Can You Freeze Summer Sausage?

Have you ever wondered if you can freeze summer sausage?

The short answer is Yes, you can – summer sausage can be frozen for about 10 months, but should be consumed within the first three to six months.

This guide will show you everything you need to know about freezing summer sausage.

What Is Summer Sausage?

You may have asked yourself what is summer sausage and why is it called summer sausage.

Well, to answer that, “summer sausage” is any sausage or type of cured meat that can be preserved without refrigeration. Its historical origins can be traced back to before technology and refrigerators, when Europeans devised a way to keep their food from spoiling and to continue serving it ”during the summer months” – thus summer sausage.

Summer sausage is a type of cured meat that comes in different forms – like pepperoni, salami, chorizo, and many more.

Summer sausage is made with ingredients like salt and pepper. They are soft and dry in appearance and texture as they have lost 15% of their moisture content.

What Are The Types of Summer Sausage

Summer sausage is produced from pork, poultry, venison, and beef as such, there are three types of summer sausage. They are:

1. Salami
2. Pepperoni
3. Spanish style chorizo
4. German-style summer sausage

How to Freeze Summer Sauage

You can store and preserve summer sausage using a fridge and freezer.

If you intend to consume summer sausage in 2 weeks, you can simply refrigerate it with the original wrapping.

Suppose you want it to last as long as more than 2 weeks. Freezing is the right choice for you. Here are what you should do to freeze summer sausage:

1. Freezer Paper

Freezer paper is what is used to properly preserve summer sausage for a long time. To preserve summer sausage, follow these steps:

STEP 1: Simply place the summer sausage in a large freezer paper.

STEP 2: Wrap it firmly closing every rip or tear by wrapping again.

STEP 3: After this, use the freezer tape to wrap tightly.

STEP 4: Using a marker pen, label today’s date and place it in the freezer for up to 10 months.

2. Ziploc Bag:

If you do not have the freezer paper and tape, your next best friend is a Ziploc bag. To freeze summer sausage in a zip-loc bag, follow these steps:

STEP 1: Place summer sausage on aluminum foil or baking paper.

STEP 2: Once placed, wrap firmly ensuring all edges are closed tightly.

STEP 3: Next step, place it in a Ziploc bag and transfer it to the freezer.

3. Containers

Alternatively, you can use a container with an air-tight lid. All you need do is:

STEP 1: Place already wrapped summer sausage into an air-tight container.

STEP 2: Close the lid and transfer it to the freezer.

How Long Can You Freeze Suumer Sausage?

You can freeze summer sausage for about 10 months.

We recommend consuming summer sausage within the first 3-6 months as it is in the best taste and quality in that span. Although summer sausage is still good even after those six months, if you want to enjoy every flavor and rich taste, do consume it within 6 months.

Two Tips for Freezing Summer Sausage

Here are tips to follow when freezing summer sausage:

TIP 1: Make use of only air-tight containers if you choose this storage method.

TIP 2: Before transferring them to air-tight containers, make sure you wrap them first with freezer paper or baking sheets.

How Do You Defrost Summer Sausage?

To defrost summer sausage, all you need to do is take out frozen summer sausage from the freezer and transfer it to the refrigerator or fridge all night. In doing so, it thaws safely and efficiently.

Other alternative options available to you are the microwave and a bowl of cool water.

To defrost summer sausage by using the microwave, do this:

STEP 1: First, cut summer sausages into slices

STEP 2: Place sliced summer sausage in a safe microwave bowl

STEP 3: Microwave using defrost setting for 2-5 minutes

STEP 4: Keep repeating the process until you can separate each summer sausage using a fork.

STEP 5: Microwave again for 2 minutes until it is defrosted completely and properly.

STEP 6: You can go ahead to cook or consume your thawed summer sausage

To defrost summer sausage with cool water, simply place a bowl of frost summer sausage in a sink of cool water. Wait for an hour for it to defrost properly.

How to Tell If Your Frozen Summer Sausage Is Bad?

To know if food is spoilt, bad, or rotten, the best-proven indicator is using the sight and taste organs. If you notice the following signs, throw out your frozen summer sausage as it most definitely has gone bad:

1. Rancid, foul, and sour odor.
2. The appearance of tiny molds on the surface.
3. A dry and hardened surface both inside and outside.
4. Change in color from pink-brownish to yellowish or rainbow color.

Conclusion

So, there you have it. Now you know how to freeze summer sausage to serve you for a long time and how to properly defrost summer sausage.

To enjoy summer sausage, it is advised to consume it within three to six months for the best quality taste.

I hope you found this article informative.

FAQs

Can I eat summer sausage raw?

Yes, you can eat raw summer sausage – it is a type of already cured and prepared meat made from beef, pork, venison, etc

Can you freeze summer sausage twice?

Yes, you can – in the condition that it is stored properly and then defrosted safely in the fridge or refrigerator, you can refreeze summer sausage.

Why does summer sausage not need to be refrigerated?

Summer sausage takes us back in time. As the Europeans used a preservation method to properly store and preserve summer sausage to keep them in the summer months and from spoiling without being in the fridge or refrigerated.