Sausages are not only great for your taste buds but also for your health. It provides you with a lot of protein and vitamin B12 that helps in boosting your immunity. However, with a lot of manufacturers coming up with sausages in the market, it gets tricky to choose the best.
Summer sausages are German innovation, which does not get expire for months. It is called summer sausage because you can use the traditional summer sausage from winter to throughout the spring and summer without keeping it in the refrigerator. Germans came up with the summer sausage in an era where the refrigerator was unknown. Traditional summer sausages are semi-dry, and it features three different types. This method of preserving sausage is being used for hundreds of years.
Ingredients are used to lower the PH level of the sausage so that it does not require a refrigerator. You can use an oven or smoker to cook summer sausages; summer sausages is the term widely used by Americans. It is made with a mixture of beef, pork, and other meat. Either it is dried or smoked, and seasoning includes garlic salt, black pepper, mustard seeds, or sugar. The lower PH allows slow bacterial growth that allows for longer shelf life. These bacterial growths can cause a tangy taste.
There are several benefits to eating summer sausage. They are an outstanding source of protein. Each gram of sausage contains a complete protein; it is also responsible for providing all the nine types of amino acids that you require in your regular diet. Since it is a good source of protein, it helps you maintain muscle and hormonal balance. Also, it keeps your other body tissue in a healthy state; 13 grams of sausage provides you with 29 grams of protein. Calculate the required protein and consume the summer sausage accordingly.
It is not only useful for providing protein but also for vitamin B12, which is essential for healthy red blood cells. It helps you in increasing the hemoglobin, which is responsible for transporting oxygen throughout your body. Sausages also contain iron, which is a crucial mineral for our bodies. However, despite so many benefits, you should monitor the intake of your summer sausage. It also contains a type of fat that is responsible for increasing your blood cholesterol level.
It also contains ample sodium; high sodium might cause an increase in the blood pressure level. Hence, you should not consume the summer sausage than the required amount. As you are familiar with the benefits of sausages, you might want to buy the best summer sausage. In this article, we will present your manufacturers, which provide summer sausages. However, before that, let us present you with factors to consider before buying summer sausage.
Grill and Chill With These Best Picks
1. Old Wisconsin Premium Summer Sausage
Summer sausages are a great way of having a healthy meal or snack. It is the best way to add in your favorite recipes and a great addition to your gift basket; it is a pure beef summer sausage, which is ready to eat and requires no refrigeration.
It is a great way to grab some tasty and energy-boosting hiking, trekking, and camping food. The sausages are made in the USA, and it contains a high amount of protein. Let us discuss some of its best features.
- It is the best summer sausage made from beef, and there is no addition of other types of beef.
- This beef summer sausage is made of high-quality meat and spices, which is a treat for your taste buds.
- It contains a high amount of proteins.
- This high-quality beet summer sausage is free from MSG and gluten.
- It is a great snack and a great addition to the gift basket.
- It can enhance the taste of your favorite recipes
- The beef summer sausages are made in the USA
- It is ready to eat and does not require refrigeration.
- It is a great food to carry for your outdoor activities.
- Just like original sausages, it is a perfect mix of meat and spices.
- It is slowly smoked over a hardwood fire.
- It is ready to eat, high protein, and low carb.
2. Hickory Farms Sausage & Cheese Collection
This summer sausage is the ultimate gift for cheese and meat lovers. It is a farmhouse’s best summer sausage. It is a perfect gift to send someone and give a treat to his or her taste buds. Hickory farms are not only concerned with the quality of their beef but also about the environment. The packaging of the sausages is environmentally friendly. Let us discuss some of the best features of this summer sausage.
- It contains 5 ounces of farmhouse summer sausage
- It contains 4 ounces of smooth and sharp blended cheese
- It contains 1.25 ounces of sweet and hot mustard.
- It contains 1 ounce of golden toasted crackers
- It also contains strawberry Bon Bons.
- It is a delicious gift for your loved ones.
- It can stay fresh without a refrigerator, until and unless you open the packaging of the sausage.
3. LEM Backwoods Cured Summer Sausage Kit
It provides the best summer sausage kit. You never have to purchase anything extra when it comes to LEM backwoods summer sausage kit. Each package of sausage contains mouth-watering recipes, which you can use. The only equipment you require is a dehydrator or oven. This kit is perfect if you are using sausages for the first time. It makes home meat processing easy, and it contains 20 pounds of meat. Let us discuss some of the best features of this summer sausage.
- It is a complete summer sausage kit. With this, you do not require anything else other than an oven or dehydrator.
- It makes home meat processing easy; it delivers high-quality meat processing equipment.
