{"id":8920,"date":"2026-10-02T15:49:48","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T15:49:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pgamo.com\/?page_id=8920"},"modified":"2026-10-02T15:49:48","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T15:49:48","slug":"sausage","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pgamo.com\/ceb\/preserving\/sausage\/","title":{"rendered":"Sausage &amp; Salami"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"pgamo-hero\" id=\"top\" style=\"min-height:26vh;background-color:#877373;\">\n<div class=\"pgamo-hero-side pgamo-hero-side--left\">\n<span class=\"pgamo-hero-side__label\">New Here?<\/span>\n<h3 class=\"pgamo-hero-side__heading\">Start Free Today<\/h3>\n<p class=\"pgamo-hero-side__text\">Enroll in the Ministerial Bible Study Series &#8212; 66 books, 251 lessons, completely free forever.<\/p>\n<a class=\"pgamo-hero-side__btn\" href=\"https:\/\/pgamo.com\/ceb\/courses\/bible-study\/\">Enroll Free &rarr;<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pgamo-hero__inner\">\n<h1 class=\"pgamo-hero__heading\">Sausage &amp; Salami<\/h1><p class=\"pgamo-hero__subheading\">Fresh and smoked sausage, and dry-fermented salami \u2014 fat ratios, salt, cure, casings and the fermentation check that keeps salami safe.<\/p><div class=\"pgamo-hero__buttons\">\n<a class=\"pgamo-btn pgamo-btn--primary\" href=\"#calculators\">Sausage Calculators<\/a>\n<a class=\"pgamo-btn pgamo-btn--ghost\" href=\"\/ceb\/preserving\/meats\/\">Curing &amp; Smoking<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pgamo-hero-side pgamo-hero-side--right\">\n<span class=\"pgamo-hero-side__label\">From Our Authors<\/span>\n<h3 class=\"pgamo-hero-side__heading\">Meet Our Contributing Authors<\/h3>\n<p class=\"pgamo-hero-side__text\">Read devotionals and Bible studies shared by members of our community.<\/p>\n<a class=\"pgamo-hero-side__btn\" href=\"https:\/\/pgamo.com\/ceb\/groups\/contributing-authors\/forum\/\">Read Their Articles &rarr;<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<div class=\"pgamo-hs\"><h3 class=\"hs-section-title\" id=\"calculators\">Sausage calculators<\/h3><div class=\"hs-calcs hs-calcs-wide\"><div class=\"hs-card hs-calc\" data-hs-calc=\"xsausage\" data-cfg=\"[]\"><h4>Fresh &amp; smoked sausage<\/h4><div class=\"hs-calc-in\"><label>Total batch<span class=\"hs-unit-row\"><input type=\"number\" min=\"0\" step=\"any\" value=\"10\" data-in=\"meat\" inputmode=\"decimal\"><select data-in=\"meat_unit\" aria-label=\"Unit\"><option value=\"lb\" selected='selected'>lb<\/option><option value=\"kg\">kg<\/option><option value=\"oz\">oz<\/option><option value=\"g\">g<\/option><\/select><\/span><\/label><label>Fat in your lean meat <small>(% (pork shoulder \u2248 20\u201325%))<\/small><input type=\"number\" min=\"0\" step=\"1\" value=\"20\" data-in=\"leanfat\" inputmode=\"decimal\"><\/label><label>Fat in your fat trim <small>(% (back fat \u2248 90%))<\/small><input type=\"number\" min=\"0\" step=\"1\" value=\"90\" data-in=\"trimfat\" inputmode=\"decimal\"><\/label><label>Fat you want in the sausage <small>(% (most sausages 20\u201330%))<\/small><input type=\"number\" min=\"0\" step=\"1\" value=\"25\" data-in=\"target\" inputmode=\"decimal\"><\/label><label>Salt <small>(% of meat)<\/small><input type=\"number\" min=\"0\" step=\"0.05\" value=\"1.75\" data-in=\"salt\" inputmode=\"decimal\"><\/label><label>Curing salt<select data-in=\"cure\"><option value=\"0\">None \u2014 fresh sausage, cooked soon<\/option><option value=\"1\">Cure #1 \u2014 smoked or cooked sausage<\/option><\/select><\/label><label>Ice water <small>(% of meat)<\/small><input type=\"number\" min=\"0\" step=\"1\" value=\"5\" data-in=\"water\" inputmode=\"decimal\"><\/label><label>Casing<select data-in=\"casing\"><option value=\"22\">Sheep casing 22\u201324 mm (breakfast links)<\/option><option value=\"32\">Hog casing 32\u201335 mm (brats, Italian)<\/option><option value=\"38\">Hog casing 38\u201342 mm (Polish, kielbasa)<\/option><option value=\"45\">Beef middle \/ fibrous 45\u201350 mm (summer sausage)<\/option><option value=\"60\">Beef middle \/ fibrous 60\u201365 mm (salami)<\/option><\/select><\/label><\/div><ul class=\"hs-calc-out\" data-out aria-live=\"polite\"><\/ul><p class=\"hs-hint\">Keep meat, fat and grinder parts near freezing. Mix until the meat turns sticky (\u201cbind\u201d), fry a small patty to check seasoning, then stuff. Cook sausage to 160\u00b0F.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"hs-card hs-calc\" data-hs-calc=\"xsalami\" data-cfg=\"[]\"><h4>Dry-fermented salami<\/h4><div class=\"hs-calc-in\"><label>Meat &amp; fat<span class=\"hs-unit-row\"><input type=\"number\" min=\"0\" step=\"any\" value=\"5\" data-in=\"meat\" inputmode=\"decimal\"><select data-in=\"meat_unit\" aria-label=\"Unit\"><option value=\"lb\" selected='selected'>lb<\/option><option value=\"kg\">kg<\/option><option value=\"oz\">oz<\/option><option value=\"g\">g<\/option><\/select><\/span><\/label><label>Salt <small>(% (2.5\u20133.0%))<\/small><input type=\"number\" min=\"0\" step=\"0.05\" value=\"2.75\" data-in=\"salt\" inputmode=\"decimal\"><\/label><label>Cure #2 <small>(% of meat)<\/small><input type=\"number\" min=\"0\" step=\"0.01\" value=\"0.25\" data-in=\"curepct\" inputmode=\"decimal\"><\/label><label>Dextrose (food for the culture) <small>(%)<\/small><input type=\"number\" min=\"0\" step=\"0.05\" value=\"0.5\" data-in=\"dextrose\" inputmode=\"decimal\"><\/label><label>Starter culture <small>(g per kg \u2014 from your packet)<\/small><input type=\"number\" min=\"0\" step=\"0.01\" value=\"0.25\" data-in=\"culture\" inputmode=\"decimal\"><\/label><label>Fermenting temperature <small>(\u00b0F)<\/small><input type=\"number\" min=\"0\" step=\"1\" value=\"75\" data-in=\"ftemp\" inputmode=\"decimal\"><\/label><label>Hours to reach pH 5.3 <small>(from your pH meter)<\/small><input type=\"number\" min=\"0\" step=\"1\" value=\"48\" data-in=\"fhours\" inputmode=\"decimal\"><\/label><label>Weight loss to aim for <small>(%)<\/small><input type=\"number\" min=\"0\" step=\"1\" value=\"35\" data-in=\"loss\" inputmode=\"decimal\"><\/label><label>Casing<select data-in=\"casing\"><option value=\"22\">Sheep casing 22\u201324 mm (breakfast links)<\/option><option value=\"32\">Hog casing 32\u201335 mm (brats, Italian)<\/option><option value=\"38\">Hog casing 38\u201342 mm (Polish, kielbasa)<\/option><option value=\"45\">Beef middle \/ fibrous 45\u201350 mm (summer sausage)<\/option><option value=\"60\">Beef middle \/ fibrous 60\u201365 mm (salami)<\/option><\/select><\/label><\/div><ul class=\"hs-calc-out\" data-out aria-live=\"polite\"><\/ul><p class=\"hs-hint\">Ferment warm and humid until the pH drops to 5.3 or lower, then dry at 50\u201360\u00b0F and 70\u201380% humidity until it has lost about a third of its weight. A pH meter and an accurate scale are essential.<\/p><\/div><\/div><section class=\"hs-card hs-guide-section\"><h3>Making good sausage<\/h3><ul><li>Chill everything \u2014 meat, fat, grinder plates and the mixing bowl \u2014 until nearly frozen. Warm fat smears and makes sausage crumbly and greasy.<\/li><li>Grind through a coarse plate, then a finer one if you like. Mix in the salt, spices and ice water until the meat is tacky and holds together.<\/li><li>Soak salted natural casings in warm water and flush them before stuffing. Stuff firmly without air pockets, then twist into links and prick any air bubbles.<\/li><li>Cook fresh sausage to 160\u00b0F (165\u00b0F if it contains poultry). Refrigerate and use within 2 days, or freeze.<\/li><\/ul><\/section><section class=\"hs-card hs-guide-section\"><h3>Smoked &amp; summer sausage<\/h3><ul><li>Any sausage that will be smoked at low temperatures needs Cure #1 at 0.25% to prevent botulism.