www.sausagemaking.org

I've hit a bit of a brick wall on this one, and was hoping the sages on here might be able to help me out.

I'm looking to source a quantity of beef bung/caps. The best price I've found for them is £2.50 each. I'll be using them to make haggis, so will get, I believe, 5 or 6 one pound haggi from each bung (anyone know if this is roughly correct?).

That makes them by far the most expensive ingredient in my haggis. I've been told that I can buy them 100 at a time for £2 each, but I'm not sure how long they store for and even then it still costs more than all the other ingredients put together. I can buy artificial skins for far less.

Secondly, does anyone know about, or have a link to, the tools used to make the metal crimps found at the end of haggis. Even a name for the piece of kit would be something. At the moment I'm tying with butchers string, but this is time consuming and difficult to get a good tight seal.

Any help would be hugely appreciated.

No help on the bungs, but for the clips you are likely referring to "hog rings" and "hog ring pliers" to crimp them. (I'm guessing you use the same for haggis as other sausages)

Something like these

Pliers Spring Loaded for hog rings

http://www.stuffers.com/product-p/clhrplsp.htm


Hog rings


http://www.stuffers.com/category-s/1904.htm

ScoobySnacks wrote:I'm looking to source a quantity of beef bung/caps. The best price I've found for them is £2.50 each. I'll be using them to make haggis, so will get, I believe, 5 or 6 one pound haggi from each bung (anyone know if this is roughly correct?).

Yes, correct, so long as it is a 5+

That makes them by far the most expensive ingredient in my haggis.

I'm in the same boat

I've been told that I can buy them 100 at a time for £2 each, but I'm not sure how long they store for and even then it still costs more than all the other ingredients put together. I can buy artificial skins for far less.

I have kept over 3 years ... and yes they are ... There was a time when I could get for 1.32 GBP.. and to the last part ... I will never use artificial casings ... ever

£2.05 each here, 5 for £10.25 (I think) http://www.sausage-casings.co.uk/ox-bungs-en/

But you need to spend £50 to get free shipping. So probably OK if you are stocking up on other things too.

I haven't used them though.

Thanks for all the advice. It's always funny searching for something, and one of your own forum posts coming up as the top result.

I've ordered some hog ring pliers and hog rings, after having a major snafu trying to use string. I noticed my local butcher uses string to close their haggis, so thought I'd give it a go. Result, five burst haggis and one pee'd off haggis maker. Oh well, you live and learn.

How much space do people leave when making haggis? Bri, I'd love mine to look like yours, would you care to share your production method? Where abouts in the country are you? I wonder if you're within reach, whether I could come and help you make a batch, to work out some of the glitches I have?

Cheers

Matt

Just noticed that you are in totally the wrong country Bri. Still, care to share your trade secrets? Maybe some pics of how they look, stuffed, before boiling?