I’ve made salami for several years on and off using different recipes. This year I’ve made Finocchiona which is a fennel salami, quite soft and the lactic acid gives it a tangy acidic taste. It’s gone down well in the village, I’m making a batch every couple of months.

The summer was a challenge with it being so hot, normally I have to heat the salamis to keep the temperature up during the fermentation. This summer I had to get them cooled down. Cold blocks weren’t making a difference and I had to quickly cannibalise an old fridge/freezer that we had in the shed. I always planned to use it as a salami cabinet but just hadn’t got around to it, the heat spurred me on!