Summer sausage is a seasoned sausage which is thoroughly cured, so that it does not require refrigeration. There are a number of varieties of summer sausage including cervelat style sausages, which include blockwurst, thuringer, and mortadella. Many nations have their own varieties of summer sausage, dating to periods when meat needed to be well preserved since refrigeration was not an option. The food product is often available at butchers and in boutique shops which import special regional foods.

Despite the name, summer sausage is not necessarily made in the summer, although it can be in some regions. Since it is made with meat scraps, like all sausage, summer sausage tends to be made when animals are butchered, which is often in the fall or spring. The sausage may also be made with a combination of meats for efficiency and flavor variety. Cuts are often kept lean to ensure that the summer sausage does not become rancid during the curing process.

A common combination in summer sausage is beef and pork, although venison and other game may be used as well. Some summer sausages also traditionally contain organ meat, although this culinary tradition is waning. Salt is always used in the seasoning of summer sausage, since it promotes a sound cure. Pepper, mustard seeds, and sugar may be used as well in some regions. Different areas all have their own seasoning traditions for summer sausage, resulting in a wide range of flavors within this diverse family of cured meats.

Once the ingredients are thoroughly combined and forced into sausage casings, summer sausage must be cured. Cures for summer sausage vary, with the sausage generally being smoked or dried. Traditionally, air drying is accomplished in the open, on large racks which take advantage of seasonal winds. Smoking is slow and very low temperature, to create an even, strong cure. Complete curing may take weeks to months, and requires careful monitoring to ensure that the sausages have not gone bad.

After curing, summer sausage can generally be eaten straight, and is often served cold. The end texture is semi-dry to moist, depending on the type of cure used. It can, of course, be heated or cooked, or tossed with other foods. Some modern summer sausage may be less extensively cured, requiring refrigeration and cooking before it can be used. The flavor of this type of summer sausage is more mild, less salty and intense than true summer sausage.