First attempt!

[Johnniem]

Yes - belated Chirstmas pressie turned up on Monday - mincer and sausage maker for the Kenwood.

First thanks for all the tips (esp. Oddley / Parsons) I've received here - made it an incredibly pain free experience. Only problem was opening the sausage skin to get it on the nozzle but a quick blast of water and I was off.

Went for a mixture of boned / skinned belly of pork with a bit of lean pork shoulder. Breadcrumbs, fennel seeds, salt, paprika and some crushed black / white pepper finished the filling off - probably not that traditional but I was playing it a bit safe and went with a book recipe for my first outing. I think I managed to get circa 25% fat.

Initial thoughts:

1) Taste is amazing and infact barely resembles in terms of taste or texture what you get in the shops.

2) Colour - when skinned up the sausage actually had the colour of errr pork believe it or not (with the fat creating a nice marbling effect through the sausage - used the coarse grinder) whereas most commercial porkers are pinky white (I take it this is the fat content?).

3) Crikey the hog skins don't half stink the place out!

4) Probably over did it on the salt front but generally found it surprisingly quick and painfree.

I was wondering what the best way to cook them would be - any thoughts?

The misses and I had a couple last night and I just lightly fried them in olive oil (which I think may have added to my overexuberance on the salt front!) however I have a couple of friends coming round tonight and was wondering if grilling was worth considering or if anyone had used any particular good cooking oils.

Now the first lot is out the way I'm looking forward to experimenting and contributing to the chats a bit more in the future.

[Oddley]

Well Done you.

Now you have got the technique you are only limited by your imagination.

As to cooking I bake them grill them fry them casserole them skin them and put the meat with other things . I don't think we should be too precious just treat them like another piece of meat.

[aris]

IMHO the best method of cooking sausages is on the BBQ.

[Parson Snows]

Johnniem
You wrote

First thanks for all the tips (esp. Oddley / Parsons) I've received here - made it an incredibly pain free experience. Only problem was opening the sausage skin to get it on the nozzle but a quick blast of water and I was off.

Glad to have been of some help. I take it that you are talking about the nozzle on the tap to rinse out the casings? If so.. get a small funnel - plastic or whatever (about three inch in diameter at the top) place the skin into the funnel from the large end through the nozzle till it's about 1 inch longer than the end of the nozzle. Roll/turn the casing backwards so that the 1 inch hanging down is now over the OUTSIDE of the nozzle. Hold that part with your thumb and forefinger whilst running water from the tap into the funnel. It will turn the casing inside out and allows you to rinse them out a lot easier than trying to get it over the nozzle of your tap.

you wrote

probably not that traditional but I was playing it a bit safe and went with a book recipe for my first outing. I think I managed to get circa 25% fat.

What book did you use? Post the name and the recipe if you get a chance so that other newcomers could also start out from there. As to the fat If they weren�t too dry and didn�t shrivel away to nothing when you cooked them the fat is obviously �about right�. Everyone likes them a little bit different.

You wrote

the sausage actually had the colour of errr pork believe it or not (with the fat creating a nice marbling effect through the sausage - used the coarse grinder) whereas most commercial porkers are pinky white (I take it this is the fat content?).

Not completely. Commercial sausages generally/typically include artificial colouring, usually cochineal or Red 2G (the second one�s banned in most European countries, Australia, Japan and North America though not the UK, go figger.

You wrote

Crikey the hog skins don't half stink the place out!

Rinse the ones that you are going to use well and Keep the rest packed in salt in a cold part of the fridge (DON�T FREEZE THEM)

You wrote

Probably over did it on the salt front but generally found it surprisingly quick and painfree.

As I�ve said before I would recommend including salt at a rate of approx. 1.7 % of the TOTAL sausage weight (17 g per kilo). Adjust from their; however, too much salt isn�t good for you.

You wrote

I was wondering what the best way to cook them would be - any thoughts?

If they stand up to BBQ�ing then you�ve got it sorted out. Just make sure to cook them slowly (turn often and MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE FULLY COOKED) and brush the bars with an oil (peanut/vegetable or any) prior to placing them on the grill.

You wrote

Now the first lot is out the way I'm looking forward to experimenting and contributing to the chats a bit more in the future.

Post what you can from your �adventures� so that other newcomer�s can also benefit from this forum. Franco now has a �Beginners� section.

kind regards

Parson Snows

[Oddley]

Parson can you tell me why you can't freeze the skins. I normally portion out the skins then put them in the ice cube tray top them up with the salt solution and freeze them I have had no problems so far. When needed I can then get out an ice cube or two of the skins.

[TobyB]

I'd definitely recommend grilling or bbqing them rather than frying. If you fry them in olive oil the oil will impart flavour into the sausage which may not be a good attribute.

If you feel you must fry them try to use a flavourless oil (sunflower, rapeseed or grapeseed are all pretty flavourless) rather than olive oil which, although better for you, does have a taste. Alternative is to buy some of the light olive oils you can get in the supermarket (by light I'm not saying low fat weird oil but the non virgin oils from the end of the pressing which have less flavour).

I'm a fellow "christmas present" newbie to the sausage making by the way. I made my first lot recently (see posts) and grilled them and they were fine (no split skins and no pricking either).