- It contains jerky-making equipment, meat grinders, vacuum sealers, and other needed suppliers for home meat processors.
- It is the best summer sausage, which is perfect for butchers, restaurants, or at-home meat processors. No matter if you are professional or not, you can make perfect sausages with this kit.
- It contains healthy content for your friends and family.
- A high-quality product makes the preparation easy and fun.
- The company guarantees satisfaction and gives excellent customer support.
- It is the best sausage for your outdoor activities
- It can also be a delicious gift for your loved ones.
4. Old Wisconsin Premium Summer Sausage
This sausage is an ideal food for the keto diet, as it contains zero carbs. It is made in the USA. It is made with natural hardwood smoke. It is the best summer sausage, which has a unique and savory taste. If you enjoy handicraft slow-smoked summer sausage, then this is your best choice. It is a delicious alternative to dried and jerky meats. Let us discuss some of its best features.
- It is a high-quality premium original sausage, which is made from the finest ingredients that remain delicious all year long.
- It is ready-to-eat and shelf-stable.
- It is a high-protein snack, which acts as a healthy option for lunch and dinner.
- It is a delicious treat for your outdoor activities, gets together, holidays, barbeques, and birthdays.
- It is the best option for a snack if you are on a diet as it is low on carbs.
- It is made only by using meat; it is free from fillers, binders, extenders, MSG, and gluten.
- It is the best-handcrafted summer sausage.
- Best summer sausage for backpacking.
5. Dan the Sausageman’s Smoked Summer Sausage and Wisconsin Cheeses
Dan the sausage man is the company that was awarded as the small business of the year in Washington. It all started in 1988 when they started selling smoked best summer sausage door to door. It is one of the best summer sausage brands. They take pride in their food. They are known for their freshness and high-quality summer sausages, which are filled with spices. With this sausage, you will enjoy the original recipe of Dan’s summer sausage. It has roasted garlic red pepper sausage, which has a specialty of sweet N’ hot mustard that is complemented by the cheeses. It is the best add-on to your gift and picnic baskets. Let us discuss some of its best features.
- It is a snack, which is enough to get you through football, basketball, hockey, or any other sports matches.
- It has the finest quality and is full of taste buds that act as a treat for your taste buds.
- It is roasted with garlic pepper sausages and has sweet N’ hot mustard, salted pretzels, honey-roasted peanuts, and olives, which are complemented by cheeses from the heart of Wisconsin.
- It is a simple and fast way of providing a healthy and tasty meal to your guest.
- It has unique and convenient packaging.
- It is a full-sized sausage. Hence, you can not only use it as a snack but also for your meal.
6. Klements Summer Sausage
If you are someone who loves beef, then this is the best summer sausage for you. It is made of no other ingredient but beef. It is an all-beef classic summer sausage, which is a treat for your taste buds. It is healthy, robust, and beefy. This summer sausage might be missing the pork, but you won’t be missing on European authentic taste of the sausage. Let us discuss some of its best features.
- It is 100% delicious beef-made summer sausage.
- It is a perfect blend of natural spices
- It does not contain MSG and gluten
- It is fully cooked, which can act as a quick healthy snack.
- It is hardwood smoked
- It is made in Wisconsin.
- It is the best sausage for gifting and outdoor activities.
7. Backwoods low sodium best summer sausage
This summer sausage delivers a tangy explosion of flavor, which you will like to eat repeatedly. It contains 25% less sodium than any other regular summer sausage. It comes with home meat processing equipment like meat grinders, vacuum sealers, jerky-making equipment, and many others. It provides the best summer sausage kit. LEM has concerns for its customer’s needs. They do their research on what customers need and translate it into their products. It provides the purest meat you can find. It provides you with guaranteed satisfaction. Let us discuss some of its best features.
- A tangy explosion of taste that you will like to try again and again.
- It has reduced sodium up to 25% more than the regular summer sausage.
- It seasons up to 25 lbs of meat.
- It is the best summer sausage kit.
- You can also find different recipes in the back packet. Hence, it is ideal for the first-time summer sausage user.
- It is free from gluten and MSG.
- It is ideal for a quick and healthy snack, as well as an entire meal.
- Best summer sausage for backpacking.
Best Summer Sausage – Buying Guide
There are a lot of manufacturers, which promise high-quality healthy summer sausages. However, with so many brands coming up in the market, it gets difficult to choose the best summer sausage. You must consider the factors given below to purchase a high-quality summer sausage.
