moldy sausage??

[doughboysigep]

We make/smoke our own sausage and it is very good. However, we have been leaving it in a small refrig. and after some time (1-2 months +) it begins to mold. The sausage is not cased and we leave them in plastic ziplock bags. What is the problem, what can we do?? Any help appreciated.

Thanks

[jerseyhunter]

Freeze it or use a vacum sealer. Just because it is smoked does not mean it is cured. Smoking adds flavor. You have to add preservatives if you don' t want to freeze it. Even then there is a limit on how long a product will last. When smoking do you add instacure or Prague powder as it is commonly called?There are 2 types one contains sodium nitrite and the other contains a combination of sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite. For a better understanding Purchase the book Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing by Rytek Kutas http://www.sausagemaker.com/ Oh and by the way you didn' t say what type of sausage but if its breakfast , omit the sage as it doesn' t freeze well and will give the sausage a bitter taste. It will still taste great though.

[doughboysigep]

we are making smoked meats - summer sausage, pepperoni, beef stick
we do use the instacure and we do have the book
I am wondering if there is just too much moisture in the fridge or maybe the bags are generating moisture (" sweating" )??

[kevin1]

Air is getting in , and bringing mold spores with it . Get a commercial quality vacuum sealer , not a fan driven model .