Many people will find the term “venison summer sausage” to be strange. So, there is no need to be ashamed if you do not know what it means.
The fact is that summer sausages were made before refrigeration was developed.
Therefore, Europeans needed to make a strategy to ensure their food would last throughout the summer.
Like other foods, you may want to know how to store venison summer sausage. Let’s discuss this topic through the article below!
How To Store Venison Summer Sausage?
If your venison summer sausages are unopened, refrigerating them is not necessary. Instead, it is okay to put them in the kitchen cabinets.
If you want to know how to store your venison summer sausages properly, check out the specific information printed on their packaging.
In many cases, you will see the phrase “Refrigerate after opening,” meaning it is best to place these sausages in your fridge once you have opened them.
The fact is that most of the sausages will be fine when kept at room temperature, but some might require refrigerating.
Their packaging should come with the term “Needs refrigeration,” which means you should toss them in your refrigerator as soon as possible.
Summer sausages are one particular kind of meat that can last very long. They will even maintain their taste like new when you store them in the pantry.
In the production process of these sausages, people stuff meat with cure, a special combination of components that can help meat last longer.
Yet, these sausages will not last forever at room temperature. So it is best not to preserve your venison summer sausages in the pantry for longer than a month.
You can also refrigerate your unopened venison summer sausages without hurting the meat.
By refrigerating your unopened sausages, you can expect them to last up to three months.
How Long Do Deer Summer Sausages Last in Your Fridge?
Once you have opened your summer sausages and put them in your fridge, we recommend consuming them all within three weeks.
As for storing your venison summer sausages in the refrigerator, there are a few tips that will allow you to maximize their shelf life.
For example, you should use aluminum foil or plastic wrap to cover your sausages tightly. That way, you can prevent the ingress of air, which potentially compromises the meat, into your sausages.
On the flip side, storing your unopened venison summer sausages in the fridge will allow them to stay well for three months.
Is It Okay To Freeze Your Venison Summer Sausages?
For most foods, freezing is the best and only way to preserve them for a long time, and venison summer sausages are no exception.
That said, it is alright to freeze your venison summer sausages as you should with any other kind of food.
Following are the steps to freeze your summer sausages properly:
Step 1: Prepare enough freezer paper for your sausages.
Step 2: Use freezer paper to wrap your sausages like you should wrap a gift.
Step 3: Fold the paper’s edges around your summer sausages.
Step 4: Gain freezer tape and use it to stick around the edges.
Step 5: Label your sausages and remember to note the date. If not, chances are you will forget it.
Step 6: Put these packages in your freezer and expect them to last up to half a year or more.
Step 7: One vacuum sealer will be helpful for this. If you have one, you should take advantage of it and put the packaging into your freezer as is.
Once you have decided to put your summer sausages in the freezer, you should store them for a long time (at least three months).
So if you plan to use them for less than three months, keeping them in the refrigerator is your best bet.
How To Thaw Your Deer Summer Sausages?
The best way to defrost your deer summer sausages is in the microwave or the fridge. Although thawing them in a fridge will take a bit more time, it is the most natural and straightforward way.
Before defrosting, ensure the temperature inside your refrigerator is below 41 °F. Then put your sausages on one plate and defrost them on the bottom shelf.
Once your sausages have been soft when touching with no ice, you’ve finished defrosting them.
It may take an entire day to defrost your venison summer sausages, depending on how big your batches are.
So if you want to prepare venison summer sausages for dinner, you should take them out of your freezer the previous day.
On the other hand, defrosting your sausages in the microwave is a lot quicker, but it requires you to be careful to avoid burning them.
We recommend placing your sausages on a microwave-safe plate before adjusting your microwave on the “defrost” setting.
Then, they should stay inside your microwave until they separate.
FAQs
Does Deer Summer Sausage Need to Be Cooked?
Most store-bought deer summer sausage is fully seasoned and cooked.
So you can consume them without further cooking. However, we always recommend re-cooking these sausages before you serve them.
How Long Should Deer Meat Stay in Your Fridge After Thawing?
As the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommended, you should keep deer meat in your fridge for two to three days after thawing.
Is Summer Sausage Healthy to Eat?
These sausages are not exactly healthy as they are mostly meat and lots of salt, both of which can damage your heart if consumed large enough. But they will deliver a nice dose of protein.
Conclusion
The venison summer sausages can make for a fun and delicious dinner for your family, and we’re sure everyone in your family will love them. As a result, you’ll want to make sure you’re serving your loved ones fresh, healthy sausages.
Hopefully, after reading this article by Health’s Kitchen, you will know how to store venison summer sausage properly to maintain its freshness for future use.
