Mediterranean. Italian salami and Spanish and
Portuguese chorizos are 25–35% water,
contain more than 4% salt, and can be stored
at room temperature. The other style is the
moister, less salty, usually smoked and/or
cooked sausage typical of northern Europe,
whose cool, humid climate made drying
difficult. These “summer” sausages and
German cervelats are 40–50% water, around
3.5% salt, and must be refrigerated. Both can
be eaten uncooked.
Making Fermented Sausages These days,
nitrates (Europe) or nitrites (U.S.) to suppress
botulism bacteria are added to the mix of
meat, fat, bacterial culture, salt, and spices, as
is some sugar, at least part of which the
bacteria transform into lactic acid.
Fermentation lasts from 18 hours to three
days, depending on temperature (60–
100ºF/15–38ºC, with dry sausages at the low
end) and sausage size, until the acidity