The Art of Making Fermented Sausages Kindle Edition

I have the 'Bookmagic' (2008) revised edition of 'The Art of Making Fermented Sausages, in addition to other sausage making books by the brothers.Maybe the best way into reviewing this book is to ask 'who would/should buy it?' Any 'foodie' who is curious about where the pepperoni on their pizza came from will learn a lot about the whole class of 'fermented meat sausages.' The same goes for customers at local deli counters in mega-marts who are buying a range of salamis. 'Home-style' and commercial methods and chemicals are explained from the practical standpoint of which substance does what important thing in producing flavour while promoting food safety. 'Aspirational' (want-to, someday) sausage makers will find a usable, detailed guide to the equipment list that will be the major barrier to most of us in making fermented sausage at home. The 'easy' part of making fermented sausage is the chemistry--for practical purposes, the cure mixes and starter cultures so clearly explained by the authors. 'Meatheads'--meat fanatics--will definitely want this book on their shelves--for the (some) fifty classic recipes for fermented sausages, even including one or two from the Asian sausage kitchen. The emphasis in the recipe section is definitely European, northern and southern.The book begins with a workmanlike 'history' of fermented meats. The brothers introduce 'New Concepts' including what we now know about controlling available water, pH, temperature and humidity to produce fermented sausage. We are introduced to 'more than we need to understand' material about types of bacteria, how they multiply and what controls that multiplication, color and flavour-forming reactions and the like. In chapter four, sausage makers will learn plenty about the two basic approaches to controlling bacteria while producing color and flavour: slow fermentation and fast fermentation. The 'liberating stuff' comes in chapter five, with a practical overview of 'starter cultures', the key to modern production at home or in the factory, of quality fermented sausages. The recipe section includes items I have never tasted, let alone made. Items I have made or tasted in artisanal production include: cervelat, chorizo, farmer sausage, Medwurst, Merguez, Braunschweiger and Summer Sausage. Well, I have also eaten Mortadella, plenty of Pepperoni, Genoa Salami, Salchichon and Thuringer sausages. A reader will have a very fine understanding of how each and every one of these sausages is made. The book abounds with helpful notes and technical tables, with source attribution for any true sausage maker who can make the equipment to venture into these subjects.I must come back to the 'equipment list.' Home handymen will not have any problems in following the Marianski brothers' descriptions/photographs for converting a foam insulated cabinet (old refrigerator) to make a temperature/humidity-controlled tool/environment for home-aging cuts of beef, curing hams or for making a whole range of fermented sausage products. Having dedicated refrigerator space for long-term drying and curing of sausages is also stressed in the book. With fermented sausage products, control of temperature during every step of processing from 'breaking down' larger cuts of meat through grinding and on into fermentation is critical. Equally important, measuring pH (acid-base continuum) in the meat and controlling and measuring humidity (which needs to change at various stages of fermentation and drying) requires some simple and inexpensive instruments that will not be found around the house. Unfortunately, it does not seem that all of this equipment comes from the commercial marketplace in any affordable package sized for the 'home' sausage producer. If you want to make sausage and are handy, this is the book for you!What makes this a Marianski Brothers' 'classic?' They are thorough but repetitive about processes and chemistry, as other reviewers have noted. If YOU get the point they are making, move on and glance over the same/similar material the next time it comes up. I feel the authors use repetition as a teaching tool. Above all, they aim to produce instructional books about their craft. In the end, all the 'chemistry' is 'nice to know' and you will be more comfortable with whatever you pick up about 'why' as well as 'how', but it comes down to using careful measurements of ingredients listed in their recipes and following recommended procedures. Our forefathers weren't food scientists either.Find where you fit on my suggested continuum and, if you see yourself anywhere, you will want this book.

A must have book to avoid making food safety errors when fermenting.. There are TOO MANY false methods on the net, that can make you ill or worse.. Marianski is the go-to, knowledgeable master of this process..Do NOT be confused by writers, that write books and do not know the science behind proper, safe sausage making...

This is not a book for someone who has no sausage experience. Get a few sausage books, preferably by these authors and get yours hands dirty a few times before trying fermented products. However, once you get started this will be the only book you ever need unless you decide to scale up to an industrial level.

Yes, this book has some grammatical errors but they do nothing to detract from the wealth of information contained inside. This book fills in the gaps present in almost every other book.This book explains the technical details behind how the sausages dry, what factors increase or decrease drying time, what that means for the product, how to control it and how to control pathogens. This is all done in language and terms that any serious home sausage maker can understand.Most valuable are the discussions and charts of the commercially available starter cultures and their characteristics. You don't find that anywhere else, not even the manufacturer's websites. Also discussed is how to build your own fermentation chambers and drying rooms. It's all laid out very straightforwardly.I agree, this book is NOT the only book you should buy on the subject. Read a few others (like "Charcuterie") and then, when you're scratching your head, read this one and you will find the answers.

As a beginner sausage maker, reading this book gave me perspective on the depth, and at times, highly complex process, clearly explaining the ‘chemistry’ of what’s going on. Well written, not snooty, someday I hope to produce some if these.

Like other recent books by the Marianski's this one is self-published, through Outskirts Press, and it clearly has not benefited from the services of a professional editor or proofreader. The book is littered with grammar mistakes, typographical errors, and odd locutions. The way the text is organized, they end up covering the same subjects from multiple angles, with the result that they repeat themselves over and over. Sometimes the organization simply seems haphazard, with "notes" appearing at the end of a section which could be more accurately labeled "afterthoughts." The information presented is clear and accurate; just don't expect a gripping read.This book is definitely a useful addition for any other meathead out there wanting to try and make fermented sausages at home. As a book dedicated to this subject, they go deeper into the issues of chemistry, microbiology, sanitation, and equipment (for smoking, fermenting, and drying) that all affect the quality of the finished product. The second part contains 50 detailed recipes, with precise measurements in grams, so that even a relative newcomer to this craft can proceed with confidence. This book usefully bridges the gap between simpler cookbooks and advanced textbooks such as Fidel Toldrá's  Handbook of Fermented Meat and Poultry  (which sells for $200). At $20, even with all its faults on its head, this book is a bargain.To read my full review, go to my website.Update, 7/8/09: Just heard from Stanley Marianski that they have revised this book and it's coming out from a new publisher (Bookmagic). If you decide to buy, this is the edition you want-it has an index!

So far this is the best book on the subject I have both read and used. Coming from the worlds most prolific sausage makers I am hardly surprised at the instructions, the wealth of detail and above all the results we have been attaining. Absolutely indispensible from the food point of view as well as all the critical safety factors which are essential to grasp before commencing. A must have!

Seriously good technical book. Cant go wrong. Goes into amazing detail.

I bought this book as a Birthday gift for my huband. It's a fabulous book and a great gift. He hasn't put it down yet!

Great book, definitely recommend it

very tachnical with good recipes