saucisson update: on the operating table

I just could not wait any longer. As I wrote on Sunday, the saucissons reached the 35% mark for overall weight loss. This was good and bad news, as it means they might be dry enough to eat, but they also reached that weight in only 14 days (rather than 18-21 per the traditional curing instructions). I have four saucissons hanging, so I decided to slice one to determine their dryness and edibility. They were a little squishy when I squeezed them, which indicated that they may still be a little raw on the interior, but there's only one way to find out. Upon slicing the end off one of them, it was clear that the interior was a little raw. It's very subtle, but in the photograph you can see a slight color variation between the outer third (crimson) and the inside (orange). The good news is that it doesn't appear to be spoiled - it smells like salami.

I hung this one back up to dry for another week. Stay tuned...