Sausage Casingsn - shelf life?

[manfran]

Hey folks,

I bought some hog casings (from here) almost a year ago, and some sheep casings a few months later. I have probably used about 75% of them.

I last did some sausage making a month ago and all smelled/looked fine. I've kept them in my fridge, in the salt they arrived in. Would you expect them to be passed their best by now, or should they last longer.

cheers!

[Wunderdave]

It's my understanding that if properly packed in salt they will last more or less indefinitely in the fridge.

[jenny_haddow]

They should be fine. I often have a batch well over a year old.

Jen

[Terry]

I have some bought from this site well over 12 months ago. Was going to chuck them but when opened there was no smell at all and I have sinced used them with no ill effects

Terry

[manfran]

Thanks very much folks.

Hoping to have a BBQ this weekend but SE England is wetter than an otter purse so maybe it wont happen. If the weather holds, I'll whip up some Mexican chorizo sausages and maybe a standard breakfast style chipolata.

[RichardAllen]

I found after 18months packed in salt in the fridge my sheep casings smelt a little tainted. OK for spicy sausage but no good for delicately flavoured breakfast types

Richard

[Oddwookiee]

I bought the better part of a barrel of 30mm hog casings from a local plant that closed down and kept it in my cooler for 4 or 5 years and the casings were just fine. The hanks were salt packed in individual bags, then the barrel was about 2/3 of straight salt brine.

[flyingbats]

Usually people say that shelf life is about an year but actually it depends upon quality of the casing. It is not a rocket science, you can check it at the time when you buy. Casing can smell due to following reasons;

If Casing was not cleaned properly;
If not dried properly and put it in the salt;
If there are some green or black strings/parts of casing;
If it puts in freezer or at less than 4 Centigrade;

In our opinion, once casing starts stinky, please take it out from poly bags and put it in open jar with fresh salt in sunlight but not direct. After couple of hours it must be okay.

Regards,