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strange sharpness at back of throat with homemade sausages

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 2:18 pm
by cashmkr2001
Dear friends,
I tend to get a strange, not entirely pleasant, sharp burning sensation in the far back of my throat with homemade cured meat. It's unlike pepper or other sharp spices. It's not unique to sausages but I also experienced it with homemade pancetta for example. It's not something I have ever encountered in storebought sausages or other cured meats.
Any idea what may have caused this?

PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 4:44 am
by Oddwookiee
A sharp taste or burning can often be uncontrolled fermentation starting, or the item just plain starting to go bad.

PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 7:42 am
by cashmkr2001
hmm, uncontrolled fermentation. The how do I go about preventing this?

PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 2:54 pm
by Dogfish
I've got the same thing with aged blue mussels -- the big ones -- cooked fresh. I'd hazard there's something present that's being treated as a toxin or is toxic but that isn't necessarily food gone bad.

PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 3:30 pm
by wheels
Are there any ingredients that the sausage and the pancetta have in common?

Phil

PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 3:47 pm
by Wunderdave
wheels wrote:Are there any ingredients that the sausage and the pancetta have in common?

Phil


Pork :P

PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 3:57 pm
by wheels
Oh well, just a thought!

A reaction with something metallic?

Phil

PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 4:33 pm
by BriCan
Wunderdave wrote:
wheels wrote:Are there any ingredients that the sausage and the pancetta have in common?

Phil


Pork :P


You can come and work for me any time :wink:

PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 8:03 pm
by cashmkr2001
Pork indeed. Nitrite salt, a bit of sugar. That's about it.

PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 8:29 pm
by BriCan
cashmkr2001 wrote: Nitrite salt


My question would be how much Nitrite salt to the pork mix?

PostPosted: Fri Jul 13, 2012 1:53 pm
by cashmkr2001
Generally 25-30 grams p/kg. The nitritesalt in my country is regular salt containing .6% nitrite.

PostPosted: Fri Jul 13, 2012 5:26 pm
by BriCan
cashmkr2001 wrote:Generally 25-30 grams p/kg. The nitritesalt in my country is regular salt containing .6% nitrite.


Any chance of updating your profile with your location ? :)

The reason that I asked the original question was because it has been the sauce in other insistences that I heard about.

I use 20 grams per kg

HTH

PostPosted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 8:39 am
by onewheeler
I'm not sure if we're talking the same thing, but I sometimes get a curious sensation at the back of the mouth when eating charcuterie from France and Spain. I'd describe it as a slighlty unpleasant "dry mouth / throat" sensation. I've noticed it particularly with French andouille and with cheaper Spanish chorizo. I'd put it down to excessive nitrite/ate without any real justification.

Martin/

PostPosted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 5:52 am
by cashmkr2001
this may be the same sensation, sharpness/burn I would call it (and I think I did) but, dryness could also describe it I guess. But the cause is speculation, i take it?

Re: strange sharpness at back of throat with homemade sausag

PostPosted: Sun Apr 02, 2017 11:20 am
by cashmkr2001
Since this question, I have consulted a butcher/sausagemaker who teaches meat science. He explained that it was nitrites that I tasted. 30 grams p/kg is too much nitritesalt (0.0625%), not necessarily too much salt, but too much nitrites. I now use no more than 25 grams and it's much better.