The Fresh Loaf

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Harvesting LAB for other uses

Dave Cee's picture
Dave Cee

Harvesting LAB for other uses

One of my other hobbies is sausage-making. One method I hope to try this winter is fermented sausage, similar to cotto salami or Lebanon bologna. This type of sausage uses LAB to produce a tangy flavor during the curing process.

Since I already have a ready supply of LAB in my sourdough starter, I was wondering if there is a safe/practical method to extract and concentrate the bacteria in a form which would be useable in a sausage product.

Thanks in advance for any help. Dave

retired baker's picture
retired baker

That looks like it was cured with curing salt #2.

I was a butchers apprentice 50 years ago, I never forgot how to hand link, today I play around with copacola, pate's and other dry cured cold cuts.

The best thing is just try it, split the batch so you don't lose everything if its no good.

I made some cumberland bangers and chinese sausage recently.

Dave Cee's picture
Dave Cee

l'm going to cure the sausage I make this winter.

Best I can figure is to dilute active starter with water and strain out the solids and incorporate this water into the sausage mix before smoking and dry curing. My garage is nice and cool all day throughout December and February.

I used to help my Dad make venison sausage every fall at the restaurant...300 pounds at a time! This was what he called "fresh" sausage; no curing, smoking or preservatives. That was more than 50 years ago. Dad was a butcher when he came home from WW2, before going into the restaurant business.

retired baker's picture
retired baker

I found cantonese sausage that is ground too smooth couldn't dehydrate and cure.

I had bought ground pork.

On the second try I chopped the pork fine by hand and that worked very well. Same recipe otherwise.

recipe calls for strong alcohol to inhibit bacteria, I used rum.

your idea should work if theres enough food for the good bacteria, maybe sugar?

Dave Cee's picture
Dave Cee

While my basic recipe does use a little sweet red wine, I will add an additional small amount of sugar or molasses to provide additional food. Thank you!