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 This section is to provide you with some useful and important background information on our products and hopefully answer any questions you may have on how to store them, consume them, etc.If you have a query that is not covered below, please do contact us and we will be happy to advise. Summary of the various questions answered below: SALUME
Why eat salume (salami and other cured meats)? The consumption of salume is increasing in Italy. In 2001, the annual quantity consumed per inhabitant was an impressive 18.5kg. There are several reasons for this:
How is salume preserved? To preserve meat, the undesirable microorganisms on the meat surfaces that cause spoilage must be inactivated and destroyed. One of the most effective means of accomplishing this is by introducing salt into the meat. The hotter and more humid the climate, the more difficult it is to preserve meats by salting. Naturally, the climatic conditions have meant that such products are traditionally strongly flavored with plenty of salt, garlic, peperoncino, black pepper, or wild fennel, flavourings so assertive, that in the past they masked successfully the taste of meats gone off in the heat. Today, of course, such products are made under hygienic and temperature-controlled conditions and the robust and assertive flavorings are used out of choice not necessity. How to use salume? That's the wonderful thing about salume - it can be used in so many different ways. Suggestions are given on individual product detail pages, but here are some ideas:
How to skin salami? First slice off the tip of the salami. With a sharp knife, score a line around the salami - in this way you will then be able to easily peel the skin away. You should only remove enough skin sufficient to slice the quantity of salami you require. Do not remove the skin of the entire salami unless you intend to slice it all and consume it all at once. Without the skin, the salami won't last, even in the fridge. How to cut salume? Salami and other cured meats are usually always best cut in fine slices (1-2mm) - so that they almost melt in the mouth rather than being overly chewy. You will also have a better balance of flavour in this way. Slice by hand with a sharp knife (preferably a long, large blade) or with a meat slicing machine* Exceptions are the more fresh and softer salamis such as Finocchiona (fennel-flavoured salami), Goose Salami, Truffle Salami - these are best cut in thicker slices (3-4mm) or diced and served with cocktail sticks. A good domestic meat slicing machine with a serrated blade can generally be purchased for below £100 and is very handy for the kitchen as it can also be used to slice bread loaves as the thickness can be widely adjusted. We have found the following website where you can purchase a meat slicer at a reasonable price:
How to store the salume? Salume is a cured meat product and keeps for months. - don't forget these products came about because years ago this was the only way to preserve meat - there were no fridges. As a consequence, it can keep for months. The best way to conserve whole salami and other cured meats is to keep them hanging in a fresh and ventilated place (about 10-15 oC) where they will continue to mature. If that's not possible, put them in the fridge in the compartment reserved for fruit and vegetables. Generally, the best way to taste salume is to eat it as soon as it's cut. The salume should then immediately be tightly covered with plastic wrap around the cut surface - it will help to put an elastic band around the wrap to keep it stretched and avoid the air from entering underneath - and put in the fridge. Once started, if you notice that the cut end-piece of the salume has discoloured, don't worry this is simply due to slight oxidation as the air has got to it. The salt may also have started to crystallize on the end surface which may alter the taste slightly. You will see that it is just this end-piece that is affected and the rest of the salume is absolutely fine. If you have uneaten slices remaining, they should be kept in an air-tight sealed box in the fridge to help the salume keep its organoleptic characteristics for as long as possible. If the skin of the salume develops marks or discoloration on the skin, again don't worry it is completely natural. If you wish, you can use a slightly damp cloth to gently rub the marks away but it really isn't necessary.
