Question about mold
Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2017 3:42 amThis is my first time posting here. Seems like a great community!
I just recently started my first ever batch of salami and I'm really excited about it! I used a recipe for Cacciatorini from the book In The Charcuterie by the folks at the Fatted Calf. The book said these were a good beginner's salami because they are small so it's harder for things to go wrong with fermentation and whatnot.
I have nothing close to a professional setup. No humidifiers or fans or anything. Maybe someday. The salami are hanging in the pantry/closet that my hot water heater is in. For the first 3 days I put in a pot of hot water that I reheated periodically to add humidity. I now have stopped with the water for the drying phase.
My question is about mold. Some of the salami are growing what looks to me like normal salami mold. Here's a picture of one
Others have mold growing in spots in the green to blue range as the spots get larger. Here's a picture of one of those.
There may be a correlation with which of the salami were hanging closer to the water pot I was putting in but I'm not sure.
Are the salami with the spotty mold going to be safe? Will they be as good?
I've also read about using vinegar to wipe off the mold and letting it regrow. Could that be an option?
I did not use a starter culture with these because the book said that it can compromise the flavor although I'm now thinking I should use one for my next batch.
I just recently started my first ever batch of salami and I'm really excited about it! I used a recipe for Cacciatorini from the book In The Charcuterie by the folks at the Fatted Calf. The book said these were a good beginner's salami because they are small so it's harder for things to go wrong with fermentation and whatnot.
I have nothing close to a professional setup. No humidifiers or fans or anything. Maybe someday. The salami are hanging in the pantry/closet that my hot water heater is in. For the first 3 days I put in a pot of hot water that I reheated periodically to add humidity. I now have stopped with the water for the drying phase.
My question is about mold. Some of the salami are growing what looks to me like normal salami mold. Here's a picture of one
Others have mold growing in spots in the green to blue range as the spots get larger. Here's a picture of one of those.
There may be a correlation with which of the salami were hanging closer to the water pot I was putting in but I'm not sure.
Are the salami with the spotty mold going to be safe? Will they be as good?
I've also read about using vinegar to wipe off the mold and letting it regrow. Could that be an option?
I did not use a starter culture with these because the book said that it can compromise the flavor although I'm now thinking I should use one for my next batch.
If you don't like the mold, it can be wiped off with diluted vinegar. The use of a culture is recommended by me as the decrease of the pH by fermentation is a useful safety hurdle. I would certainly use one in your first efforts. What is the temperature in the closet? How much salt and cure #2 did you use? Do you have any way of measuring humidity?