Help With Homemade Sausage Please

[CWS4322]

I don't know where to get casings around here. I went to the local L&M in MN and got mine. I think I have enough to do 25 lb of sausage...we used to make a sausage in the oven. I'll have to dig through my recipes and see if I have it. If not, my mom most likely does and I can get it from her recipe box when I'm there in August. Parents of a friend of mine at university used to make homemade sausage...they made mostly German-style (being that they were from Germany). The sausages were so good. Sadly, she passed away from malenoma (much too young--33) and I have lost touch with her sister.

[LPBeier]

Sorry for the loss of your friend, CW. Thanks for the advice and I look forward to the recipes, but only if/when you can find them.

[The OutDoor Chef]

Originally Posted by LPBeier

But here are my questions anyway:
1. Where do I look for casings? Would a butcher or someone here have them or is it best to go online? I personally can't eat natural casings but would use them for shape - I have been pulling them off for years! I have seen people do it with plastic wrap but with huge quantities that might be a little time consuming and not appropriate for links that need hanging and drying.

2. I have seen the words "Tender Quick", "cure", etc. I presume this is the salt. What is it I am really looking for and where do I get it?

3 Am I crazy to get into all this?

You are crazy to get into the feild but if you must.

Let me help you the best to my ability.

Here is how you clean a hog casing ( also turn it inside out )

YouTube - ‪Making Sausage on the Kitchen Aid Part 1‬‏

Don't get in to the TQ stuff until you have lot's of skill ( I've learned from my mistakes )

You can find the casings at Gander mountain, You can buy the collagen casings.

And you can cook the sausage in an oven with a water pan smoker at 200.f and when the sausage reaches 165.f internally.

Here is how I do my sausage

washing them in warm water, turning them inside out.\

The casing in the fridge for 24 hours in cold water.


By the way Pink salr Cure #1 and Cure #2 are salt's Also Tender quick is salt as well.

I hoped I answered some questions.

[LPBeier]

Yes, thanks. I have to put this aside until the weekend but I have copied and pasted everyone's information and am going to do a little experimenting then.

Thank you all so much. I will be posting my progress here and still am willing to learn all anyone wants to share.

Oh, Frank, your first post doesn't scare me anymore and DH wants me to get the book!

[FrankZ]

Ok.. so I had a nice long post and it got wiped.

Grrr..

[FrankZ]

1) Casings can sometimes be found at your grocer, look next to the pork. I have only seen natural (hog) casings there. If you have a place near you that sells in house sausage you might be able to buy casings from them. You can also order on the internet.

I used sheep casings.

Collagen casings can't be linked and have to be tied. Natural casings can be linked.

2) TenderQuick and Prague powders are cures. If your recipe calls for saly use it. If it calls for a Prague powder use the one it calls for. TenderQuick is a proprietary mixture made by Morton and is not a direct substitute for Prague powder. I use TQ on the jerky to do the cure. You need to get the ratios rights.

3) Yer not crazy for trying to make sausage. Step by step. Start slow, start fresh, get things figured out in stages. Now, if you wanted to get into cake baking, that would be crazy.

My run of sausage shows me 10# (however much that is in Canadian) was about the working limit of the KA. It is more to do with the amount of time and the meat getting warm while you are stuffing. Also the horn on the KA doesn't hold a full hank.

[Aunt Bea]

Homemade Sausage

This thread may also help.

[CWS4322]

LP--I found the recipe for the summer sausage. I don't know who owns the copyright--I know we didn't make it up. PM me and I'll send it to you.

[Catherina]

i just read your message; we used to make homemade sausages from pork shoulder, a very good cut of pork, but have now switched to pork butt. It is much better for flavour and not a lot of waste compared to the shoulder ie: bone, fat & skin.
Ground pork has way too much fat ground into it, to make homemade sausages. If you have made any by now, you'll know it is a huge job, and only worth it if you make a minimum of 20 lbs to start...

[CraigC]

We're making about 10# of andouille this weekend. Also some Tasso (just used the last of what we had for dinner last night). The meat has been curing in the spices since Monday. Since I'll be smoking the sausage and Tasso anyway, I might just through a couple butts on for good measure.

Craig