The cheeses we have selected are all unique in their own ways but they all share certain qualities:
Why do you select only cheese made from raw, unpasteurised milk better? Firstly, because it tastes much, much better. Cheese made using raw milk differs has more depth than cheese made from pasteurised cheese. The taste is complex with a variety of different flavours rather than simple. An exception can be made for certain cheeses such as Gorgonzola - the blue (penicillium roqueforti) that develops seems to override the effect of pasteurization. The pasteurisation process makes milk taste so flat that there would be no sense for us to talk about tipicity or the provenance of the milk from a particular area - after pasteurisation all milk tastes the same. Secondly, because the pasteurisation process destroys a good part of the vitamins in the milk rendering the cheese less nutritious. Can pregnant women eat cheese made from raw milk? Yes but to be on the safe side the cheese should have been matured for at least four months - the maturation periods of all our cheeses are stated on the product detail pages. In fact, the same rule applies to pasteurised cheese - the issue isn't raw or pasteurised milk! How should I store cheese at home? Your cheese will be personally cut to order and delivered to you in its optimal condition. We keep all our cheeses in natural caves (in the same conditions they have been matured) till the time of despatch. The cheeses we have selected are all natural products made without the use of artificial preservatives. The rind of the cheese is its natural preservative, but once cut open the cut surfaces lose that protection. Obviously the sooner you consume your cheese, the better. However, with the correct storage, the cheese can be kept in good condition for a reasonable length of time. Whole cheeses or very large pieces keep best at 10-15 degrees C (50-60 degrees F). To store cut cheeses, cover the cut surface of whole cheeses with clingfilm without covering the rind (perhaps add an elastic band to keep it in place). Then wrap the cheese in waxed or greaseproof paper and, to increase humidity but maintain the circulation of air, place it in a loose-fitting, unsealed food-bag. Cut cheeses should remain wrapped and stored in the warmest, least drafty spot in your refrigerator - usually the butter, meat compartment or fruit and veg compartment. The ideal storage place would be a slighly humid cellar but as that's not always possible, the fridge is the most likely option for most of us. When using plastic wrap, change the wrap each time you open the cheese. Some cheeses, particularly young goat cheese, will lose some moisture while wrapped. This is not a problem - if your paper wrap is intact, just wipe off the excess moisture and use the wrap again. If the cheese does develop mould on cut surfaces, don't worry it is totally natural, it won't harm you or the cheese. Simply scrape the mould from any cut surface - the rest of the cheese will be unaffected. Which cheeses should I choose for a cheeseboard? As for most things in life, quality is more important that quantity. Try to choose cheeses that vary in strength, taste and texture. You may decide to have all cow's milk cheeses or a mix of cow, sheep and goat. You may also wish to select according to the regions of Italy, for example a selection of cheeses solely from Piedmont. Have a look at our Taster section for our ready to order cheese selection. Also, think of serving some cheese accompaniments such as the Balsamic Vinegar or Recioto di Soave jellies or honey as the Italians do. Call us on 0870 2421823 if you would like further advice and suggestions. Why does the same cheese I bought before taste different this time? Cheeses can differ slightly according to the time of year or weather when they were made, or even the field in which the animals grazed. These are all artisan and natural cheeses - only industries can get food products to taste the same day-in, day-out! Should I serve cheese before or after dessert? Italians serve cheese before dessert so that they can continue drinking the main course wine if suitable and also there's none of this swapping from savoury to sweet to savoury again. Don't forget to take the cheese out of the fridge in good time (few hours depending on the room temperature) before needed so it has time to warm up but keep them wrapped, to avoid drying, and for best result, unwrap the cheeses 30 minutes before serving. Just like red wine, cheese should not be consumed cold as you will not be able to taste its true flavours and it needs to 'breeze' a little bit before being at its best.
This is the best way to preserve vegetables and you will see that they taste as fresh as if just prepared. The Italians have used this technique since ancient times when there were no fridges or freezers. As most vegetables only come into season once a year, the choice was either to eat it all at once or preserve them in jars for consumption all year round. The vegetables are prepared immediately after being picked and placed into the jars within hours in order to preserve their freshness and maintain their organoleptic qualities. So, when you open a jar, the product will taste as fresh as it does when just prepared. For how long can I keep the jar products? The jar products usually have a shelf-life of well over a year. Once opened it will depend on the type of jar product. Vegetables or meat in olive oil will keep for several weeks providing you keep them well covered by the oil. If there isn't enough oil remaining in the jar, just add some more of your own olive oil. Vegetables in natural preserve however should be consumed within a week once opened as there is no olive oil to preserve them. Can I re-use the olive oil in the jar? Yes absolutely, it's too good to throw away! The vegetable and meat jar products we sell are preserved in good quality olive oil, usually extra virgin. The oil is further enhanced by the flavours of the products that they preserve. You can use the oil for dressing salads or keep it for cooking.
Yes absolutely, either store them in your freezer so they are ready and waiting or put them away until you know that you need to freeze them. They are great for wrapping around a bottle in an ice-bucket, for keeping your picnic hamper chilled, etc. Easy to use, mess-free, and can be re-used time and time again.
Biscuits should be transferred to an airtight container once the packet is open. Biscuits individually wrapped or contained in jars will not need to be transferred as these will store perfectly fine as they are.
