Using starter culture

[aris]

The salamis are looking good, but are still fairly soft to the touch. How hard should they be when done?

[Paul Kribs]

aris

My salamis were quite hard, a bit softer in the middle. Took some to work last night with some bread. Very nice, in fact a guy sitting facing away commented "I can smell salami".. I took it as a compliment.

Regards, Paul Kribs

[Spuddy]

The salamis are looking good, but are still fairly soft to the touch. How hard should they be when done?

When they have lost 25% of their initial weight you can start eating them.
From that point on how hard or soft they are is just a matter of personal taste.

[aris]

Hmm, perhaps I should have weighed them first

I've taken them out of the biltong box, and am just hanging them in open in the the garage now. I'll give them another week or so.

[aris]

I think my salamis are finished. Don't have a picture yet.

They taste OK. Nothing spectacular. Perhaps I didn't add enough spice. I also think I added too much fat.

Next time I think i'll do a chorizo.

[NXGHOST]

Although it has only been 11 days since hanging, my salamis have lost over 30% of their weight. They have also become quite mis-shapen and they have become quite solid, probably down to the low %RH and slightly high temperature. Conditions have not been ideal, but I thought I would cut one and taste it. I must say that I am surprised at how tastey they are. Wife reckons too salty and garlicky, but I think they are very nice indeed. They are slighly softer in the centre and harder on the outside but very acceptable nonetheless.
My only reservation is that It would have been nice to use a slightly bigger casing.



Regards, Paul Kribs

Paul, because of the lower umidity you have case hardning. I ran into this problem on my years first batch also. I was expecting my Genoa's to dry for 2 months and they were done at one! What I did on my second batch whick worked very very well (Thanks to a tip from my old hungarian neighbor!) Was mist them every 2nd day wih a spray bottle and water. Not drench them but just mist them. I had ZERO case hardning on a 3.5" Westfalia Salami! It was consistent all the way through.

[NXGHOST]

The salamis are looking good, but are still fairly soft to the touch. How hard should they be when done?

Don't let touch fool you. I find that even fully ready salami's still feel soft. I simply go by the 25-30% weight loss rule, it works every time. I use 20% for smaller hog casings, 25% for 2.5" casings and 30% for 3" and up.

[NXGHOST]

Here are the latest pictures. The salami's are not as red as I would have thought they would get - and i'm getting the spotty white mould, plus the furry white mould with green in the middle. I think on the next batch I make, I will try and introduce a good mould myself.

Should I try and 'rub out' the mould with a bit of vinegar, or should I just leave it?


Here are the salamis:



Here is a closeup of the mould:

I wiped my Salami's with Vinagar ONCE! That was the last time I will do that. It completely stopped any other mold from growing and gave the casing a firetruck red color. I simply use a slightly damp cloth or even a dry cloth and wipe the mold off.