[MiriMaran]

We tried to make salami for the first time this year and used a season mix that had a culture in it.  The Salamis have been hanging on a rack outside our back door in a cage that is wrapped in one layer of horticultural fleece to stop flies.  Its now been hanging for 12 weeks, but the salamis are still squidgy and are raw if you cut into them, but don't smell off. The skins have some mould on them.  So, we have wiped off the mould, hung 4 salamis back up above the back door but have removed the fleece.  The other 4 are now hanging in the garage.

So my question is - have we done something wrong, the instructions said they should be ready after 6 weeks.  Is there anything we can do to improve things to make the Salamis work or should we give up and chuck them?  I would be very grateful for any advice or suggestions please.

[Eve]

If they don't smell bad, don't throw them away yet (as long as the mould wasn't coloured or fluffy - white dry mould is fine). Sometimes things just take longer.

Eve 

[MiriMaran]

There were round patches of green mould on them.  It looks like the stuff that grows on bread.  The Salamis were rubbed down with a damp cloth to remove it.

[Eve]

Ah, yes, in that case: throw them away. Dry white mould is good, fuzzy / coloured mould is not.

Don't know why, though - what was the recipe?


Eve 

[Hilarysmum]

I asked my salami making friend who says - the air needs to flow freely around them, if pos. hang them somewhere dry but windy. 

[MiriMaran]

We have found it very hard to find somewhere windy, but not in full sun.  We compromised and put them in the shade, but maybe it wasn't breezy enough.  I think we will hang them a bit longer as they're not in the way and see if the mould grows back.  Hopefully it won't now that the the fleece is off.

[Eve]

We were worried about the air flow with our air dried hams which are pretty big, really, and which hang in the loft in winter and in a tent (open on one side) in summer. They turn out fine.
So it might just have been the culture, it's not necessarily something you did.

If I remember correctly you're supposed to wipe the outside with vinegar or salt water if there's been fuzzy mould.

I'd try again with just salt and pepper (and garlic if you like).


Eve 

[Hilarysmum]

This link might prove helpful -  http://mattikaarts.com/blog/charcuterie/making-salami-at-home/

[MiriMaran]

Thanks will have a read of it.

[Olly398]

Sorry for late entry into this thread. I've made salami over the last two years as a hobby, and learnt that patience is key. Six weeks is very optimistic IMO. I do mine in a cool basement with very little airflow and eat them from three to (beleive it or not) nine months old. At three months old they still fairly soft in the middle. At nine they are quite dry and need slicing finely, but very tasty.

I've never tampered with the mould growth - predominantly white but a bit of all colours inc green and yellow - until just before eating, when I wipe them down with dry balls of scrunched newspaper.

I make mine with ox "runners", which result in a salami about 4-5cm across. If you are using larger casings like ox bung, will need much longer.

Good luck - it's really worth it! Olly   

[Eve]

Olly, do you use a starter culture and / or cure #2?

I love home made salami's 

Eve 

[Olly398]

Hello! I love them too! So satisfying.

Yes, I use Acidophilus to get them going. Then the only cure is cooking salt IIRC (I made notes but don't have to hand).

Cheerio

[Eve]

Thanks, it's always interesting to hear what other people are doing. 2 pigs in the freezer, air dried ham in the loft, and salami to make up the Holy Porky Trinity! 


Eve 

[Hilarysmum]

Can you vary salami recipes?  Add herbs etc. like sausages?

[Eve]

I'm about to try!  So far, it's been pepper and red wine and fennel, but surely we must be able to do more than that! Chorizo contains paprika so we must be able to use chillies, and then there's the usual army of herbs...
 
I'm hoping we can impart some herby flavours onto our air dried ham, too, so that's another experiment for the coming year. Think I might mix herbs with the salt first, and then again with the fat that goes on the flesh side during drying, and maybe during smoking as well...