Starter Cultures

Fermenting sausage is an old-school craft that goes back thousands of years. Before refrigeration existed, people needed a way to make meat last—and fermentation became one of the best answers. From the very beginning, this process has depended on naturally occurring microbes, especially lactic acid bacteria and Micrococcaceae (a group that includes helpful staph strains), which live in the meat and in the general environment where sausages are made. Back before commercial starter cultures existed, fermentation was basically a “wild” process. It relied on whatever bacteria happened to be present, plus the way the meat was handled—things like pre-salting, grinding, stuffing, and the temperature/humidity during aging. Sometimes that worked beautifully. Sometimes it didn’t.