just don't buy that. What do yall think?

Is it an expiration or a sell by date? All of the ones I have purchased had a sell by date I believe.

[Arklatex]

Is it an expiration or a sell by date? All of the ones I have purchased had a sell by date I believe.
Some just have a date printed, like this small Hillshire Farms one:

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161227/78d2fa7b17267756895c941b7b306f39.jpg

Others have a use by date, like this one from a company called Old Wisconsin:

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161227/b4a347abfc99bec2315861c2b9e36937.jpg

The one above has a shelf life double what the fda site claims.

Edit: just noticed the use or freeze by printed on the Hillshire. Duh!

[juskom95]

Yeah, mine never last that long . . .

[Arklatex]

Yeah, mine never last that long . . .
I hear you. I was just hoping they would make for a decent meat to store for SHTF. But if 3 or so months is all I can really expect it ain't gonna fit that bill. I need to look into the real salami Inor mentioned. Thanks for the helpful replies folks.

[Inor]

I hear you. I was just hoping they would make for a decent meat to store for SHTF. But if 3 or so months is all I can really expect it ain't gonna fit that bill. I need to look into the real salami Inor mentioned. Thanks for the helpful replies folks.

A few years back I spent a LOT of time researching how to make salami and other fermented meats specifically for the purpose of storage SHTF. They are pretty easy to make. But... You have to be careful because they are never "cooked". It is actually the fermentation process that kills all of the bad bacteria. So you just have to watch them close during the fermentation process to make sure it is working correctly and all of the bad stuff is dying off or you can get really sick. One of the main things is that you have to wait until all of the water is gone from the meat. That means, you have to be VERY careful to weigh it when you stuff them and do not even try to eat it until it loses about 20% of the original weight. Also, it pays to test the PH of the meat. I'll have to check my notes to find out what the PH needs to be to be safe, but I can do that if you want.

[Inor]

This is the cure I use when making salami and pepperoni. I have not tried making prosciutto yet, but that is on my list to try.

http://www.meatprocessingproducts.com/11250.html

Also, the company that I linked is extremely good about answering questions too. They are a little more expensive than Amazon, but it is more than worth it for the customer support, especially when doing this stuff for the first time and the end result can make you sick if you do not do it right.

[shootbrownelk]

Does anybody know how long summer sausage will last? I got a bunch of it over Christmas (Hillshire Farms) and the package say they're good for only a few months. I always thought that they lasted a lot longer than that... At least a year? The fda and other similar websites are saying 3 months. I just don't buy that. What do yall think?

Vac seal it and freeze it Ark. It'll last for over a year, if not two by doing it that way.

[SouthernBrat]

Vac seal it and freeze it Ark. It'll last for over a year, if not two by doing it that way.

You just answered what I was going to ask. I got a FoodSaver for Christmas and figured it would be worth a try.

[Infidel]

I've got venison for sausage in my freezer that's 2 years old that I would have no qualms about eating. I'll be making the sausage after the new year. None of that is cured but it is vacuum sealed. A frozen, cured summer sausage that was vacuum sealed would last at least that long. As a SHTF situation you might be in trouble with it with no refrigeration. Inor hit it right on the head, Pepperoni and salami will last almost indefinitely where other smoked and cured meats will not. The difference being dry curing and the moisture content of the meat. With a dry cured meat like pepperoni the moisture content is very low, not so with a summer sausage which will mold pretty quickly if given the opportunity.

-Infidel

[shootbrownelk]

You just answered what I was going to ask. I got a FoodSaver for Christmas and figured it would be worth a try.

You're 'gonna love that Foodsaver Brat....I use mine all the time. I still have some Elk meat from 2 years ago that looks just like it did when I sealed & froze it back then. I always semi-freeze meat & fish before sealing. You don't have to deal with all the moisture that way. It seals really fast when the food is almost frozen hard.

[Dwight55]

I took a 5 pound roll of venison baloney, . . . stuck it in the freezer, . . . we ate it at deer camp the next year, . . . nobody had any problems that I recollect.

I'm a "smoke em and eat em" kind of guy, . . . my grandfather had smoked hams that were several years old, . . . we all ate em, . . . lived to tell about it.

I'm not much on any other form of non freezer preservation of meat other than canning or "jerky" making. But that is what I was taught and understand.

May God bless,
Dwight

[juskom95]

You're 'gonna love that Foodsaver Brat....I use mine all the time. I still have some Elk meat from 2 years ago that looks just like it did when I sealed & froze it back then. I always semi-freeze meat & fish before sealing. You don't have to deal with all the moisture that way. It seals really fast when the food is almost frozen hard.

One seems to find uses for Foodsavers!

[Infidel]

One seems to find uses for Foodsavers!

Very true, the only problem with a foodsaver is keeping bags on hand. They're great for packing ammo away too, that stuff will survive a flood if it's sealed up in a vacuum bag.

-Infidel

[Inor]

Very true, the only problem with a foodsaver is keeping bags on hand. They're great for packing ammo away too, that stuff will survive a flood if it's sealed up in a vacuum bag.

-Infidel

The Cabela's brand bags are cheaper than the FoodSaver brand and they are heavier plastic.

[shootbrownelk]

Very true, the only problem with a foodsaver is keeping bags on hand. They're great for packing ammo away too, that stuff will survive a flood if it's sealed up in a vacuum bag.

-Infidel

I put my elk urine scents and cover scents in foodsaver bags & seal them. They stay fresh & effective for years.

[Deebo]

cabelas huh? Im down to my last roll. thanks Inor