Cured sausages - An overview and list of the most known

In this article, you will learn everything about cured sausages (also called fermented sausages). We start with an overview. Then I explain the differences within these sausage varieties and give you a detailed list.

Have fun reading!

Table of Contents

Cured sausages – an overview

Cured sausages consist – as the name suggests – of raw meat and are usually consumed cold. They are divided into spreadable and sliceable varieties (more on that in a moment).

Most often, the meat types used are pork, beef or poultry. The ingredients for cured sausage are raw meat, fat, salt, curing salt, sugar and spices

For cured sausage, you need meats and fats that have preferably been matured and hung for a short time. The raw material should always be well cooled or even frozen during processing

It can be prepared either with a cutter or meat grinder. Depending on the type of raw sausage, you must pay attention to the temperature while mincing.

The sausages go through a maturing and drying process. These processes then give the sausage its characteristic appearance, flavor and shelf life.

The aim of the maturing process is to reduce the acid and water content. Various factors such as temperature, humidity, air circulation and the recipe play a role here

For a sliceable cured sausage, the ripening period (depending on the ripening method) is as follows:

Fast maturing: 10 days at up to 25 C°
Medium maturing: 20 days at 18 – 25 C°
Slow maturing: approx. 7-8 weeks at 15 – 18C°

The weight of the meat is decisive here. The less it weighs, the shorter the maturing phase

Often, raw sausages are also cold-smoked before air-drying. This process additionally preserves the sausage

The shelf life of cured sausage

When stored in a cool place, your raw sausage will keep for about 1.5 months

Differences within the types of cured sausage

As already mentioned, there are two types of raw sausages…

Spreadable cured sausage

In the case of a spreadable raw sausage, the maturing and drying processes are omitted and the sausage is ready for consumption more quickly. Since it has not yet lost so much liquid, it remains spreadable. Often it is cold smoked, so that it is longer durable. In general, this type of sausage should be consumed quickly.

Sliceable cured sausage
For a sliceable sausage, you’ll need to give it time. Due to the varying length of the maturing and drying process, the sausage loses moisture and becomes firm. Drying not only gives the sausage cut resistance, but also makes it last longer.

Difference from cooked or pre-cooked sausage

The difference between a cured sausage and a cooked or pre-cooked sausage is that the cured sausage is not preserved by heating. The sausage can be kept unrefrigerated and is eaten raw, while a cooked or pre-cooked sausage must first be cooked