Summer Sausage Storage?

[Scott M]

So tonight I'm looking at a couple big links of summer sausage, and their casings are looking really tight and brittle, not waxy and taught. Should I have put them in the freezer? They say refrigerate on the package and I haven't opened them....I just don't want to end up with really dried up summer sausage as I'm saving them for a fish house snack.

Thanks for any advice.

[Nate McVey]

Scott, do you have a frost free fridge? Are they still in the original package? Frost free fridges are designed to take the moisture out of the fridge and also out of anything not wrapped. If I buy summer sausage, I wrap them in plastic wrap or vaccuum seal them so they don't lose any moisture. You may be able to slice them now, remove the skin and put them in ziplocs, freeze or keep in the fridge. Frozen ones should stay fairly fresh, fridge ones should be eaten in a week or so.

[SkunkedAgain]

I've kept summer sausage in the freezer since college. I always slice it into usable chunks (1-2" sections) and then toss them in a big zip lock. Months later when they're covered in freezer snow I'll pull them out, defrost, cook, and eat. I've never had a problem. They still taste good, just not "fresh."