How to best store a charcuterie product: a producer’s advice

Once the first slice of the sausage is opened and cut, a question arises: how is it stored? How do you keep the freshness, flavor and all the elements that make that cured meat tasty even a second time?

Precisions and precautions

First of all, there are some clarifications to be made: preservation methods and times vary depending on the type of product also because all cured meats are not the same, but they possess a natural endowment of resistance over time.

Therefore, in order to preserve them, it is necessary to follow some simple but important rules for storage.

The basic rules are actually precautions, such as protecting uncovered parts from the air, keeping them in cool, dry places, preferably away from light, and storing them in the refrigerator, mainly for cooked products.

The refrigerator is, therefore, the ideal environment for storing open and already sliced cold cuts. Inside, it is preferable to place them in the least cold part, to avoid them being in “direct” contact with excessive cold. By doing so, the sausage is able to keep more or less for five days to a week.

Cold Cured Meats Preservation

Rules for storing Salumi

In summary, a number of practical tips for consuming cold cuts can be listed below:

1. All cured meats can be vacuum-packed.
2. Cured meats, such as shoulders or hams, can be hung in the cellar or otherwise in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place. They are preserved in this way even after cutting, but once the first slice is removed the product must be protected by covering the surface.
3. Sausages in vacuum-packed slices can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months without altering the organoleptic properties.
4. Cooked products (such as cooked hams and mortadella) are best stored at no more than 4 to 5 degrees Celsius, so always in the refrigerator.
5. Regarding sliced cold cuts, if in trays stick to the expiration date; once opened consume them as soon as possible.
6. In terms of refrigerator placement, cooked sliced or cooked cold cuts will go in the meat/cheese compartment. Cured meats, whether sliced or sliced, can instead stay in the upper, less cold part of the refrigerator.

The places of conservation

• 
  The refrigerator
  : as mentioned above is the ideal environment for storing cold cuts, particularly if they have already been opened and sliced. It is best to store them in the lowest compartment where they will keep for up to 5 days.
• 
  The cellar
  : definitely the best place to store whole cold cuts perfectly and for a long time (2 or 3 months), which should be hung in a space that is not excessively humid, with a temperature between 15° and 20° C.
• 
  Vacuum preservation
  : Using simple machines (readily available in the market today), various food products can be vacuum-packed. This preservation mode stops mold on the casing and prevents rancidity due to the absence of air. It allows cold cuts to be stored for up to 4-6 months, always storing the vacuum-sealed bags in the refrigerator. Once opened, they should be consumed shortly.
• 
  Use of cold and vacuum
  : Vacuum mode and freezer mode give excellent results when combined together. These are the possible solutions
• Vacuum packaging and keeping in a refrigerator. In this way, the salamis remain intact and retain their characteristics for several months.

Cellar with hanging ham bow

In conclusion, thanks to seasoning, cured meats, with a few tricks, can be best preserved. If you have any questions, concerns or doubts, please do not hesitate to contact us, and as small-scale producers, we will provide you with necessary information and help.

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