Factors to consider
1. Allergens
If you are not the only one who is going to eat the best summer sausage, then make sure you are considering the allergens and addictive of your family. Check the ingredients label of sausages, especially for those family members who are allergic to nuts, gluten, and dairy. Opt for the healthiest low-fat option to avoid unnatural additives. The summer sausages must give you a treat to your taste buds, and they must be safe for your body. Avoid unnatural fillers like Premio and MSG. Try to purchase summer sausage, which has features like no artificial ingredients, low trans-fat, and free of fillers, and MSG. Your summer sausage must be free from gluten and other kinds of allergies so that all your family can enjoy a healthy meal.
2. Examination
Examine the condition of your sausages. If your summer sausage has greyish color or slimy coat, then you probably don’t want to use that kind of summer sausage. Before you use the summer sausage, you might want to smell it. The healthy uncooked sausages must have pinkish color and should not have a weird sour smell. You must inspect the best summer sausage before you place them in your griller.
3. The casing of the sausage
The casing of your sausage must be natural. Machine-made summer sausages are made of synthetic skin, which is a lot cheaper but not the best quality. Machine-made summer sausages use the skin that uses skin that is chewy and tough. If you want to spot machine-made summer sausages, then it has a uniform shape and size. The casing of the summer sausage also impacts its fullness of the summer sausage. You don’t want your summer sausage to be too filled, as its more likely to split while cooking, which will result in the lost flavor. Using natural casing sausage will help you to avoid the problem.
4. Cooking the best summer sausage
Summer sausage can be fried, grilled, smoked, or baked in the oven; you can choose either option according to your preference. However, no matter how you are cooking the best summer sausage, make sure to avoid the high heat. If you use high heat then it might burn the outside of the summer sausage while the inside remains uncooked. Opt for medium or low heat and cook it for a long time. This trick will ensure that your summer sausage is cooked properly.
5. Seasoning of the best summer sausage
When it comes to the seasoning of the best summer sausage, the list is endless. The ideal way to consume summer sausage is with a chunk of cheese. You can even spread the cheese on top of your summer sausage. Also, combining flavors like cheese and pickles can be a treat for your taste buds. Nutmeg, salt, and pepper are also commonly used for the seasoning of summer sausage.
6. Other factors to consider
- The cut of your best summer sausage should be dry, even, and smooth, and it should not have veins.
- The casing of the summer sausage must be wrinkled because of the lack of moisture.
- The elastic casing is a sign of too much water.
- The ingredients should contain no more than meat and spices. Shorter the list to better the product.
- The smell of the sausage is not supposed to be strong. If it has a strong fragrance, then the flavor might be added to the summer sausage.
- If you see ingredients that you have never heard of before, then it is advisable to stay away from the summer sausage.
Now you know what to look for while buying summer sausage; let us recommend some high-quality summer sausage to make your search easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best summer sausage brand?
Dan, old Wisconsin, hickory farms, and Elements are some of the best and leading brands when it comes to the best summer sausage.
What’s good with summer sausage?
The tangy flavor of summer sausage is perfect for your snack, meal, and quick salad ingredients. It is also the best ingredient for Caesar salad with herbed croutons, cucumber, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese.
Why is summer sausage is called summer sausage?
Summer sausage is called so because it was traditionally made during the summer months when the weather was warm and the conditions were ideal for preserving meat. Before modern refrigeration techniques, it was common for farmers and butchers to make large batches of sausage in the summer to preserve the meat and ensure a supply of protein throughout the year.
Summer sausage is typically made by grinding and mixing meat with spices and seasonings, then stuffing the mixture into casings and curing the sausage through a combination of smoking and drying. This process helps to preserve the sausage and give it a distinctive flavor and texture.
What is the difference between summer sausage and beef summer sausage?
Summer sausage and beef summer sausage are both types of cured sausage, but the main difference between the two is the type of meat that is used.
Summer sausage is typically made from a combination of beef and pork, while beef summer sausage is made exclusively from beef. This difference in meat can result in a slightly different flavor and texture between the two types of sausage.
Another difference between summer sausage and beef summer sausage is the seasoning and spices that are used in each. While both types of sausage may include similar ingredients such as garlic, pepper, and mustard seeds, the specific blend of spices and seasonings can vary depending on the recipe and the individual producer.
Can I eat summer sausage raw?
No, it is not recommended to eat summer sausage raw. Summer sausage is a type of cured sausage that is typically made from a combination of beef and pork, and it may also contain other ingredients such as spices and seasonings. While summer sausage is technically safe to eat without cooking, it is generally recommended to cook it before consuming it to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
Cooking summer sausage can help to kill any harmful bacteria or pathogens that may be present in the meat, such as E. coli, Salmonella, or Listeria. It is recommended to cook summer sausage to an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) before consuming. You can cook summer sausage by grilling, baking, or frying it.
Can summer sausage be fried?
Yes, it can be fried, baked, and smoked according to your preference.
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