As a camper at Camp Moshava Wild Rose, a Romanian salami was considered more valuable than gold. As a result, any kid with a salami hanging from a protruding nail in his bunkbed was instantly granted celebrity status.
I remember that one summer, there was a kid from California at camp who was so desperate for my Romanian salami that he offered the following trade: if I gave him my Romanian Salami, he’d give me his ice-blue Gameboy with three games, and a few additional dollars as well. Keep in mind, that a Romanian Salami cost $8 at the time, and this Gameboy package was worth about $100.
While ice-blue Gameboys aren’t as highly demanded today, Romanian Salami is just as sought after, if not more (even though it costs more than $8), and is synonymous with high-quality kosher meats. A friend and customer recently told me that his Romanian salami set off the alarm at the TSA security screener in O’Hare Airport. Initially nervous at having to give the TSA agent an advertising pitch for Romanian, the agent interjected: “You got a Romanian Salami? Some cultures give cheeses as gifts, and you guys give salamis. Interesting culture.” Talk about notoriety.
Because iWantRomanian.com ships straight to your doorstep, there’s no need to fear being interrogated by TSA for transporting your precious salami, or waiting in those long lines while making a pilgrimage to the Romanian retail storefront when visiting Chicago. Our goal is helping you take care of your Salami so it stays fresh, and that it’s subsequently enjoyed to its fullest by your family and friends. Here are some pro tips for salami maintenance straight from the Romanian team.
Hanging Your Salami Correctly
Plenty of people love a nice juicy slice of Romanian salami but have no idea how to properly handle one. I can’t even say how many frantic calls we get from concerned customers all the time with questions such as: “I left my salami on the table” or “I forgot to take it out of the paper.”
Here’s the thing: Salami is such a versatile food because it doesn’t require refrigeration until it’s cut. I have a friend who went to a remote city in Texas for one week that survived almost entirely on the Romanian salami that he’d packed in his suitcase (and obviously set off the TSA scanner at the airport). Because of this, Salami is staple of the traveling kosher-consumer for good reason. If that’s not enough, the flavor only gets better with time.
This flavor intensifies during hanging, so it’s worthwhile to learn the best practices (but if you are relying on a salami to feed you during a road trip, it’s probably not a good idea to hang it from the rear-view mirror to avoid getting a concussion). Most people (myself included) unpack their salami and throw it on a kitchen cabinet knob which is a quick and easy way to get things started.
After it’s been cut, it’s best to keep salami in the refrigerator for up to three weeks to preserve freshness, or frozen in the vac-pack for up to six months, but we’ll talk more about that later.
The Salami Hanging Method
1. Remove from Vacuum Pack:
To start the drying out process, the first thing you should do upon receiving your Salami is to unwrap it from the vacuum-sealed pack (vac-pack). That is, if you don’t eat it first.
2. Keep your salamis socially distanced
If the Coronavirus Pandemic had any positive outcomes, one of them was providing a perfect term to describe the proper way to hang your Romanian Salami: social distancing. A hanging salami should not be touching anything, because moisture can get trapped and cause problems. Make sure to keep it away from the wall and other hanging salamis.
3. Hanging after cutting salami
The general rule is that once you cut a hanging salami, you should keep it in the refrigerator and eat it within three days. While some die-hard enthusiasts will say that you can hang it up again and cut off a bit from the bottom once you’re ready to give it another go, from a health perspective we wouldn’t recommend it.
4. Put cardboard underneath the salami
Hanging a salami dries it out, which infuses it with an incredible flavor. That moisture has to go somewhere, so you may notice the fats and oils leaking out below. You can simply place a paper towel or piece of tin foil to keep under the salami, protecting the surface underneath the hanging salami.
As soon as I hang a salami, I put a cardboard box underneath it to keep the general area clean. If it’s a couple of salamis, I normally hang them on upper kitchen cabinet knobs, because I can always wipe off my countertops from any residue (and who doesn’t like that amazing smell of drying meat and garlic wafting through the air). A friend of mine even hangs his Romanian salamis from the handlebars of his stationary bike in promoting a healthy lifestyle. Don’t get alarmed if you see a colored liquid leaking out of the salami – it’s the oil that is separating from the meat and drying it out, so this is totally natural. Without taking these the proper precautions, you may end up with an oil-stained rug or discolored wooden floor.
How Long to Keep it Hanging?
Timewise, the sweet spot for hanging a hard salami is approximately two to three weeks, depending on how hard you like it. The duration of the process may also vary depending on the size of the salami, and humidity levels where you live.
Technically, you can leave a salami hanging forever. As the Salami King of Camp Moshava, I once hung a salami for two months. Even if it was nearly impossible to eat the salami by the time we decided to cut it open and we basically had to gnaw on it, the flavor itself was unreal given how long it aged. If you don’t want to eat a rock, make sure to keep track of your hang time. If you decide to take that risk and leave the salami there indefinitely, I know a dentist who can assist, if needed.
As we mentioned earlier, Salami is a great option when travelling. If you’re unable to keep your Salami hanging, there are a few measures you’ll want to take to keep it fresh. Principal among them is that if you take out the salami and notice any slime, be sure to wash it off (No need to worry about it – the slime isn’t a big deal. It’s just not something you want to eat)
What to watch out for
Moisture is the main culprit for spoiling a delicious Romanian salami. We can’t reiterate enough how important it is to keep your salamis hanging freely, because water gets trapped in walls and you don’t want that moisture harming your salami. Again – social distancing is key to preventing the superspreading of moisture.
If you see that moisture is attempting to spoil your salami, don’t worry – you’ll know right away and hopefully have enough time to salvage it and bring it back to health. If you start to see white mold growing on your salami, simply wash it with warm water and soap, then take off the wrapper to peel or eat when ready.
However, if you start to see green mold, that’s something to avoid – we’d recommend throwing the salami away. Although we’ve had some diehard Romanian fans tell us that they’ve braved this hazard and simply cut off the greenish area prior to eating, we definitely wouldn’t recommend taking this risk.
Whether you are traveling with salami or hanging it at home, make sure you follow our pro tips to enjoy your Romanian the way it was meant to be eaten. Do you have any tips or stories regarding how you aged your Romanian salami? Leave a link in the comments and let’s get the conversation started.
