Water is added to many products for several reasons. Some products would be dry and unpalatable without adding water. Using water improves tenderness and juiciness, and it serves as a processing aid when the product is made. The amount of water that may be used in a product is regulated by the government.

Some products may contain extenders and binders such as vegetable and milk proteins, nonfat dry milk, dried whey and cereal flours. These ingredients function to hold the product together, and to improve flavor, texture and cooking yield. In general, processed meat products may not contain more than 3.5 percent extenders or binders unless it is labeled as an imitation product.

Salt is used as a seasoning and a preservative, plus it functions to bind a product together. Many different spices are used to give meat products distinctive flavors. Red, white and black pepper, mustard, garlic, allspice and cinnamon are among the spices most commonly used in sausages. Liquid smoke is sometimes added to meat products to provide a smoky flavor and aroma. Sweeteners such as dextrose and corn syrup are also used to enhance flavor. The addition of sugars or sweeteners to a product will also increase browning of meat during cooking.

Phosphates are used to enhance juiciness and texture, and to help prevent fat from becoming rancid in products such as ham, bacon and cooked sausages. The amount of phosphate that can be used in meat products is limited to a maximum of 0.5 percent. That means that no more than 8 ounces of phosphate can be used in 100 pounds of finished product.

Sodium erythorbate is used to improve and maintain the color of processed meats. Ascorbic acid, also known as vitamin C, sodium ascorbate and erythorbic acid are also used for this purpose. Sodium nitrite contributes to the characteristic flavor and color of cured meats, helps to prevent rancidity and serves to inhibit the growth of some microorganisms in processed meat products.

By using nonmeat ingredients in processed meat products, consumers are provided with a large selection of meat products.

The fermentation process is facilitated by the addition of lactic acid bacteria starter cultures and the sausage must then be allowed time to ferment. These bacteria feed on the sugars in the meat mix and produce lactic acid as a by product which lowers the pH of the product and creates an environment unfavorable for further bacterial activity. There is usually a drying period and the combination of proper pH coupled with reduced water activity results in a product that is shelf stable and can be stored at room temperature.

Lactic acid also imparts a tangy flavor common to this type of product and can be duplicated by the addition of encapsulated citric acid when the time required for the fermentation process or the availability of starter cultures is a factor.

An excellent product can be made without fermentation, the addition of encapsulated citric acid, or the drying period but this product will be perishable and must be kept refrigerated.

Before starting have everything ready to go. Grinder, stuffer, and all food contact surfaces should be sterilized. Grinder plates and knives should be clean, sharp, and matched. Sharp plates and knives yield a cleaner cut with less smearing as will a matched set.  Have a clean sharp boning knife ready. Meat must be clean and cold, free of bacterial contamination. 32-35 deg F. is a good place to be.
Fat ratio is a matter of preference but should be between 15% – 25% (20lb lean + 5lb fat = 80/20 lean/ fat ratio)

Lets get started.

1. If using fibrous or natural casings put them into some warm water to soak
2. Grind 25lb meat/ fat through a coarse plate once. If you want to grind the lean and the fat separate before mixing, that’s fine too. If you only have one size grinder plate don’t worry about it, it’ll be ok.
3. Dissolve one ounce of pink curing salt in 1 quart of ICE COLD water. Note: 5 level teaspoons will give you about 1 ounce of cure.
4. Add the spice mix and the dissolved cure solution into the ground meat. If you are using a binder add that now too. Mix well. This should take a full 2-3 minutes to mix by hand. Make sure the spice and cure is evenly distributed throughout the mix. If you are using encapsulated citric acid it should be added after the last grind and mixed in thoroughly.
5. Grind again through a small plate, 3/16 or 1/8.
6. If you’re stuffing off the grinder, remove the plate and knife from the grinder head and put the stuffing attachment in place. Stuff the casings as tight as you can without breaking the casing. If you’re using a sausage stuffer, grind the meat one more time. That’s a toal of 3 times through the grinder. The mix is going to get very sticky. This is good, it shows the binding quality of the mix.

7. Pack the mix into the stuffer tight, making sure to get all the air out and stuff the casings as tight as you can without breaking the casing.
8. The sausage should now be returned to a 40 deg F cooler to cure. 4-6 hours should do it but overnight is better. Don’t be in too big of a hurry, if your cooler is 38-40 deg the sausage will hold for a couple of days.
9. Hang the sausage in the smokehouse and let the surface dry for an hour or more before you start the heat. Again, don’t be in a hurry.
10. Using your favorite hardwood (hickory is a good choice) apply a heavy smoke at around 100 deg F for 1-4 hours. This is a matter of personal taste, first time out try 1-2 hours.
11. Kill the smoke and gradually, over the next 4 or so hours, raise the house temperature to around 175-180 deg F and cook until the sausage reaches an internal temperature of 155 deg F. This is going to take some time, let it. Be sure and check temperatures of the sausages around different parts of the smokehouse to manage cool and hot spots.
12. When the sausage reaches 155 deg pull it out of the house and immediately shower with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the sausage. Try to get the internal temperature down to around 120 deg F. You can hang the sausage up outside and spray with the water hose or an ice water bath will work too. When using the ice water bath method, have the tank of cold water ready before the sausage is done.
13. Hang the sausage in the cooler overnight to chill before cutting.

Find all your sausage making supplies at Southern Indiana Butcher Supply

The quality of the finished product can only be as good as the quality of the meat selected. The meat needs to be fresh, clean, not contaminated with bacteria, and frosty cold. Start with meat that is between 32 deg and 35 deg F. For food safety the meat should be kept below 40 deg F. through the entire process and one should be aware that meat will warm as it moves through the different stages of grinding, mixing, and stuffing. 

