Cured sausage meat in the fridge

[renoman]

.... how long can I keep it in there before it becomes unsafe or unusable. Just ground with the cure and spices in it.

[Habanero Smoker]

Most sources say 10 - 14 days, but the USDA  site will state 7 days. I don't use cure in many of my sausages, since I prefer fresh, but I have kept sausage with a cure in the refrigerator for over 2 weeks.

[devo]

You may want to consider just how dry it will get over say a two day period. Never really thought about cured meat in the fridge for long periods of time but I would not go over 3-4 days. Wait to long and if your making sausage it will be very hard to stuff. You would have to add more water and mix it again.


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[renoman]

Thanks, I was really just thinking 2 or 3 days but was worried it may get so stiff it would be too hard to stuff and wasn't sure if the texture would be compromised. I have only left it over night in the past.

[Habanero Smoker]

I miss understood you initial question. I thought it was already stuffed, and you will be holding it in the refrigerator area.  I generally will stuff right away or the salt (not the sodium nitrite) causes the mixture to stiffen up, but after 8 - 12 hours that is about as stiff as it is going to get. I make mostly fresh sausage, mainly for breakfast patties; a few people want me to add cure #1 to theirs for flavor, and the texture is not compromise over time, as long as you store it properly.