The salami and chorizo are both cured and ready to eat. It took roughly three months for them to air dry sufficiently. Every so often, when out getting wood, I'd have a quick grope of the sausages hanging from the roof. Once they were no longer 'squishy' they were good to go.
It's at this point that most first timer air dried sausage adventurers begin to doubt themselves, or rather their sausages, because the final product ticks all the boxes in the 'do not eat this if you wish to live' category. It is after all raw meat, raw meat that's been hanging outside and not in a fridge, for months. Add to that the fact that the sausage is wrinkled and mouldy. The mouldy hillocks range in colour from white, to grey, to blue, brown and black. Of course all the previous preparations have been done under very clean and hygenic conditions and careful informed decisions made as to what, if any, preservatives are to be used.
To give you an idea of what to expect here is a picture of our latest chorizo. It was delecious ... only 6 more metre long sausages of various flavours to go!
Gosh that does look disgusting doesn't it? But wow how good it will, eventually, taste.
Posted by: re | July 07, 2009 at 10:07 AM
Dear heavens! The sausage does look scary; is the meat cured at all? I suppose you peel it before consuming. Have you sampled any yet? Please let us know what it's like.
Posted by: cc | July 08, 2009 at 03:50 AM
Strewth, will you still be alive?? Do show us the sausage minus the mould.
Good to see you blogging again.
Lorna
Posted by: Lorna | July 09, 2009 at 09:51 PM
The mould is rubbed off with kitchen towel and whats left on the skin resembles a fine powder. Some folk like to peel the skin off, others prefer to eat it.
Posted by: Rebecca (Sallygardens Smallholding author) | July 13, 2009 at 02:56 PM
Well, you've replied so you're still alive!
Posted by: Jean Halford-Thompson | July 18, 2009 at 08:36 PM
Hi
Interesting
I have lot of pork meat in the feezer,we have slaughtered some old pigs ourselves ( a big job must say)The meat is very very though I suppose once in the freezer I will not be able to make salami out of it,Just wonder for any alternative use of this very though meat.Any ideas? Cannot eat it as it is
Posted by: rosa | July 26, 2009 at 11:39 AM
Sausages before freezing might have been a good alternative, or very slow roasting to tenderise the meat.
Posted by: Rebecca (Sallygardens Smallholding author) | July 29, 2009 at 07:38 PM