I bought a wine fridge from craigslist for $60 and it makes a suitable drying chamber with little modifications. For this project it ran 55 degrees and 66 percent humidity.
These pepperonis were stuffed into 2 1/2" protein lined casings and dried in 3 1/2 weeks. I used the recipe from this site and did the traditional dried version.
Pepperoni lost 37 percent of its green weight. The ends were a little overdry. Next time I will make the sticks a little shorter to improve consistency.
The texture is awesome and they turned out very spicy. I think a home made pizza is in order this weekend.
Keith,
You are killing me!! Damn that looks so good, I would be a rockstar around here if I could make pepperoni... I so want to do this when I grow up!!!
huge , BTW nice score on the wine fridge!
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It is certainly intimidating to try to make an edible sausage without ever actually cooking the meat, but I will say this to those that have an interest...
Starter cultures are easy to use.
The wine fridge with a tub of wet salt in the bottom makes an adequate environment to dry.
It's easier than making smoked sausage.
I owe a lot of credit to Danger Dan and his inspiring projects.
That's great man.
Is that all you did with the cooler? Just wet salt?
I would like to try this, but the only place I have to dry it in is already in use for aging cheese. But I do have several small refrigerators.
How 'bout a step by step tutorial, Keith?
That's great man.
Is that all you did with the cooler? Just wet salt?
I would like to try this, but the only place I have to dry it in is already in use for aging cheese. But I do have several small refrigerators.
How 'bout a step by step tutorial, Keith?
The thing about the wine fridge is they are made to be between 50 and 60 degrees for the wine storage. A regular fridge is usually 34 to 40. A regular fridge also is made to dehumidify the air as it is cooled where a wine fridge will maintain humidity.
The wet salt will also increase humidity. I would like the humidity a bit higher than it was, but it was enough to make the sausage dry from the inside out. If the outside dries before the inside, the interior moisture will not be able to escape.
Tom, I would put one of those refrigerators on its highest setting with a baking sheet full of wet salt on the bottom. If the temp will get over 45, and the humidity over 65 it will work.
I'd be happy to do a step by step on the next go round.
Great job nice loooking .....im skert to go there not that confident on drying sasuage cure #2 and all...still reading and may be some day got to get the Humidity and temp right....85% humidy and 95 was the high....this is Okla man Texas,OKla and La and Ar can be humid man....many other places can be also/.....good job and
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So many smokers so little time
Decisions, decisions, gas, lump, chip, chunks.
Brinkman Smoking Pit Professional w/Baffel mods
2 ECB Smoking Grills Married w/mod
Char-Broil Propane Grill
Strato Golden Clasic Propane w/mod
GOSM Propane w/mod For Vertical Smoker
(Wok rack on a Brake drum. Lump and Chunks)
Ugly Drum Smoker
Cold Smoker
Very impressive King! The pepperoni looks great and the wine fridge is a great idea that I would never have thought of. Won't let me give you points but I will when I can.
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GOSM w needle valve/propane
UDS (Cam)/lump
22.5 Weber Kettle/lump
18.5 Weber Kettle/lump
Weber Genesis/propane
Camp Chef Sport Grill/ propane
Dry-cured Pepperoni
, BTW nice score on the wine fridge!
Jack
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