View Full Version : summer sausage
stilllife
10-20-2020, 11:13
I bought some summer sausage at the grocery to take hiking for a snack. Just a one nighter. How long does the sausage last after being opened. The package says refrigerate after opening. I always thought summer sausage would last a few days on the counter.
Slo-go'en
10-20-2020, 11:27
In July, it might not last too long. In the cool fall, no problem. That's pretty close to "refrigerate after opening". If you don't eat it all on the trip, then of course refrigerate it.
atraildreamer
10-20-2020, 11:33
Go to a good deli, or butcher shop, and ask them what they recommend. A lot of sausage is hung in the air sans refrigeration in these businesses. They can tell you how long it will last and the best way to keep it from going bad after it is opened.
I've taken it on 1 week trips, of course I consume it first the first couple days. Because it's heavy and because of your concern. Just stick in a ziplock. And of course the cooler the weather the less concern.
I like to slice rings and slide them down a stick and make toasty ,crispy over a fire.
if it's hot weather, and you're near a nice cool stream, like somewhere in the Smokies------just put it in tupperware or something
similar and dunk it in the creek over night......
that will be your refrigeration...........
wouldnt do this for more than a day or two though............
stilllife
10-20-2020, 16:42
if it's hot weather, and you're near a nice cool stream, like somewhere in the Smokies------just put it in tupperware or something
similar and dunk it in the creek over night......
that will be your refrigeration...........
wouldnt do this for more than a day or two though............
That's a great idea
That's a great idea
i use it to cool down a soda pop for dinner and breakfast.......
peakbagger
10-20-2020, 19:14
Do not forget places that sell sausage and cheese gift kits. Lots of snacks all wrapped up in individual sizes. I think one of the companies is Swiss Colony. Its all shelf stable and the portion sizes are such that there are no leftovers to worry about.
Odd Man Out
10-20-2020, 21:34
I take those "refrigerate after opening" warnings with a grain of salt. I look at it this way. Cured, smoked, and fermented foods have been around for thousands of years. Refrigeration has been around for about 100. Lots of food have unnecessarily dire warning labels, especially in the US. I mean they call it summer sausage for a reason.
stephanD
10-21-2020, 08:26
That's a great idea
Not such a great idea. I doubt you will find your sausage in the morning. I love those summer sausages but I stopped carrying them because I find them too oily and the smell is too strong.
stephanD
10-21-2020, 08:32
As to your question, the rule of thumb is, the drier the sausage, the longer is the self life and summer sausages are quite moist.
I take those "refrigerate after opening" warnings with a grain of salt. I look at it this way. Cured, smoked, and fermented foods have been around for thousands of years. Refrigeration has been around for about 100. Lots of food have unnecessarily dire warning labels, especially in the US. I mean they call it summer sausage for a reason.
This.
I’ve carried summer sausage 5 days in summer heat with no problem. I did so knowing full well I was willing to throw it out if it went bad.
Don’t know how much longer it would have lasted had I not eaten it all. Maybe I’ll try that sometime.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Do not forget places that sell sausage and cheese gift kits. Lots of snacks all wrapped up in individual sizes. I think one of the companies is Swiss Colony. Its all shelf stable and the portion sizes are such that there are no leftovers to worry about.
If they aren't already, you'll soon see these in many stores from Walmart down to a local market/drugstore as gifts as well. Hickory Farms is another brand that is often in stores, along with many without a name - after all, since these packs (and in some places individual sausages and cheese bars as well) are sitting on a shelf for sale, that makes them good candidates for keeping better without any refrigeration later on.
peakbagger
10-21-2020, 15:09
They are packaging heavy but just about perfect for single serve use. They are definitely shelf stable for several months.
Slo-go'en
10-21-2020, 16:03
If they aren't already, you'll soon see these in many stores from Walmart down to a local market/drugstore as gifts as well. Hickory Farms is another brand that is often in stores, along with many without a name - after all, since these packs (and in some places individual sausages and cheese bars as well) are sitting on a shelf for sale, that makes them good candidates for keeping better without any refrigeration later on.