[Parson Snows]

Oddley you wrote

Parson can you tell me why you can't freeze the skins. I normally portion out the skins then put them in the ice cube tray top them up with the salt solution and freeze them I have had no problems so far. When needed I can then get out an ice cube or two of the skins.

First of all I should state that my comment was regarding the casings/natural skins sold by sausagemaking.org. Which I believe are dry packed in salt. You have stated that you place yours in a salt solution and freeze them, this can still affect the submucosa membrane and cause a �weak spot�. If you want to keep them in the freezer by all means do so but make sure that you add enough salt to the water that it won�t freeze.

It is just as important to avoid excessive temperatures as the casings are fermentable. Freezing a natural casing will cause the submucosa membrane to weaken and upon thawing and stuffing could result in a �skin� that ruptures easily. A neutral temperature of 4 � C to 10 �C (40 �F to 50 �F) should be aimed at.

However, I just received this from one of the journals that I subscribe to, and though the full text, and diagrams are unavailable at present, it looks like things are about to change.

08/12/04 | #20040156961 | Browse Patent Applications: Prev - Next | Browse Industry: USPTO Class 426
Method and device for storing natural casings and deep-frozen natural casings
The invention relates to a method for storing natural casings, especially hog casings and sheep casings, for packaging meat and sausages, according to which the natural casings are deep-frozen to at least −50� C. after processing. The invention also relates to deep-frozen casings and to a device for holding natural casings that are placed on rod-shaped support devices. Said device comprises two supports (14) and, interlinked therewith, a plurality of insertion elements (16, 18) into which receiving devices (20) are inserted. Every receiving device (20) has holding elements (22) onto which the rod-shaped support devices (24) are placed. The gathered natural casings are disposed on the support devices (24). The frame that is loaded with natural casings (26) is then transported to a cooling or freezing installation for deep-freezing the natural casings.

Agent: Brown Raysman Millstein Felder & Steiner - Morristown, NJ, US
Inventor: Oliver Woiwode
Class: 426327000 (USPTO), A23K001/00 (Intl Class)

[The Full Description is not available currently]

It must be somewhat of a radical change as they've taken out a patent on the process.

hope that this answers your question

kind regards

Parson Snows

[Oddley]

Thank you Pason yes it does answer my question. What I get from it is commercial producers should not freeze. But me as a lowly home producer fortunately doesn't have to take any notice.

Although I feel like a commercial producer the amount my kids eat.

[Parson Snows]

Oddley
You said

What I get from it is commercial producers should not freeze. But me as a lowly home producer fortunately doesn't have to take any notice.

Sorry again if I wasn't clear .I don't think that I said that, and it's certainly not what I meant.
Trying again
You purchased your skins from Franco I presume/believe in a DRY SALTED condition.
Point: DO NOT STORE THESE IN THIS CONDITION IN THE FREEZER.
You took these and (to use your words)

normally portion out the skins then put them in the ice cube tray top them up with the salt solution and freeze them I have had no problems so far

Point: DO NOT STORE THESE IN THIS CONDITION IN THE FREEZER.
If you want to keep them in the freezer by all means do so but make sure that you add enough salt to the water that it won�t freeze.

Hope that this makes a little more sense

kind regards

Parson Snows

[Franco]

Oddley,

The question I'm most often asked by customers is 'how do I store the skins?' I recommend that the casings are kept for upto 3 months in a ziploc bag and resealed when the required amount of casings is required. Personally I (and my supplier) are happy to use casings up to 9 months after purchase if packed tightly in extra salt.

It seems a lot of messing about to freeze them when it's much easier just to pull out what you need and then repack in salt.


Franco

[Parson Snows]

Franco
you wrote

The question I'm most often asked by customers is 'how do I store the skins?' I recommend that the casings are kept for upto 3 months in a ziploc bag and resealed when the required amount of casings is required. Personally I (and my supplier) are happy to use casings up to 9 months after purchase if packed tightly in extra salt.

You didn't mention where or at what temperature to keep/store them. The casings will keep up to two years in the fridge if kept at a neutral temperature of 4 � C to 10 �C (40 �F to 50 �F). By all means check this with your supplier. It is important that your customers know that if they want to put back any unused skins that have been soaked and rinsed that they be properly covered with salt, using a little more salt rather than a little less before putting them back.

kind regards

Parson Snows

PS I also posted a query about your "dry-cure" instructions. Any response?

[Oddley]

Thanks franco good info I will take it to heart. this is the type of info that should be available to all your customers on the shop site.

Continuing in the same vein have you yet received the info on the dry cures and do you recommend when using a dry cure to drain the liquid or not drain it.

[Franco]

Oddley,
All the specs arrived today but the're crappy photocopies that my OCR software can't read, I've asked for originals to be sent.

As far as the bacon cure is concerned my supplier recommends that the bacon is cured under vacuum so the liquid will stay in the packet, a ziploc bag tightly sealed will suffice.

PS

I am adding descriptions, usage rates and instructions on products as and when I update the site and should be finished in a couple of weeks.

Franco

[Parson Snows]

Franco
PM sent to you

kind regards

Parson Snows