Too hot to make sausage?

[Kyle]

Ok. I have some countertop area, grinder, stuffer and basically all of my making devices in my garage. There is no temp control in there at all. Any suggestions on cooling that area? It's a 20x20x10 area. Or should I just grind, refrigerate, mix, refrigerate, stuff, refrigerate, then package? I hate the thought of a 75 degree room to make sausage in. What do you guys do when it gets hot out? I'd really like to cool the room down into the 40's, then I'd feel much more comfortable about it. I want to make sure my family is not eating unhealthy products. Advice?

[vagreys]

I make sausage in my kitchen. My kitchen is never 40°F. My kitchen is never cooler than the rest of the house. I par-freeze meat before grinding and between grinds. I chill my equipment before use. I use a large, heavy, thick, ceramic bowl to hold the sausage while I season and mix it, and I refrigerate that bowl before use. My sausage has never been unsafe.

I don't make sausage, except in small batches for immediate use, during peak summer heat.

My house ranges in temp from the mid-60's in winter to the low 80's on the worst days of summer.

[Wunderdave]

I agree if your equipment and meat is sufficiently chilled, and you work at a reasonable pace, a hot kitchen is no problem.

[grisell]

I'm with vagreys here. I too refrain from sausagemaking on hot summer days (and other things that require a cold environment - try making puff pastry in a 90 F kitchen... ). However, at 60-70 F, I don't see a problem if you work reasonably fast and with chilled meat and equipment.

[Kyle]

I agree with you guys. I just want to cool the work area as much as possible. Sometimes the garage can get pretty warm and that makes me nervous.

[DiggingDogFarm]

I make sausage in a tiny kitchen that's more often than not 75 degrees or more.
I refrigerate at every opportunity and keep what's out of the fridge on ice and my equipment cold.
I monitor the temperature frequently, I've never had a problem keeping the meat below 40 degrees.



~Martin

[wheels]

I agree with you guys. I just want to cool the work area as much as possible. Sometimes the garage can get pretty warm and that makes me nervous.

Is it cooler early morning - maybe that could be a way around your problem.

Phil