How to make delicious homemade sausages to preserve your meat

Did you know that sausages are the oldest form of processed meat? Well, they are! And there are so many varieties to try at home. When it comes time to preserve meat on your farm, making sausages is a classic way to do it.

Once made, you can freeze your creation and it can last a long, long time. Plus, there are plenty of ways to get the job done, whether you prefer spices, salami, or something else entirely.

If you can’t find a style you like right away, try another one until you find your favorite. Here’s your guide to making delicious and easy sausages at home.

Contents

Varieties of sausages

Sausages are a staple in most households as they accompany almost any vegetable, such as broccoli, parsnips and tomatoes. It’s like a farmer’s dream come true because you can make them with other fresh produce from your garden.

Sausages are referred to by different names depending on where you go. But, their unique taste and texture are recognizable wherever you are. The most common sausages are made by grinding beef, pork, poultry or game meat.

Then they are mixed with different herbs and salt. Then they are contained in a casing to preserve the flavor and texture of the sausages.

Even though the ingredients are similar, they can be completely different. Here are the most common types of sausages:

  • Costs
  • Cooked and smoked
  • Dry or fermented
  • half dry
  • Mold ripened

Some sausages are wrapped, which is the outer wrapper that you typically see. Some are unrelated. The casing preserves the meat.

Ingredients

The main ingredient is meat, tender leftover meat or low value cuts. These pieces of meat are often used for sausages because they are easy to casing and people don’t use them as a meal centerpiece.

Sausage

If you slaughter your own animals, you can save the meat from heads, trimmings and fine cuts for later use. Nothing will go to waste on your property and you can get the most out of all the meat.

The key is to keep the sausage meat cold and protected until you are ready to assemble the sausages. This will reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses and other meat-infecting bacteria.

You should always use fresh meat for sausages. If you notice the meat is slimy, stinky, or discolored, discard it immediately. This rule applies to meat bought from the market or from your farm.

Salt

The next key ingredient for making sausages is salt. This is crucial for the flavor and preservation of the meat.

In scientific terms, salt is used to bind meat proteins and solidify them, so that the structure of the sausage is strong. You should only use pure, granulated salt which can easily dissolve in the meat.

Otherwise, you might eat chunks of salt while chewing the meat.

The most common forms of salt are table salt, kosher salt, and sea salt. Check the label to make sure the ingredients are pure salt. You don’t want flavored salts.

Sugar

A third optional ingredient for sausages is sugar. Unlike salt, sugar is useful in balancing the flavor between sweet and bitter. You need this ingredient to bind all the flavors together. He is also a conservative.

Similar to salt, pure sugar is the best choice. Don’t feel obligated to use it though. Many good recipes contain no sugar at all.

Spices

You cannot make delicious sausages without various spices such as garlic, chives or parsley. It is possible to use dried, whole, ground or paste forms of the herbs for sausages.

Spices are up to your personal choice, so you can mix and experiment with flavors until you find a combination you like.

Other ingredients

Here are the other ingredients you can use to make sausages that taste just right and have the right texture:

  • Starter culture for fermented meats like salami
  • Encapsulated citric acid shortens drying time and makes meat firmer
  • Binding agents to hold it all together
  • Antioxidants to extend shelf life
  • Mold inhibitors

You will also need water and hoses.

Gather the right tools and make sure the meat is clean and there is no cross-contamination. The amount of equipment will vary as you might be preparing food for one person or an entire family.

The three main utensils you need are a thermometer, a calibrated scale and a meat grinder. You can find all of these pieces of equipment online or at a local store.

A thermometer is essential for checking the temperature of meat, which should be below 40℉ while you prepare and store it. The internal temperature of the sausage should be 160℉ when you heat it up to eat it.

The scale will give you an accurate measurement, so you don’t put too much filing in the case. And the meat grinder will break down the meat to the right size.

Safety tips

Cleaning and sanitizing the cooking and prep area is key to preventing foodborne illness. To ensure surfaces are spotless, you can start by pre-cleaning all equipment.

You should remove all dirt and debris from previously cooked meals. For example, if you are going to use the same knife to cut sausages as you do to cut bread, it is essential to sanitize the utensil well.

Raw meat can lead to health problems and food poisoning if you’re not careful when preparing food. Scrub vigorously and use disinfectant soap to remove chemicals and pathogens. You will thus have a clean material to assemble your sausages.

In addition, it is useful to have different cutting boards for meat, vegetables and fish, so that there is never cross-contamination. You can find them in different colors to make them easy to remember and so you don’t have to think too much about grabbing a board when you need it in the kitchen.

The temperature is crucial for the process. It is equally important to monitor the shelf life and to check that you never store sausage meat for longer than 10 days in the refrigerator.

Make your sausage

To make your sausages, there are four basic steps so that the meat is cooked properly and ready to eat. You start by weighing the meat, passing it through a grinder, coating the ingredients (if any) and cooking the sausages.

To create good sausages, you need a meat grinder. You could try chopping, chopping, chopping your meat, but it’ll never be as fine as you can get with a grinder.

Make sure all your ingredients and equipment are cold before you begin. You may need to leave things in the freezer for a while to get everything nice and cold.

Combine four pounds of meat with one pound of fat. Add 40 grams of salt, plus your spices. Then add 3/4 cup wine or sherry and 1/4 cup vinegar. Feel free to play around with it and make it your own.

At this point, you can shape the meat into patties or rounds, or stuff it into casings.

casing sausage

You don’t have to cram your sausage in, but if you do, the process can be a little tricky.

There are a few steps to follow when preparing sausage meat for casings. First, measure the number of casings you need and cut them into 3-6 foot lengths to make them easier to use.

Then gently wash the casings to remove the salt and let them soak for at least two hours.

Let the water flow through the casings using your fingers to hold the material open. Then attach it to your casing and pack the sausage meat. Rinse off any remaining debris under cold running water.

If you have a machine, things will be a little easier, but it is possible to do without it. Here is a video to help you:

As long as you successfully condition the sausage meat, the sausages should be good to keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator. Mark a date when you first package the meat, so you know how long it has been kept.

The best ways to use your sausages

Sausage can be made any time of the year if you know the proper recipes and have the right ingredients.

A classic sausage recipe is sausage stew, a delicious and warming dish that you can make quickly in the oven and serve to a whole family. But it’s also great if you want to save leftovers and eat them the next day.

You can find the recipe on this page.

However, if you want to create a light dish, you can fry the sausages and add a large side salad. It’s perfect for a sunny summer day; you can even grill the sausages on the BBQ!

Alternatively, you can cook sausage pasta, sausage burger, sausage sandwiches, sausage risotto, or sausage and vegetables. There’s something for every time of year, so you won’t have a hard time using up your homemade sausages.

Good cooking and enjoy your sausages freshly prepared at home!

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