<\/li><li>Smoke at gradually rising temperatures until the inside reaches 155\u2013160\u00b0F, then cool quickly in ice water.<\/li><\/ul><\/section><section class=\"hs-card hs-guide-section\"><h3>Dry-fermented salami<\/h3><ul><li>Use Cure #2, dextrose and a starter culture. The culture turns sugar into acid \u2014 the drop in pH, along with salt and drying, is what makes salami safe.<\/li><li>The meat must reach pH 5.3 or lower within 1,200 \u201cdegree-hours\u201d above 60\u00b0F (when fermenting below 90\u00b0F). Example: 75\u00b0F for 48 hours = 15 \u00d7 48 = 720 degree-hours.<\/li><li>Dry at 50\u201360\u00b0F and 70\u201380% humidity. A thin white mold is normal; fuzzy green, black or orange mold is not \u2014 wipe it with vinegar or discard the piece.<\/li><li>Salami is ready when it has lost 30\u201340% of its weight and is firm all the way through. Case hardening (a dry ring with a soft center) means the humidity was too low.<\/li><li>For pork you\u2019ll eat uncooked, use commercially raised pork or freeze it first: 20 days at 5\u00b0F for pieces up to 6 inches thick.<\/li><\/ul><\/section><p class=\"hs-calc-links\"><a class=\"hs-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/pgamo.com\/ceb\/preserving\/meats\/\">Curing &amp; smoking<\/a> <a class=\"hs-btn hs-btn-ghost\" href=\"https:\/\/pgamo.com\/ceb\/homestead\/calculators\/?animal=pigs&#038;calc=meat#animals\">How many pigs to raise<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\n\n<section class=\"pgamo-text-image pgamo-text-image--left pgamo-text-image--dark\" id=\"community\">\n<div class=\"pgamo-text-image__inner\">\n<div class=\"pgamo-text-image__media\" style=\"background-image:url('https:\/\/pgamo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/homestead-pig-1024x576.jpg')\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"pgamo-text-image__content\">\n<h2>Nothing Wasted<\/h2><div class=\"pgamo-text-image__text\"><p>Sausage making turns trim and fat into some of the best food on the homestead. Start with a simple fresh breakfast or Italian sausage, then move on to smoked links \u2014 and to salami once you have a pH meter, an accurate scale and a curing chamber.<\/p>\n<\/div><a class=\"pgamo-btn pgamo-btn--primary\" href=\"\/ceb\/groups\/food-preservation\/forum\/\">Join the Food Preservation Group<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n    <div class=\"xs_social_share_widget xs_share_url after_content \t\tmain_content  wslu-style-1 wslu-share-box-shaped wslu-fill-colored wslu-none wslu-share-horizontal wslu-theme-font-no wslu-main_content\">\n\n\t\t\n        <ul>\n\t\t\t        <\/ul>\n    <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":8885,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-8920","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pgamo.com\/ceb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8920","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pgamo.com\/ceb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pgamo.com\/ceb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pgamo.com\/ceb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pgamo.com\/ceb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8920"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pgamo.com\/ceb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8920\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8925,"href":"https:\/\/pgamo.com\/ceb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8920\/revisions\/8925"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pgamo.com\/ceb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pgamo.com\/ceb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8920"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}