How and how long to store a Catalan fuet?

Highly appreciated for its unique flavors, Catalan fuet nevertheless requires careful attention as to its conservation. Find out with Directos.eu how and how long to store a Catalan fuet.

How to store a Catalan fuet?

In general, it is advisable to store the Catalan fuet in a ventilated, cool and dark place. The ideal storage temperature should be between 12 and 18°C. You must protect your dry sausage from sunlight. The first means of preserving Catalan fuet is the sausage box.

However, make sure that the container is not completely closed. Thus, a wooden sausage box with holes is recommended. You can also opt for a sausage cloth that offers optimal ventilation. If you love Catalan Espetec Fuet, you can keep it cool in your fridge.

However, be careful, being a confined and humid piece of equipment, the refrigerator risks removing the flavors of the sausage by making it acidic. This is why it is advisable to first wrap your Catalan fuet in a cotton towel. You can then slide it into the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator.

This way of storing Catalan fuet also allows it to be kept for a long time. Although it may not look like it, the freezer is a great way to store dry sausages. Just put them in a freezer bag before putting them in the freezer. Make sure to take them out of the freezer 24 hours before eating them.

What is the shelf life of Catalan fuet?

How long you can keep your dry sausage depends mainly on the storage conditions. At room temperature, you can store Catalan fuet for 4 to 6 weeks and even longer. When stored in the refrigerator, dry sausage can be kept for 6 months.

If you want to keep it for a longer period (8 to 10 months), consider freezing it. Your charcuterie will retain all its quality throughout this period. Beyond this period, it will nevertheless remain suitable for consumption. Now you know the shelf life of dry sausages of Spanish origin.

However, it is not always obvious whether your sausage is still edible or not. You must then refer to the DLUO or the DLC. The best use-by date is the day your fuet has lost its consistency. From this date, the dry sausage has less taste and vitamins.

However, it does not constitute a danger to your health and can still be consumed. Thus, beyond this date, dry sausage can be sold commercially. The best-before date can be identified on Catalan charcuterie by the phrase "Best before".

The use-by date (DLC) is recognizable on a dry sausage by the words "Use by". This is the expiry date from which the product is considered unfit for consumption. Microbes and all kinds of bacteria can indeed have developed there. Consuming Catalan fuet after this date presents many risks to your health.

What are the different types of Catalan fuets and how to consume them?

The basis of Catalan fuet remains the same, regardless of the variety. This is pork meat. Only the taste varies depending on the origin of the meat, the spices and the fermentation process. It is then rather varieties and variations of dry sausages. You can find Iberian fuet in cold cuts, which is a high quality sausage.

It is obtained with meticulously seasoned Iberian pork lean and fat. There is also the pepper whip which is a popular variant and one of the most requested. Prepared in the same way as Iberian fuet, this variety of dry sausage stands out for the addition of pepper.

It also gives a unique and very original taste. Directos.eu recommends other Catalan fuet varieties such as those with garlic, olives, duck and Roquefort. The dry garlic sausage, for example, is made with lean flesh and little fat. The olive variant, on the other hand, contains pieces of green olives.

Fuet au Roquefort is a sausage made with a mixture of pork and Roquefort cheese. In addition to the different types of Catalan fuet, it is also useful to know how to consume this dry sausage. Should it be eaten with or without skin?

You can eat Catalan fuet with its skin. It depends on individual tastes. The dry sausage is also eaten alone or as an aperitif. You can also incorporate it into tapas recipes or use it as an accompaniment to a raclette or a salad.