Air Pockets Inside Dry-Cured Salami

[Chuckwagon]

An interesting question came to me by email from a non-member who prefers to remain anonymous. I asked our own "Seminole" for his opinion and I`ve chosen to post it here so his words may benefit others as well.

Q. My air-dried salamis have large air pockets in the interior at the end of the curing process. I stuff them tightly and prick and surface bubbles. What could be causing the problem? From: Anonymous on 4/4/11

A. (From Seminole on 4/6/11)

1. The air passing over the product removes the moisture from the surface. If this is too rapid, "case hardening" occurs - the surface is sealed and the interior moisture is trapped. Quality problems may occur if case hardening happens in the later stages of the process since the hardening appears only around the surface and a soft moist inner center results. When this moisture finally breaks out, the product collapses what results in surface groves. There can be some separation inside, too.

2. Holes:
a. contaminated raw material.
b. an excessive production of gas by bacteria (especially when plenty of sugar was added).
c. A low pressure during stuffing

Often lean meat and fat are not tightly bonded together (weak mixing) and spoilage bacteria start growing due to available air. This will make fat rancid and make create separations. It happens often in large diameter, heavy sausages, in the upper part of the sausage (close to the hanging loop). Such a problem is usually eliminated by hanging heavy sausages inside nets.

Holes can also be observed in small size sausages. That is due to a poor coagulation of proteins by salt and as a result spoilage bacteria start to grow.
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I hope this may help any other with the similar problem.
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon