Healthy summer sausage?

Consult a local butcher / sausage maker and have them make some naturally cured bison sausage for you. Old fashion like.

I like to get sausages from a local German deli near me (Mattern's @ Chapman in Orange, CA.) They are made from scratch there, and if they sound good, look up your local Jewish, Croatian, or the many European (German, Italian, French) and British (and their Irish and Scottish) corollaries for on-site made sausage.

My German deli can make the sausage to my specifications, and will add only the basic ingredients. Some notes – the amount of salt and shortening used in sausage manufacture is hardly labeled "healthy" by my many Southern Californian neighbors, but it does fall in line with the only preservatives being the salt, sugars, and drying process. It can be very yummy.

If you have never had natural sausage this way, a warning – the lard, or fat may liquefy in some sausages and will ooze out. Some people do not expect this, and it can make them stick with pepperoni sticks for life. Also, some sausages will use blood, and so forth, that when eaten outside, with the sunlight shining on it, can make the less accustomed what in the world is this thing!

When picking a dried sausage, ask your deli expert any questions you like about how long it will keep, and what the ingredients are. They'll be happy to help. I love taking these sausages on trips, adding a bit to soup, and taking bites of it during a cold night. It never hardens up on me like chocolate.

Good luck! Write back with what you tried.

I hope this helps you on your way.

Vermont Smoke and Cure is pretty good for a non-local butcher. I buy their stuff at my local organic grocer.

sounds like they make just what I'm looking for, are they worth the cash?

Joel,
I just ordered some "Sticks". UPS is $14! So they better be good.

I don't a lot of it….sodium wise I can't handle much but I have seen nice stuff at our local co-op and as well at Whole Foods :-)

Not sure if you are in an area where you might have a Farmers Market with Amish or Mennonite folks… however, if you are, they make some great meats for the trail.