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Summer sausage

bueller

bueller

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We take our deer to a processor and usually have some different types of summer sausage made among other things. One we like is jalapeno cheddar summer sausage. The last couple years we've noticed this particular style starts to taste "off" as it approaches a year old, freezer kept. We haven't noticed any of the other summer sausages, snack sticks, etc. ever losing quality in storage. The jalapeno cheddar summer sausage is the only product we get that contains visible pieces of peppers. Do peppers begin to spoil that quickly even while frozen?
 
I've been making my own for 20 years, and don't have that problem. I use dehydrated jalapeno from my garden, that I dehydrate in the summer. I was told when I started not to use jalapeno that was pickled, or any kind of brine. Whoever told me that said it would mess up the "cure" or something like that. Unsure if it's true, but I heeded the advise and have never had a problem.
 
All I know is that any jalapeno cheddar we get from now on will be consumed relatively quickly. It sure is good, until it turns.
 
Yes I have noticed that anything with cheese in it must be consumed first.
 
Agree with big snow man, don't think it the peppers but the cheese.

I honestly do not care for any sausage with any cheese inside, including brats.

IMO best to leave it out an slice a piece of fresh cheese to pair it with.

Always thought cheese stuffed SS, the cheese tasted slimy
 
I have a cheddar summer sausage (no jalapeno) from last season thawing in the fridge now so we will see.
 
swat1018 said:
I've been making my own for 20 years, and don't have that problem.
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Care to share how you do it? I've never made SS, but would like to in the future.

bueller said:
I have a cheddar summer sausage (no jalapeno) from last season thawing in the fridge now so we will see.
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How are they packaged? If they are vacuum sealed I would think they would last a long time, but your taste buds would know best.

-John
 
John-W-WI said:
Care to share how you do it? I've never made SS, but would like to in the future.



How are they packaged? If they are vacuum sealed I would think they would last a long time, but your taste buds would know best.

-John
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They are vacuum sealed. As I said the jalapeno cheddar summer sausage is the only product we noticed this on. And it's been multiple years and multiple deer so it's not just a "bad batch" type thing.
 
I've got pepper jack summer sausage coming the end of Feb. Doubt it will last long enough, but I'll post if it starts to taste off.
 
Just had some of the cheddar from last year's deer. Tasted just like it did the day I brought it home. I'll be picking up some new stuff in a month or so and will do a side by side comparison with jalapenos from last year and this year.
 
Hmm. Just went to finish off the package of cheddar summer sausage from the other night and noticed green (mold I assume) growing along the edges of the chunks of cheese. Looks like cheese may be the culprit. I wonder if cheese and jalapeno combined accelerates the process.
 
We get a bunch of it made here (double cheese&jalapeño) and immediately freeze it until we use it, rare for it to not get eatin before a year but if it does last that long I haven't seen any of ours go bad.
I take cooler full of gallon freezer bags filled with fresh venison over to our local butcher to be made into summer sausage usually 50-60 pounds at a time. I like to give a stick or two along with a gift certificate and card to the property owners we goose hunt and bunny hunt on. I also do the same with my neighbors living both sides of our house for putting up with feathers and bunny tails blowing into their yards all fall.

Our butcher shop has started making "deer bacon" and I am having 20 pounds of it made after hearing some really good reviews on it, should have some ready next week.

I have noticed that if I don't keep opened SS in sealed zip lock bag in fridge while snacking off of it, it can start to get a little gray or light green if not used very quickly (within a couple weeks).
 
Do you make it yourself? I've been making mine for probably 20 years, and don't have that happen. The only kind I make has jalapeno, and high-temp cheddar cheese added. I don't think it has anything to do with the cheese. I keep mine in the freezer from when it comes out of the smoker, until we use it. But, in general, the last stick we use is as good as the first. I've even had a stick or two get lost in the freezer a couple years.
 
swat1018 said:
Do you make it yourself? I've been making mine for probably 20 years, and don't have that happen. The only kind I make has jalapeno, and high-temp cheddar cheese added. I don't think it has anything to do with the cheese. I keep mine in the freezer from when it comes out of the smoker, until we use it. But, in general, the last stick we use is as good as the first. I've even had a stick or two get lost in the freezer a couple years.
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Butcher makes them. We pick them up frozen and they stay that way until we are ready to eat. This particular stick was about a year old. Tasted, looked, and smelled just fine the day I thawed it. Stored in fridge in ziplock bag for two days and already "turning". Green visible only along edges of cheese chunks. I know we've kept summer sausage from this butcher in the fridge much longer than this before with no issues. Don't recall if there was cheese in any if those sticks or if they were not frozen as long prior to thawing.
 
I've got a garlic with no cheese left from that deer. Going to see what this one does in the fridge for a couple days. Cheddar and jalapeno cheddar have failed the test so far.
 
Mine has "Cure" in it. Wonder if his is cured? Good luck.
 
bueller said:
I've got a garlic with no cheese left from that deer. Going to see what this one does in the fridge for a couple days. Cheddar and jalapeno cheddar have failed the test so far.
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So the garlic is just fine out of the fridge 4 days later. It's definitely the cheddar and maybe the jalapeno going bad.
 
Have you tried the spices from this company? I've had extremely good results with their - summer sausage & hunters blend snacking stick, they used to have a garlic pepper that was fantastic. https://www.himtnjerky.com/
 
nitro27 said:
Have you tried the spices from this company? I've had extremely good results with their - summer sausage & hunters blend snacking stick, they used to have a garlic pepper that was fantastic. https://www.himtnjerky.com/
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I got a kit of that brand, for summer sausage, in the smoker right now.
 
It turned out pretty good, I see the main ingredients in the seasoning are msg and corn syrup though.
 
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