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Sausage Handling and Storage

All of our meat products should always be kept refrigerated at a temperature of 40 degrees or below. All products can be frozen in the Queen City Sausage vacuumed sealed package safely for up to 6 – 8 months.

Sausage is perishable. Handle carefully and store properly to preserve freshness. Use right away or freeze. Vacuum-packaged sausage can be frozen as is. Other items should be wrapped well to prevent freezer burn. Try to eliminate air from the package whether wrapping in zipper bags, freezer paper, or plastic wrap. You can freeze items for 3 – 4 months without affecting the flavor and quality of the sausage. Sausage frozen for more than 4 months will gradually undergo a loss of flavor and quality.

Thaw frozen sausage slowly in the refrigerator. Do not thaw at room temperature.

We recommend leaving sausage in vacuum packages until used to prolong shelf life. After opening a vacuum package, remove the remainder of the package. Rewrap sausage tightly to keep air out. If sausage is moist, wipe dry before repackaging. Proper storage, safe thawing methods and prompt usage will eliminate most sources of sausage spoilage. If, in spite of proper handling, sausage looks or smells spoiled, use common sense and discard. The following guidelines may be used for refrigeration of sausage:

Type of Sausage	Refrigeration
Fresh Link Sausage (includes Fresh Metts, Fresh Italian, Fresh Chorizo, Little Link Pork Sausage, etc.)	Use within 2 days
Luncheon Meats (Bologna, Pepper Loaf, Pickle Loaf, etc.)	Use within 5-7 days
Liver Sausage	Use within 5-7 days
Cooked Link Sausage (Weiners, Cooked Bratwurst, etc.)	Use within 5-7 days
Dry / Semi-Dry Sausage (Summer Sausage, Salami)	Use within 60 days

In the above refrigeration chart, the suggested “use by” guideline under the refrigeration column refers to sausage that has had the vacuum packaging removed or was purchased from a store deli (i.e., sliced, chunk, bulk). With an unopened vacuum package, refer to its “sell by” date and use it before it expires unless frozen before that expiration date.