There is an amazing summer sausage made by the memonites of Ontario.
Summer sausage is a kind of a salami with its own unique flaver. It does
not require refigeration. I keep it in the fridge after opening but I store
the unopened sausage at room temperature.
Various versions of summer sausage have been made for hundreds of years but the recipe of the popular Ontario memonite
summer sausage goes back to Noah S. Martin of Hawkesville, Onario. This summer sausage was made with
a blend of beef and pork, mixed with spices and then allowed to ferment. The fermentation (lactic acid fermentation) is a crucial step as it lowers the pH of the sausage, acting as a preservative and giving it its tangy flavor. The natural fermentation is not just lowering the pH. Adding an acid would do that too. By adding a starter culture the terrain is flooded with beneficial bacteria that will physically occupy the space and defend it against spoilage organisms. The sausage was then smoked adding a rich, smoky flavor and preserving it further. The sausage is cased in cotton bags allowing it to easily take up the rich smoke flavor and dry at the same time.
Noah S. Martin died in 2000 at the age of 90. He was born 28 Oct 1909 and died 27 Jul 2000. His wife was Rebecca Bowman Martin and she died 29 Aug 1994. Since Noah's death this hugely successful sausage is being produced
by a number of companies and families in the memonites country of Ontario. Each one is claiming to produce the
"original summer sausage". These sausages are very similar but
not identical in texture and taste.
