UMAi PEPPERONI, MY FIRST TRY!!

[SmokinAl]

Well I’ve got it all on order, just need to figure out where my craft closet will be, and pick up some non fat milk powder.

Cool!
When you get the NFDM, get it in a box with sealed packets inside. That way it will stay fresh for a long time.
Al

Nice Pep, Al! I'll have to make a batch with the Umai bags this fall. Last time I used casings, fermented & then slow cooked in my fridge smoker. I think I used the SM mix for that too, and it was very bland to my taste. Didn't taste like pizza pepperoni at all.

One thing I've noticed with hard salamies is that they don't freeze well. It changes the texture, and makes it grainy. Vac-packed and refrigerated, it will last for quite a while.

I make such small batches that they usually don't make it to the freezer, however the one's that I did freeze seemed to be OK. I didn't notice any change in texture. But then they were only frozen for a couple of weeks, I guess I could have just left them in the fridge.
Al

 

[mski2]

Looks good, I did the dry aged ribeye 30 days, didn't get sick but we didn't like the flavor.
No off smells or mold, It looked like it should,just like fresh steak better. they seem to work well ,no smell in my fridge or off smells in the meat, and it did dry it alot.
Can't wait to use the casings I got now that you went first
Mark

 

[SmokinAl]

I think you will really like the results you get with the UMAi casings!
Al

 

[Braz]

Al, what did you think of Ruhlman's pepperoni recipe as compared to the Sausage Maker mix?

 

[SmokinAl]

Al, what did you think of Ruhlman's pepperoni recipe as compared to the Sausage Maker mix?

They are very close in taste. I have a batch drying now & I went back to TSM mix, I just used more of it.
Al

 

[Steve H]

Al, the recipes I'm seeing shows that you should add kosher or sea salt. I noticed you didn't add any. Does this make a difference?

 

[chopsaw]

Al, the recipes I'm seeing shows that you should add kosher or sea salt. I noticed you didn't add any. Does this make a difference?

Steve he used a mix from sausage maker . Salt is in the mix . If you are seasoning from scratch , I believe UMAi calls for 3 % salt .

 

[Steve H]

Steve he used a mix from sausage maker . Salt is in the mix . If you are seasoning from scratch , I believe UMAi calls for 3 % salt .

Ok, I purchased the same mix from SM as well. Just wanted to be sure. Thanks!

 

[chopsaw]

I would still pick Al's brain on how much mix he used . I have the same one , tends to be short on flavor .
Good luck !

 

[Steve H]

I would still pick Al's brain on how much mix he used . I have the same one , tends to be short on flavor .
Good luck !

Thanks! I'm going to use 9 oz. of the seasoning for a five pound batch. That is going by Al saying he would bump it to 4.5 oz per a 2.5 pound batch. I'm going to be heading home this weekend if all goes well here. So I'm hoping next weekend I'll be doing this.

 

[73saint]

Thanks! I'm going to use 9 oz. of the seasoning for a five pound batch. That is going by Al saying he would bump it to 4.5 oz per a 2.5 pound batch. I'm going to be heading home this weekend if all goes well here. So I'm hoping next weekend I'll be doing this.

That’s exactly what I did. 9oz in a 5lb batch.

 

[SmokinAl]

Good luck, and yes you have to go a little heavy on TSM seasoning. It is just a little too mild.
Al

 

[nanuk]

Hey Al, nice job on the sausage

I was wondering, have you, or do you know of anyone who has used these to dry sausage to "Rock Hard" stage?

When I was in my course for meatcutting, the instructor brought in some dry cured salami that had been drying for many months.
This stuff, one stick's worth, could pound nails! It was very hard, very dry, and very dark.

we sliced this stuff on a large commercial style slicer, cellophane thin, and the flavour was AMAZING!
only one of those thin slices was needed with a bit of cheese on a cracker to have a full flavoured snak.

I'm thinking if you dried one piece of your pepperoni to that degree, you'd have your heat, and an accentuated flavour that would work in a calzone. Probably too dry for pizza.
and on a cracker with cheese??? I can see that being OMG Good!

 

[SmokinAl]

Hey Al, nice job on the sausage

I was wondering, have you, or do you know of anyone who has used these to dry sausage to "Rock Hard" stage?

When I was in my course for meatcutting, the instructor brought in some dry cured salami that had been drying for many months.
This stuff, one stick's worth, could pound nails! It was very hard, very dry, and very dark.

we sliced this stuff on a large commercial style slicer, cellophane thin, and the flavour was AMAZING!
only one of those thin slices was needed with a bit of cheese on a cracker to have a full flavoured snak.

I'm thinking if you dried one piece of your pepperoni to that degree, you'd have your heat, and an accentuated flavour that would work in a calzone. Probably too dry for pizza.
and on a cracker with cheese??? I can see that being OMG Good!

Actually I have 2 separate batches drying now & I thought I would take at least one stick to 40% weight loss & see how it goes, the first batch is about 30% loss right now, but it is an experiment. I didn't put any bactoferm in this batch so the flavor will be somewhat different & I also added more spices. The second batch has bacto in it, but a different spice blend. So this is an ongoing experiment. I have some more tweaks that I want to do with the spices also, so another batch is right around the corner!
Al

 

[nanuk]

I have read that a mold is required when dry curing.

are you finding you don't need it at all?

 

[SmokinAl]

I have read that a mold is required when dry curing.

are you finding you don't need it at all?

With the UMAi casings you don't get any mold growth. That is what is so cool about them.
You just ferment them for a couple of days and then dry them in your regular fridge. No dry curing chamber needed.
Al

 

[fished]

I have an order put together. I'm getting the peperoni and the hard salami blends. Going to go with the 50 mil casings for both. How long does the bactoferm last for? And how do you store what you don't use from the package? Thanks for the help.

 

[mski2]

6 Months @ home freezer temperatures
sealed well coldest part of freezer

 

[chopsaw]

I have an order put together. I'm getting the peperoni and the hard salami blends. Going to go with the 50 mil casings for both. How long does the bactoferm last for? And how do you store what you don't use from the package? Thanks for the help.

I just used some that was over 2 years old . I keep it sealed tight in a -3 degree freezer . I just asked that same question . Others have had luck past the 6 months .

 

[pc farmer]

I have an order put together. I'm getting the peperoni and the hard salami blends. Going to go with the 50 mil casings for both. How long does the bactoferm last for? And how do you store what you don't use from the package? Thanks for the help.

I have some over a year old in my freezer , opened but folded the open end over.