Frequently asked questions
Shipping Information and Cost
Our Deda's Smokehouse online store delivers a selection of our delicious meats Australia-wide. Postage is flat rate charge of $11.90. Free Shipping applies automatically to orders over $150. Standard post is used and usually takes 3-7 business days from the day of dispatch. We try and dispatch orders within 1-3 business days. Please note we travel interstate weekly for markets.
Are your meats Gluten-free?
Yes they sure are! Our meats are gluten-free with no added fillers. We have always been brought up on making salami the artisian and traditional way - we want you to taste the quality.
How do I store them? Do they need refrigeration?
Wrap with paper toweling or tea towel then store in a cool and dry place away from sunlight, humidity and insects. Salami is a shelf stable product but requires dry and cool conditions. Not all pantries are equal, depending on your conditions, you might find your pantry is a moist location.
What can I use your meats for?
Everything and anything! Salami is simply a methodology of meat preservation. All our meats come from different parts of Europe. It's kind of like pasta, versatile but yet everyone has their preferences!
We always recommend throwing salami into your pasta dishes for fuller flavour. Other ideas include adding to omelettes, scrambled eggs, sandwiches, cheese boards, stews and soups. And for all the parents out there, the kids love it cut up in their lunchbox with some cheese and crackers!
What happens if the salami shows white speckles?
Our salami can have both white mold (penicillin nalviogense) and green mould (penicillin glaucum). Both are harmless strains, similar to mould found on cheese. If anyone is allergic to penicillin then before consumption we recommend removing the mold by wiping the meat with vinegar or if possible peeling the casing.
How long do they last?
Like the finest things in life, salami gets better with age as the flavours become more intense. Our grandparents used to prefer eating them when they were tough, while the kids liked them while the salami was still young and soft. It is all about preference. We notice most people prefer to consume it within 45 days (if it lasts that long!).
Do I need to cook salami?
No. Salami is a type of cured sausage consisting of fermented and air-dried meat. In Southern, Eastern and Central European, peasants would create salami as its properties allowed it to be stored at room temperature. This tended to replace inconsistent supplies of fresh meat.
What are nitrates and why are they used?
The following information is dervied from Food Standards AU/NZ. Nitrates and nitrites are naturally occurring chemicals. They are a combination of nitrogen and oxygen. We tend to find these chemicals in our own gardens through soil. Generally, the food we go such as vegetables and fruit, often contain high levels of nitrates.
But nitrates are also used in the form of sodium or potassium salts to prevent the botulism-causing bacteria 'Clostridium botulinum' from forming in salami.
The level of nitrite added to meat products is limited by Australian food law. However, at Deda's we only use as much as needed to keep from bad bacteria from growing. All our products use <1% of nitrates for the purpose of safe consumption.
For more information on nitrates visit: https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/additives/nitrate/Pages/default.aspx