Blooming Sausages

[hmmm sausages]

Hi Folks,

I have a question, when you have stuffed and linked your sausages, you leave them to "bloom" for 24 hours. Which I have been doing so far....I have just checked a random link to a very old beginner thread and seen Paul Kribs has his sausages hanging in the fridge uncovered. If I leave sausages in the fridge uncovered, they go a little dry and dark looking. Do you have this problem Paul or is there something I am doing wrong with my sausages which causes this to happen?

Cheers, Rob

[Oddley]

The following might explain why your meat darkens, The use of an antioxidant like lemon juice, might keep the lighter colour longer.

Typically, the colour of fresh sausages, made from chilled meats, fade from a red colour to a brownish-grey colour in a short time exposed to light, salt and oxygen. Fresh sausages manufactured with prerigor meat will maintain a red colour in the presence of salt and light for up to 5 to 6 days of refrigerated storage and some weeks with frozen storage.

http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/x6556e/X6556E04.htm

[Paul Kribs]

hmmm sausages

My sausages do change colour whilst blooming, but I don't see it as a problem. I sometimes leave them for a lot less than 24 hours, sometimes only 5 or 6.

Regards, Paul Kribs

[sausagemaker]

hmmm sausages

The idea of the bloom is not to set the colour but for the flavours to be developed, if you are worried about the dryness & colour change try covering them with a plastic bag in the fridge.


Regards
Sausagemaker

[Oddley]

hi sausagemaker, would an antioxidant help stop colour change?

[sausagemaker]

Hi Oddley

Yes it would, it will also help to reduce the sausage from spoilage.
A good natural antioxidant is Rosemary

Regards
Sausagemaker

[hmmm sausages]

I do cover my sausages now as I forgot about one batch and the top few went a bit dry looking after being left uncovered, just wondered if there was a special thing to do to stop it, apart from covering, which I do do.

CHeers for the advice fellas :d

[Lance Yeoh]

I usually bloom my sausages for about 7-8 hours only. The air movement in the fridge would not have dried them too much by then, but if I leave them uncovered for 24 hours, I'll have the same problem as you described.