You should use the oil within a year even if oil technically doesn't go off. Each oil varies but in general, extra virgin olive oil is at its very best up to 6 months after pressing and is still very good up to 12 months after. The use by date is set at 2 years after pressing. Savoria guarantees to send you only bottles of the most recent harvest and pressing (takes place once a year). They will have been stored in optimal conditions, i.e. in a dark place shielded from sources of light (see how should I store bottles of olive oil). Do all olive oils taste the same? Absolutely not - the taste and fragrance varies enormously. The variety of olive, the soil and climate, the cultivation, the degree of ripeness, the harvesting and extraction methods all play a role in the quality of the oil. But technicaly it is down to the grade of the oil and its polyphenol content. The International Olive Oil Council (IOOC) defines olive oil as that "obtained only from the olive, using solely mechanical or other physical means in conditions that do not alter the oil in any way. It has not undergone any treatment other than washing, decanting, centrifuging and filtering. This excludes oils obtained by the use of solvents or re-esterification methods, and those mixed with oils from other sources"...This leaves you wandering what sort of oil is out there to require such a definition by a professional body when we would assume that it should be straigh forward in any case!!! The top standard is extra virgin olive oil classified as having 'absolutely impeccable taste and aroma. Fruity, with the acidity ((the proportion of free fatty acids, not the taste!) not exceeding 1%. You may find it useful to have two or even three olive oils in your kitchen - each one for a different use. We have selected oils which we believe lend themselves best in different ways - for salads, dressing fried fish, for dipping bread into, etc... How should I store bottles of olive oil? The phenolic content of olive oil (see 'Do all olive oils taste the same?') has storage implications: exposure to ultraviolet light and oxygen will destroy both its flavour and its antioxidant content, basically 'killing' the oil. It is therefore vital to keep it in cool, dark conditions (but never in the fridge, as this will cause it to solidify and will again denature the polyphenol compounds). Is it healthy to use lots of olive oil? Olive oil is the only cooking oil obtained from fruits, which is naurally rich in vitamines and antioxidants. Cold-pressing (which means no heat is generated to alter the chemical structure of the oil) helps retain these compounds. The most notable compounds are the antioxidant polyphenols. Most concentrated in extra virgin olive oil, they do not only help create its flavour and distinctive bouquet, but also have proven health benefits, including boosting the immune system, protecting against many types of cancer, and helping to lower 'bad' LDL cholesterol and maintain 'good' HDL cholesterol levels in the blood. Olive oil does not contain any cholesterol, unlike other commonly available cooking fats and oils. It is interesting to note that in Italy and Greece, where olive oil is a way of life, heart disease rates are five times lower than they are in the UK. Should I fry using olive oil? Despite the popularly held belief that frying food is bad for you, recent research shows it can actually be beneficial, as long as olive oil is used. This is mainly due to the fact that olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats and antioxydants such as vitamin E. Without getting too technical, there are three types of fats - saturated, monounsaturated and polysaturated - and their classification are based on the number of double (unsaturated) bounds in the molecule. The higher the number of double bonds, the greater the chemical reactivity which is why lard or beef dripping -high in saturated fats with no double bonds - have traditionally been used for deep frying, as the molecules are stable when exposed to heat. Vegetable oils rich in polyunsaturated fats have two double bonds and denature more quickly but single double-bonded monounsaturated fats are relatively stable at highe temperatures. Olive oil has the highest concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids of any cooking oil, typically 77%, which gives it a high smoke point of 210°C. This makes it ideal for frying, the ideal temperature for which is 180°C. Extra virgin oil has a lower smoke point but is still fine for flash-frying, basting, pot-roasting and grilling. Furthermore, as long as it is not overheated, olive oil retains its nutritional value far better than other oils. And as long as the oil is hot, a crust is formed that both improves the food's flavour and prevents too much oil from penetrating it, so it tends to have a lower fat content than food fried in other oils. How to taste extra virgin olive oil? Why not organise your own olive oil tasting at home with a selection of different oils. Here's how: 1. Pour a small amount of the different oils into small tasting glasses. Make sure you know which oil is which by labelling the beakers or keeping them next to the relevant bottle. Ideally limit the number of oils to 3 or 4 as one’s mouth becomes sensitised to especially the peppery and bitter tastes. 2. Screen the oils by their aroma to decide the order in which they should be tasted: the milder oils first, the more intense oils last. An initial strong and overpowering oil can cause all subsequent oils to taste stronger than they really are. 3. Starting with the first oil, warm the glass with the palms of your hands to help release the aromas. Bring the glass to your nose and inhale slowly and deeply two or three times in succession. Memorize and note the sensations and then repeat again after a minute. 4. Take a sip of the oil and gently move it around inside your mouth. Then bring your teeth together and let your tongue touch the back of your front teeth. With your lips semi-closed, inhale quickly two or three times in succession. The air mixed with the oil will spray your tongue and palate. Memorize the flavours. If you don't like the idea of sipping the oil directly, taste the oil on unsalted white bread. 5. Swallow the oil to register the after taste. Don't be surprised if your final impression is different from your initial reaction! 6. Now cleanse your palate with water, some bread or a piece of green apple. The stronger the taste of the oil, the longer you may need to wait before trying the next oil. It is very important to distribute the oil throughout the whole of the mouth, because the perception of the four primary tastes (sweet, salty, acid and bitter) varies in intensity depending on the area of the tongue, palate and throat. © 2003-2005 SAVORIA ltd |
