How to Choose a Salami Casing
The casing is easy to treat as an afterthought. It's just the wrapper, right? Not quite. For a dry salami, the casing is the surface every bit of moisture has to pass through on its way out, so it has a real say in how your salami dries. BCCDC notes that drying time "is dependent on the size of sausages/casings" (BCCDC 3.13). If you haven't read it yet, start with How to make salami at home, then come back here.
What a casing has to do for dry salami
Mostly, it has to let water out. BCCDC is direct about it: "Plastic casings, which are not permeable, are not recommended for fermented sausages" (BCCDC 3.13).
It also has to stay with the meat as it shrinks. IRTA warns that "When the casing separates from the sausage during drying," "a microclimate forms that facilitates mould development" (IRTA, Sensory Defects in Fermented Sausages).
Natural casings
"Natural casings are the gastrointestinal tracts of cattle, sheep and hogs" (NDSU, The Art and Practice of Sausage Making). NDSU says "hog casings are the most suitable for home use," and that they "are very permeable to moisture and smoke" (NDSU, The Art and Practice of Sausage Making).
The tradeoff is consistency. WSU says natural casings "are not as uniform or as easy to use" as artificial ones (WSU, Homemade Meat, Poultry, and Game Sausages).
A heads up on beef casings. BCCDC's guidance for producers says: "If using beef as an ingredient, which would include beef casings, implement one of the 5 control measures in Health Canada guideline No. 12 to control for E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella" (BCCDC 3.13). That's Canadian guidance written for commercial makers, aimed at E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella. Take beef casings seriously as a meat ingredient.
Collagen casings
NDSU says collagen casings "are uniform in size, relatively strong and easy to handle." It adds that they "also are used for the manufacture of dry sausages, because they are permeable and will shrink" (NDSU, The Art and Practice of Sausage Making).
Fibrous casings
NDSU says fibrous casings "are more suitable for summer sausage and similar products because of their greater strength and the variety of sizes available. They are permeable to smoke and moisture and can easily be removed from the finished product" (NDSU, The Art and Practice of Sausage Making). MSU agrees they "can be removed after smoking/cooking and before packaging" (MSU Extension P2692). You peel these off before eating.
Casing size
Bigger casing, longer drying. That's the BCCDC point from up top: drying time depends on "the size of sausages/casings" (BCCDC 3.13). A fat chub has a lot more center for the water to travel out of, which is exactly the setup where case hardening can catch you.
We're not giving specific diameters here. None of the sources we opened give a casing width recommendation for home salami, so we'd rather say nothing than guess. One gear tip that does have a source: IRTA says the stuffing nozzle "should match the casing diameter" (IRTA, Sensory Defects in Fermented Sausages).
Soaking and prep
- Salted natural casings. NDSU says casings "preserved in salt must be soaked in lukewarm water for at least 30 minutes before use," then you flush each one "under cold water, running cold water through the casing" (NDSU, The Art and Practice of Sausage Making). MSU gives the same 30-minute lukewarm soak (MSU Extension P2692).
- Natural casings in brine. WSU says: "Soak natural casings which come in a brine, in cold water before use" (WSU, Homemade Meat, Poultry, and Game Sausages).
- Fibrous casings. NDSU says to soak them "in 80 to 100 F water for at least 30 minutes, but not more than four hours before use" (NDSU, The Art and Practice of Sausage Making).
- Whatever the type, BCCDC says to "Use and store all casings based on manufacturers' recommendations" (BCCDC 3.13).
How your casing affects drying and case hardening
Prep isn't just about making the casing easier to handle. BCCDC says soaking dry natural casings "will soften the casings and reduce the risk of crusting on the outside of the product that may interfere with dehydration during the drying process." It also says "At the beginning of the drying process, casings should be soft and wet, and relative humidity should be high" (BCCDC 3.13). A stiff, dry casing going into the chamber is a head start on crusting. More on that in Case hardening.
IRTA puts it simply: "Drying conditions should therefore be adapted to the casing type" (IRTA, Sensory Defects in Fermented Sausages). So don't assume the schedule that worked for one casing will work for another. Watch the weight and the feel of the salami.
Stuffing tips
- Pack it tight. MSU says to "fill the casing fully" "so that there are no air pockets in the encased sausage" (MSU Extension P2692).
- Prick fibrous casings. NDSU says if fibrous casings "are not pre-stuck they should be punctured with a knife point or pin to eliminate air and fat pockets in the finished sausage" (NDSU, The Art and Practice of Sausage Making).
For the full stuffing step, see How to make salami at home.
Quick comparison
| Casing | Lets moisture out? | Prep | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural (hog) | Yes, "very permeable to moisture and smoke" (NDSU, The Art and Practice of Sausage Making) | Salted: lukewarm soak, 30 min or more, then flush (NDSU, The Art and Practice of Sausage Making) | Less uniform (WSU, Homemade Meat, Poultry, and Game Sausages) |
| Collagen | Yes, "permeable and will shrink" (NDSU, The Art and Practice of Sausage Making) | Follow the manufacturer (BCCDC 3.13) | Uniform, strong, easy to handle (NDSU, The Art and Practice of Sausage Making) |
| Fibrous | Yes, "permeable to smoke and moisture" (NDSU, The Art and Practice of Sausage Making) | 80 to 100 F soak, 30 min to 4 hours (NDSU, The Art and Practice of Sausage Making) | Peel before eating (NDSU, The Art and Practice of Sausage Making, MSU Extension P2692) |
We're not naming a "best" casing. Our sources don't pick one for home salami, and honestly, it depends on your setup.
If the center of your salami never dried properly, don't eat it.
Sources
- BCCDC 3.13
- NDSU, The Art and Practice of Sausage Making
- WSU, Homemade Meat, Poultry, and Game Sausages
- MSU Extension P2692
- IRTA, Sensory Defects in Fermented Sausages
Read our disclaimer. This page is general education, not professional food-safety advice.