On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 349

reaches 1%, the pH 4.5–5 High-temperature fermentation tends to produce volatile acids (acetic, butanoic) with a sharp aroma, while low-temperature fermentation produces a more complex blend of nutty aldehydes and fruity esters (the traditional salami flavor) The sausage may then be cooked and/or smoked, and finally is dried for two to three weeks to the desired final moisture content A powdery white coat of harmless molds and yeasts (species of Penicillium, Candida, Debaromyces) may develop on the casing during drying; these microbes contribute to flavor and prevent the growth of spoilage microbes Fermented sausages develop a dense, chewy texture thanks to the salt extraction of the meat proteins, their denaturation by the bacterial acids, and to the general drying of the meat mass Their tangy, aromatic flavor comes from the bacterial acids and volatile molecules, and from fragments of protein and fat generated by enzymes from both the microbes and the meat Confits In ancient times, cooks from central Asia to western Europe learned that cooked meat could be preserved by burying it under a thick, airtight seal of fat Today the best known version is the southwest French confit of goose and duck legs, which became fashionable in the 19th century on the coattails of foie gras — which may in turn have been an accidental by-product of cramming geese to get the fat for unfashionable farmhouse confits! The French confit probably began as a household method for preserving pork in its own lard through the year following the autumn slaughter The confit of goose and duck seems to have been developed by makers of salted meats around Bayonne in the 18th century, when local ... airtight seal of fat Today the best known version is the southwest French confit of goose and duck legs, which became fashionable in the 19th century on the coattails of foie gras — which may in turn... have been an accidental by-product of cramming geese to get the fat for unfashionable farmhouse confits! The French confit probably began as a household method for preserving pork in its own lard through the year following the autumn slaughter... for preserving pork in its own lard through the year following the autumn slaughter The confit of goose and duck seems to have been developed by makers of salted meats around Bayonne in the 18th century, when local