Summer sausage freezes well to keep it fresh longer.
Summer sausage falls under the category of semi-dry sausage, due to being seasoned and cured prior to packaging. The difference between dry and semi-dry sausages is the heating process that semi-dry sausages undergo to cook the meat completely. Consult the label on the summer sausage for proper storage to ensure that the sausage stays fresh and safe to eat. According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, or FSIS, you can also freeze summer sausage for extended storage.
Instructions
1. Tear off a piece of freezer paper large enough to wrap completely around the summer sausage.
2. Lay the freezer paper onto a flat surface with the shiny surface facing up. Place the summer sausage onto freezer paper in the center and fold the edges of the freezer paper snugly around the summer sausage as if you are wrapping a gift. Tape the edges of the freezer paper securely with freezer tape to wrap the summer sausage tightly.
3. Write the date on the outside of the freezer paper with the permanent marker.
4. Place the summer sausage into the freezer. Freeze the summer sausage for one to two months, according to the USDA FSIS Sausages and Food Safety Fact Sheet. The Johnsonville Sausage Company recommends freezing summer sausage for up to three months.
5. Remove the summer sausage from the freezer and unwrap it from the freezer paper to thaw it. Allow the summer sausage to thaw at room temperature.
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