Feezing Sausages

[alison]

Hi - I'm new to sausage making. I made a batchof sausages which have came out fine when fresh, but after having been frozen have completely lost their taste. On the next batch I upped the seasoning to compensate, but these were just too peppery, even after freezing. Any tips please for sausages that you are going to freeze?

[aris]

How long were they frozen for? What other spices and other ingredients were in the sausage?

[Parson Snows]

First of all welcome to the forum
I'm away from the office at the moment so if no one else responses before me I'll try and do it by tonight.
You wrote

I made a batchof sausages which have came out fine when fresh, but after having been frozen have completely lost their taste.

There are numerous herbs, spices and flavourings that do not freeze well. Some intensify, others weaken and others still cause the sausage to turn rancid.

You also wrote

On the next batch I upped the seasoning to compensate, but these were just too peppery, even after freezing. Any tips please for sausages that you are going to freeze?

I'll put out a list of these for everyone's use.

kind regards

Parson Snows

[alison]

Off the top of my head I used about 900g of meat - half pork belly half shoulder. About a tablespoon of pepper, some mace, some mixed herbs, a teaspoon or so of salt and about 2 tablespoons of fine oats - I got the basic recipe from one of Hugh Fearnley Wittingstall's books. I left them uncovered in the fridge overnight and ate some fresh which were OK. The rest were frozen in batches of four and the first lot were eaten after a week but were so bland. I the next lot I upped the pepper - but they just tasted of pepper and were quite unpleasant!

[Oddley]

Alison I have no idea why the sausages didn't freeze well I freeze my sausages all the time at below -26 deg C and they come out fine. Try the recipe below it should freeze fine.

Fatmans Sausage

1lb 8 oz pork shoulder Lean minced 3/8 plate
8 oz Pork back fat minced 3/8 plate
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Quatre-Epices (see below)
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Dried Sage
1 tsp Dried Tyme
1 1/2 oz Stale Breadcrumbs

Quatre-Epices

5 parts white Pepper
2 parts Nutmeg
1 part Cloves
1 Part Dried Ginger

Method:

Keep the meat between 1 - 4 centigrade at all times. Mince fat and shoulder of pork on a fine blade 3/8 in, then mix all other ingredients in a kneading motion. fry a small amount to see if you like the recipe Fill sausage skins. leave in a cool room for about 20 min's then in the bottom of the fridge overnight.