SS has purple tint

[woodworker]

I shipped some SS that I smoked  using Cheddar Cheese, diced jalapenos and LEM seasoning. I shipped it via UPS overnight from Ga to Florida in a box with only bubble wrap for protection. My friend received it and showed me a picture and one end of it that looked a bit dark brown as if it had been left in the oven a bit too long or burnt. He said that end was against the cardboard box not that that should make a difference? I asked him to cut it open and he said the meat has a purplish look to it. He then sent me pics of it but neither my wife or I can see what he is talking about.

 Has anyone heard of and or had the same experience pertaining to a change in color? I would like to know if it would still be safe to eat or not.

We have eaten a log from the same batch and no notice of this purple color or illness.

Thanks

 

[boykjo]

Theres nothing wrong with it. Can you upload the pic

 

[woodworker]

Scott's SS #2.jpg

• woodworker
• Feb 22, 2014

Scott's SS.jpg

• woodworker
• Feb 22, 2014

It makes me wonder if the heat didn't affect it? The texture doesn't look quit the same either

 

[boykjo]

If the chubs were hung in the smoker, The chub you sent him may have been closer to the heat source than the others or in a hot spot and it got over cooked on the ends which reacted with the spices and cure and made the end darker or more pronounced in color .....

It looks edible to me... A little grainy.. was this meat previously frozen. meat left in the freezer and gets freezer burn will contribute to a grainy sausage... Also keep an eye on your bind of your meat mixture. The meat should be sticky

 

[woodworker]

I did smoke the chubs using fresh (sticky during the mix) meat and it had been stored in the fridge 5 days before shipping, the meat was never frozen. The dark end came about as it traveled to Fl. because it wasn't there when I put it in the box. The texture should have been okay to and I say that because what we have eaten from the same smoked batch is good. I will note that I sent him a chub that I cooked in the oven (prior to my purchasing a smoker) and when he received that one it was fine. Of course that was shipped when the temps in Ga were in the low 20-30's and when it arrived in Fl it was in the 30-40's which is why I pondered if the higher air temps/humidity affected it. He did just mention that the beef snack sticks I sent were hot in temp unlike the last shipment. I guess if/when I ship him more I'll use a bit of dry ice to keep everything cooler. I'll let him know it should be okay to eat and then because it was a freebie don't pay any attention to the graininess.

 

[woodworker]

Update....I just talked with my friend and he says the SS firmed back up to how it should be and looks good after being in the fridge overnight. The purplish color is still there but he's not as worried anymore about eating it as before. He also mentioned the snack sticks firmed back.  Lesson learned on shipping fresh SS or snack sticks, keep them cool!

 Thanks for the quick replies,

 

[boykjo]

I know Rick aka Nepas would send his son snack sticks to Afghanistan. They were vacium sealed

 

[daveomak]

That "purpleish" color could be a sheen from fats and oils... I've seen it in bacon.... Just the way the light reflects and diffracts on the oils....

Dave

 

[mdboatbum]

I've read through this a couple times to make sure I, but I see no mention of cure or your methods or ingredients aside from "LEM seasoning". I must ask, did you in fact use cure in your mix? Does the LEM seasoning contain cure? I'm sure it does, but I'd be reluctant to offer advice on consumption of food that was clearly at unsafe (for fresh, uncured meat) temperatures for 12+ hours without knowing exactly what you did and how you did it.. This brings to mind another question: Is Summer Sausage safe to store at room temperature? I mean I know some is cured in a way that makes it safe, but I also know there are different types of cure and different methods of curing and not all give the same results.

If some of the folks here who are more educated in sausage making and curing would chime in, I think this would be a great opportunity to educate the rest of us in avoiding potentially dangerous practices. 

 

[woodworker]

Mdboatbum LEM does have a cure pack contained with the seasoning. The chubs also sat in the fridge for at minimum 15-16hrs before I smoked them