I wait until after Christmas when the gift packs go on sale for half price.
nsherry61
10-21-2020, 16:23
I have regularly eaten summer sausage over a week or more, during summer weather, after open, with no issues. That being said, I've been surprised that it didn't last longer than a week or so. I would suggest a week is fine. More than two weeks isn't fine in warm weather. Where you draw that line between one and two weeks is up to you and the exact circumstances you're in.
Average Hiker
10-22-2020, 11:28
I've been carrying them on my hikes for years. They regularly last me a week with no issues. I love to cut them up in my Idahoan Potatoes. I also double bag them because of the smell someone mentioned above, and they can become an oily mess - more so in summer months.
Odd Man Out
10-22-2020, 13:25
Toward the end of my first multi day hike, everything in my bag smelled of cheese and sausage. Ever since then I use an odor barrier liner in my food bag to keep the smells off everything else. It's noticably better. Most plastic storage bags are polyethylene and they are poor odor barriers.
1/4 moon
12-07-2020, 18:28
Meat Lollipops!!!!
I've taken it on 1 week trips, of course I consume it first the first couple days. Because it's heavy and because of your concern. Just stick in a ziplock. And of course the cooler the weather the less concern.
I like to slice rings and slide them down a stick and make toasty ,crispy over a fire.
FlyPaper
12-08-2020, 10:30
The fact that I'm alive to write this suggests they're okay to eat a day or so after opening when hiking in June.
BlackCloud
12-08-2020, 13:04
A fan favorite w/ hard cheese and crackers.
Not sure leaving anything in a creek overnight that smells like food is a very good idea on a number of levels.
Ancient Diver
12-08-2020, 14:35
You can buy Spanish style chorizo in very small sizes, like two ounces per sausage, in a double pack. It's also available in a low sodium version. This small size leaves nothing to worry about - open it up from the casing and consume at one meal. Chorizo is a bit spicy, but not excessively so - slice it very thin if that's an issue for you. Also, Walmart sells small packages of bacon bits - one ounce. This too means you don't have to worry about spoilage. A lot of calories in a small package.
Tuxhiker
12-08-2020, 15:57
What about Slim Jims? Aren't they considered summer sausage?
What about Slim Jims? Aren't they considered summer sausage?
Them things have a longer shelf life than a McDonald's cheeseburger!
What about Slim Jims? Aren't they considered summer sausage?
are they considered food??
Five Tango
12-12-2020, 15:22
You can order grass fed beef sticks that have no nitrates for preservation from Amazon.I normally take a couple with me per outing.Next trip I intend to have presliced my meat sticks into bite size chunks and have them in the freezer bag that my bean,tater,or rice meal will go in so they will be ready to go when the entree is added.
NY HIKER 50
12-13-2020, 12:23
Them things have a longer shelf life than a McDonald's cheeseburger!
I've got bad news for you. I bought a lot for a 3 week trip to the Catskills in NY. It was a few weeks before the trip and they went funny and I had to throw them out.
I've got bad news for you. I bought a lot for a 3 week trip to the Catskills in NY. It was a few weeks before the trip and they went funny and I had to throw them out.
The McDonald's cheeseburgers or the slim jims?Jim's?
Second thought gotta be the slim jims, I think the cheeseburgers have a longer shelf life.
NY HIKER 50
12-13-2020, 19:50
The McDonald's cheeseburgers or the slim jims?Jim's?
Second thought gotta be the slim jims, I think the cheeseburgers have a longer shelf life.
It's the Slim Jim's. The only thing with a longer shelf life is Twinkies!
Costco sells Hempler's uncured Landjaeger, individually wrapped in 1.5 oz sticks roughly 12 inches long. Good quality sausage and no refrigeration required.