My grandparents made their own soppressata. They had an old hand-crank meat grinder and an old stuffer that my grandfather built himself. Gram always wanted to add more salt, while Grandpa wanted more spice. They each would try to take out what the other had added when the other’s back was turned. It was quite the show to watch them in the kitchen. They would grind, season, and stuff the sausage in late December. It would be hung in a shed to dry during the cold, Northern Pennsylvania winter. Sometime in March (depending on how dry the sausage was), they would start cold smoking. That usually lasted a couple days, depending on the weather. The soppressata was ready for consumption by early April. Each stick would be wrapped in foil before freezing.
Since they have passed, my uncles have take over production. While they have modernized the operation, they still make a small batch using the old equipment. In the past few years, they’ve gone from making 50-60 pounds to over 300. It’s goooooooood.