First timer with sausages

[DarrylB]

Hello, I searched the forum and canot find my answer.
I purchased a kit. Hi Mountain's sausage making kit. Bratwurst and a pepperoni.
I have been getting conflicting info from the internet.
I don't have a smoker so I will make fresh sausages.
The kit has a bag of cure but says don't use it unless I'm going to smoke it. Alot of places on the net says I should use it anyway to be safe.
Do i just add everything to the ground meat and freeze after putting in the casing, or should I mix, put in casing, then refrigerate overnight for the cure?

[Oddwookiee]

Bratwurst: no cure.
Pepperoni: cure.

'Cure' as a noun generally refers (in the US) to sodium nitrite, added as an antibacterial (most commonly botulism) agent, and to give cured meats their texture, color and flavor. The antibacterial usage is needed because smoked products stay an a biologically unsafe temperature range for long periods of time in the smoking process.

For uncured sausages, the Cliff's Notes version is mix, stuff, rest, freeze. Cured products is mix, stuff, rest, cook or smoke. It's more complicated then that, but as a bare bones procedure that's pretty close.

[DarrylB]

I do not have a smoker. The instructions for the peperoni says use a smoker. Can I do it in the oven?

[DanMcG]

Yes, the oven will work fine. Do they give you what temps to cook/smoke them at?

[DarrylB]

Yes 200F. I'll give it a try this weekend. Thank You.

[vagreys]

Invest in a good oven thermometer. Residential oven thermostats are notoriously inaccurate below 250°F.