Summer sausages

Summer sausages are spicy, semi-dry fermented sausages, cooked and dried after fermenting — traditionally made in summer without refrigeration, hence the name. They are commonly prepared from pork and/or beef but may also be made from meat mixtures including chicken or turkey meat. Fermentation by lactic-acid bacteria followed by cooking and drying gives their tangy flavour, firm sliceable texture, and shelf stability. Natural pigments such as betalaines may be used to simulate a cured-meat colour in versions made without nitrite, and validated processes control pathogens during fermentation.