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Made a batch of black pudding using "the mix". Went for the max cholestorol and used loads of pork fat supplied free of charge by my local butcher. Slight accident whilst filling skins left the kitchen looking like a murder scene. Forensic team have now left and wife has returned. Should be out of doghouse by christmas.
Congratulations on a brilliant product!
Rasher.

Welcome rasher

Yes, it is a good product. I made a few kilo's today myself, stuffing it into beef runners. None of them split this time and, like yourself, I increased my normally meagre amount of chopped fat. Haven't tasted them yet, but I know they will be good.

Regards, Paul Kribs

Guys,

Pardon my ignorance, but where do you buy the blood from for the black puddings? or is this all in the kit?

Rgds,
FB

Fallow Buck

It is all in the mix. It just needs rehydrating and chopped fat adding. It's a bit messy but well worth it. A very good product indeed.

Regards, Paul Kribs

ok guys, i might be missing something BUT i bought a "complete" black puding mix. it doesnt have instructions, it doesnt have anything to pack the pudding into and it isnt a great deal of use to me as it is! (also the bag was open so its not air tight, should I be returning it to franco?)

Help please

regards, hmmm sausages & black pudding

hmmm sausages

Some people don't stuff the mix into casings but prefer to gently cook it in a loaf tin in a 'bain marie' in the oven. I have not used this method but have stuffed it into both hogs casings and ox runners. If Franco was to supply casings as part of the kit, it would no doubt knock the price up accordingly. This way it leaves the casing option up to you. Here is the recipe:

1kg of Black Pudding mix 1.72kg Water and 600g of Diced Back Fat. Let stand for 30 mins, then stuff into casings and tie off.

The most crucial part is the cooking, it shouldn't pass 80C, just below a simmer, for about 45 mins. If you cook them too hot they will split. Once cooked cool them under running cold water and then hang them in the fridge to dry a bit.

I would also suggest you use a very large pot with as much water as possible thus giving the puddings plenty of room.

Regarding the open bag: Maybe you could give Steph a phone call to confirm but I believe the mixes are packed by Francos people, so it has probably only been open whilst in transit. The mix is normally vac packed in a 'reber' bag, so I would imagine that there may have been a bit of the mix powder interfering with the heat sealing process.
When I receive my mixes they are generally packed in a reber bag put into tight sealed polythene postage bag. I doubt there would be any problem with the mix being contaminated in any way. Personally, I would still use the mix as normal.

Regards, Paul Kribs

THanks for that Paul, I reckon I will just use it, I reckon its safe enough.

You have used hog casings? the same size as a sausage? Are ox runners bigger? I like a nice large black pudding Could i use my electric mincer/stuffer to stuff the casings?

sorry to ask lots of questions but dont want to waste any black pudding

hmmm sausages

Yep, I have used hogs, but the ox runners are better if you like something about 1 1/2" diameter. If you have already got hogs then make up a small batch to try the mix, it's delicious. I like to get the mix to about the consistency of sloppy 'wet plaster', so only use the water guidelines in the recipe as an approximation. Add more or less water to suit. You could use a jug to pour the mix through the nozzle into the casings, there is no need to use your machine.. less cleaning up, as it can be quite a messy process. It's up to you. Just remember to tie a knot in the casing before filling
After cooking, the puddings freeze very well. If any of the casings split then you can still use the pudding. It normally happens in the latter stages of cooking and the flavour is retained. I now freeze any that split and use them in conjunction with the traditional breadcrumb sausage mix to make Lancashire sausages. Just cube the pudding into 1/4" - 1/2" dice and add to sausage mix. Very nice for breakfast with bacon and eggs.

Regards, Paul Kribs

hmmm, black pudding sausages, sounds nice!

I've just checked the site for ox runners, you can have a "hank" or half of one, how big are they? Are they used in the same way as hog casings? soaked first etc? (not that I have ever used them anyway lol)

Cheers, Rob

hmmm sausages

Ox runners are a fair bit larger in diameter than hogs casings. They are stronger as well so less chance of splitting. Easier to handle etc. They are far and away my preferred choice of casing for black pudding. They are used exactly the same way as the hogs, with a few hours soaking. They store the same as hogs and although I've never measured the length, you will have plenty of puddings from 1/2 a hank, but if you intend to do loads then save nearly �2 by getting a full hank. BTW, I'm not on commision LOL

Regards, Paul Kribs

Paul, do you know how long you can keep the dried mix in the fridge, as I ordered some but haven't yet got around to making the black pudding yet.

Heather

I don't keep my dry BP mix in the fridge. A fridge can be quite a humid place and if the bag is not air tight then moisture will surely get in. When I use it I just snip a corner of the bag at a 45� angle, about a 2" opening. After use I try to expel as much air as possible and then sellotape it shut. I then store it in a dry, dark cupboard and I have used it with no detrimental effects 2 months later. I would imagine that as it is dehydrated, provided it is kept dry and air tight it would last for quite some time. This is just my opinion you understand and I would be interested to know for sure.
If it wasn't going to get used for more than 2 -3 months, I think I would portion the mix out and vacuum pack it smaller batches.

Regards, Paul Kribs

Hi Paul,

Strangely enough I have a fridge which is just the opposite of yours, it always has a very low level of humidity! I manage to keep biscuits and crackers in there in perfect condition in opened packages, If I were to leave them out in the high humidity of Jakarta, they would be soft in just hours. Possibly something to do with latent cooling or maybe just the type of defrosting system. I even accidentally made some turkey biltong when some brined turkey I placed in the meat storage compartment was left for over a month whilst I was away on a job! Strangely enough my Mother in Law didn't want to try it!

Well, yesterday was the day. I got some good back fat from the butcher, followed the instructions, and made a filler funnel using the top of a 1litre plastic milk bottle, which worked well.

I was expecting to make a huge mess, so banished OH from the kitchen and worked on the draining board to minimise the effects of any spills, but it was a lot less messy than I had imagined it would be.

However, I think that the mix was a bit too wet, as I did get some separation in the puddings, with the solids settling in one half of the puddings and the bulk of the fat in the other half. I used ox runners and also put some in small loaf tins lined with baking parchment. I poached them all in the oven in a roasting pan half full of water. None of the skins split, but I consciously understuffed them after reading some horror stories on the forums.

Even with the slight separation, they do taste good, so as soon as we've eaten this batch, I'll give it another go and try to improve the end result.

Thanks to all on the forums for posting advice, it was and always is, invaluable.

Hi Heather

I don't know how long you stood your mix before filling but if the fat has separated from the mix in the way you describe then you need to stand it a bit longer.
If you find the mix does not set up then add a little fine rusk or flour to help.

Regards
Sausagemaker