3 min read

Patience now...just a little bit longer!

The Salumi Season

If you're into homemade salumi, you'd be loving this winter! How cold have the mornings been? You can't get better conditions for making your homemade cured meats. Bitter cold mornings, a chill in the air till lunch time, sun shinning and clear blue skies. Winter doesn't get any better! Who needs to go skiing when there's salami to be made :) 

It's "curing" time! Here's a great little YouTube clip on cured meats with some handy tips by Fillipo. Wouldn't you just love a shed full of salumi like Fillipo's! How's your curing coming along? The count down is on. Just a little bit of patience needed :)  

There's only a few more weeks of optimum conditions for making your homemade salumi. A lot have already prepared their meat and are now at the curing and preserving stages.  


Curing times may vary for different salami sizes, but here's a rough guide:

Salamini                    4 Weeks
Salami                    2-4 Months
Pancetta                 3-6 Months
Capocollo                  3 Months
Prosciutto                12 Months

These time frames will be dependent on weather conditions and the size of the product. You'll know that you are at the end of the curing times when the meat is firm and not springing back or spongy.  Your salami should lose around 30% of its original weight when it's ready. Sample one by cutting it. Does it smell like a salami? If it has an intense off putting smell, then something has gone wrong in your curing process. White mould is fine, but blue or black mould is a sure sign of bacteria and they need to be discarded. This shouldn't occur if your meat preparation and curing process has been correct.  

Once your salami is deemed ready, the best results for preserving is vacuum sealing in bags, and refrigerating.  This process will give your salami maximum life. This process may not even be necessary if your household, like mine, is not that good at rationing the salami over a 12 month period, opting instead to eat it all in the first three months!!!

If you have any questions in relation to meat preparation, curing or preserving you can call one of our stores. Reservoir (9460 2777) or Clayton ( 9574 8222).  The team would be only too happy to assist with advice.  

 

           
 
Melbourne Salami Festa

Whilst we're on the subject of Salami, if you think your salami is worthy of the title "Best Homemade Salami", then I hope you are planning to enter this years salami into the Melbourne Salami Festa.  Below are Melbourne's inaugural 2012 Melbourne Salami Festa "Best Homemade Salami" winners, BGS Group, cousins from the North Eastern suburbs. (aka - Bloody Good Salami). If you think you can take this crowning honour from them, then make sure you get your entry in.  

Regardless of whether you intend to enter your salami or not, the Melbourne Salami Festa is a fantastic community celebration of the age-old, European backyard and slow food tradition. Mark it in your diaries, the 15th September, 2013 (day after the Federal election) at the Northcote Town Hall. Sample Melbourne's showcase of homemade salami, cast your vote for "best salami", enjoy the music, food and wine and be part of history in the making, as the Melbourne Salami Festa enters its second year, and promises to be even bigger and better than last year!!      

              

If you are still trying to source good quality meat for your own salami making weekend, then don't look past The Meat Room in Kilmore East. The highest quality farm-grown pigs. Delivery is also available. Call James on 0419 242 815.  

 

DIY Workshops (Sausage and Salami)

    

It's not too late to join Melbourne's 'Salami Army'. We can teach you all there is to know about preparing the meat, curing and preserving. You'll be transforming your garage and curing your own meat in no time. Check out our range of Sausage and Salami Workshops. There's something for everyone. Places are limited, so book early. Here are some photos from a recent Sausage & Salami Workshop.  

We will also be releasing for new dates and course details for our other traditional food and beverage workshops as soon as the salami season is behind us.  

Melbourne Pizza Festa  

                             

If you were lucky enough to secure a ticket for the "Closing Event", for the Melbourne Pizza Festival this Sunday night, have a great night. Frank will be there showcasing our range of PEVA pizza ovens and the Express "Napoli" electric pizza oven. Be sure to say hello to him and stir him up a tad.  He hates the attention... Not!!!   

In case you can't remember what Frank looks like, here's a reminder:

               

The trading hours for our Reservoir and Clayton stores are 9am until 5.00pm Monday to Friday, 9am until 3.00pm on Saturdays.  

Stay tuned for the launch of our new online shopping cart.  Coming very soon!

You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter for daily updates and news. 

Have a great weekend.  

Cheers :)