The value sausage...

[saucisson]

So here I am the proud owner of a packet of Supermarket Value Sausages (henceforth SV) for 54p, with 32% Pork, I feel slightly guilty, what if any one sees me with them...

So, in order to be fair, I will make a commercial style sausagemeat to pit them against.

I bought 500g supermarket standard British pork mince for �1.48 and made it up as 66% pork, 15% rusk/seasoning 17% water mix according to the Scobies recipe.



Mine have twice as much Pork, but surprisingly mine only work out as 88p for the 454g of sausage you get in the SV pack. ( I have cheated and assumed my rusk/flavourings cost nothing, which they didn't as it was a commercial sample)

The SVs look a bit pale, so to level the field I made patties out of both of them:



My 4 year old thought the SVs looked a bit sticky, and she was right, I had to scrape them off the board to get them on the BBQ and when they were cooked they were half the size of the homemades (SVs now on right)




I tried them both on my 13 year old son. On a blindfolded pure taste test (ie don't chew) the SV scored as high as the homemade. When looking at the two patties afterwards he sniffed, prodded, tasted and declared he would rather puke than eat the SV.

I tried a simpler taste on my wife, I showed her both patties:

"Don't even think you will get me to taste that" (The SV)

I assumed I would win, but I didn't realise how close I could get on price.

88p for sausage against 54p for flavoured set porridge


Dave

[Mike D]

Thats a great bit of work Dave. I found it very interesting as I have never worked out the costs and naturally assumed that due to material costs etc the home made would work out more, obviously it does, but only marginally.

I usually buy pork joints and mince them so that fat can be controlled. Although I may work out the cost of ready minced against home minced when trying to "compete" with supermarket value sausage. I must admit that I have never bought the value type range, and I usually go for "The Finest" or "The Best" or whatever marketing term the supermarket wishes to use when I have had to buy in, and I would have thought that I would beat the premium sausage on both flavour and price, but have never worked out the cost of doing so. (and have never found beef, chilli, garlic & lime sausages in Morrisons "finest" range)

Mike.

[wheels]

Dave's may have been more expensive - but they had more than double the meat content.
It would be interesting if anyone can take this even further by coming up with a 32% ish SV sausage that's OK?
Some of the techniques used in the low fat sausage threadmay come in handy for anyone who tries?

Blast, having said that I'm going to have to try it. Me and my big mouth!

[Mike D]

As you nipped in there and volunteered before me.......

I was going to have a go to see (and I really hate myself for saying this) how cheap I can make homemade sausage, without resorting to roadkill!

[wheels]

I give way to the honourable gentleman.

[Mike D]

Thanks for that wheels, such conduct should be rewarded !!! I'll have a stab this weekend and try to match the value sausage.

I've got some casings on order, so, as soon as I get these delivered I'll start with the "value sausage" project.

I'll check out the low fat sausage thread too, but I suspect that the ratio of meat to rusk will be vastly different from what I normally do - in fact, I'll call in Tesco/Morrison and check out the ratio's of their value sausage. I'll buy a pack to compare the finished result and report back. (I'm at the homebrew shop too to buy some kit, so busy weekend for me)


Mike.

[welsh wizard]

Just come back from a wholesaler called Bookers - sausages there in 50's, �5 for 50 or 10p each!

Just cant bring myself to buy some....well not 50 anyway!

As a rough calculation I buy pork shoulder mince (80/20)for �1.10 a Lb (in lots of 20lbs), to this I add 10% rusk & 10% water and pack then in hog casings.

I worked out my costs thus some time ago but possibly some of the prices have changed:

10lb Mince = �10.80
1lb rusk = 20p
1lb water = 0
12lb hog casings = �2.40
herbs from the garden, salt & pepper = 50p

Total �13.90 for 12lb sausage or �1.15lb before my time is added.

Cheers WW

[Mike D]

The figures look good, but I have never worked it out - but if you were to change your mix to that of the 10p sausage, would it still taste better? I think we already know the answer to that.

That is what I'll try this weekend, but I'll be only buying a pack of eight. I can fully understand you not buying 50, that would be a complete betrayal of the principle or philosophy of making your own.

Mike.

[Mike D]

Well, weekend has come and gone and I didn't do the value sausage. The O/H wanted pork & thyme, and a batch of beef, chilli, garlic and smoked paprika......so, no time for the value sausage experiment.

I'll do it in the week when she's not here to interfere.....or give advice as she says.


Mike.