Higher quality classes of meat should be used for fresh sausage. Pork shoulder butts and picnics are good choices as they contain good amounts of fat. Loins and hams can be used to produce a much leaner but drier product.  Whole hog sausage is made with parts from the entire hog, including muscle by-products like tongue and heart, in proportions consistent with the natural animal.

Smoked sausage refers to a number of sausage varieties that are usually made from low quality cuts, organ meats, and left over trim but many of these same sausages can be made with better quality selections as well. With some exceptions, nearly any species will do or even a blend of species can produce a good quality product. Plenty of folks will make a whole deer into summer sausage and I have made fresh and smoked sausage from beef, pork, antelope, elk, bear, venison, goat, turkey, goose, duck, rabbit, along with a few others. The duck and the rabbit were a pleasant surprise but I have to say that Snow Geese are not high on my list of favorite sausage meats. 

Fat content is an important consideration as some fat in the meat mix will aid in binding qualities, moisture retention, and flavor. Legally, fresh pork sausage, country sausage, whole hog sausage, and breakfast sausage can contain up to 50% fat.  Something to remember when you see that 99 cent sausage sale in the store.

The flavor and juiciness of sausages made from lean game meats can be improved with the addition of fat pork trim. As a rule I do not like to use the fat from wild game, especially the heavy external cover fat from the back and rump areas. This fat can be dirty and can have a thick, greasy, sticky, or even gritty mouthfeel. Some creamy white intramuscular fat is ok. This internal fat is generally of higher quality and a creamy white color is a good indicator that the meat is fresh and has been handled properly so it is less likely to contribute to a wild or gamey flavor. Avoid using grey or pink colored fat from your game animal.

Always use good quality pork trimmings, to adjust the lean/ fat ratio. Learn what your preference for fat content is for different varieties of sausage. The finished product should contain somewhere around 15%-25% fat. Fresh sausages can be made leaner if that is your preference but smoked sausages usually need a little higher fat content to keep the sausage from drying out.

To calculate fat/ lean requirements the math goes like this: Lean meat weight divided by desired lean meat percentage = Total weight. Total weight minus lean meat weight = weight of fat trim. Here’s an example where 20 is the weight of our lean and the desired lean percentage is 80%:    20 ÷ .80 = 25,   25-20 = 5, so we’re going to add 5 pounds of fat to 20 pounds of lean for a total of 25 pounds of product with a lean/ fat ratio of 80/20.

Fibrous casings are produced by forming a continuous tube from a special type of paper which is impregnated with regenerated cellulose. They are permeable to smoke and used for a wide range of applications including boneless hams and cooked or dried sausages. They are especially well suited to the manufacture of products which are intended for slicing.

Applications

• Regular casings for applications where casing release or adhesion requirements are not critical.
• Meat Cling casings for adherence to products throughout processing. Ideal for products sliced in the casing. Gives an “old world” wrinkled appearance on chub products.

Features

• Excellent for all processed meats.
• Uniform and tight diameter control for increased yields.
• Flexible and strong to handle stress from stuffing, cooking and other processes.
• Smoke transfers well through the casing where in-house application is desired.
• Diameter sizes from 33 mm to 240 mm.
• Kosher certified.

Storage And Handling

Store Fibrous casing in a cool, dry place away from steam pipes or hot storage areas. Casing should remain sealed in original containers until it is ready for use. Keep stock current by using the oldest stock first. To avoid possible damage, do not use knives, sharp instruments and hooks to open cartons.
If the casings are exposed to freezing temperatures during transport or storage, they should be held at temperatures between 55° to 75° F (12° – 24° C) for at least two days before being used. Very cold casing would be likely to break during stuffing

Click Here To View Our Fibrous Sausage Casings

Fibrous Casing Size Spec Sheet

One of our best selling product lines is Legg’s Old Plantation Seasonings. These seasonings are of excellent quality and are easy to use. They are perfect for the home processor or the small producer. Old Plantation seasonings are packaged to correctly season 25 pounds of product.

OLD PLANTATION SEASONING BLENDS

PORK SAUSAGE Blend #10
Our most popular sausage seasoning. A true “Southern Style” seasoning. It has relatively high level of sage, red pepper and black pepper. Some red pepper is crushed to be visible in the finished product.

PORK SAUSAGE Blend #6
Similiar to Blend #10, but contains slightly less black pepper and no crushed red pepper.

PORK SAUSAGE Blend #7
A mild pork sausage seasoning that contains red pepper, sage and black pepper

PORK SAUSAGE NO SAGE Blend #NS4
A  pork sausage seasoning that contains no sage

PORK SAUSAGE HOT Blend #109
A Hot Pork sausage seasoning.

MAPLE FLAVORED BREAKFAST SEASONING Blend #8
A favorite with all age groups.

 SWEET ITALIAN SAUSAGE Blend #101
Contains just the right proportions of black pepper, fennel and sugar to produce a slightly sweet flavor.

MILD ITALIAN SAUSAGE Blend #102
Contains the spices necessary to produce a mild yet “full-flavored” Italian sausage.

HOT ITALIAN SAUSAGE Blend #103
Contains some crushed red pepper to give a little extra zing.

SMOKED POLISH KIELBASA Blend #106
Contains white pepper, coriander and garlic powder in a combination that will give an authentic Polish flavor.

FRESH POLISH KIELBASA Blend #108
Contains the same spice blend as our Smoked Polish Kielbasa seasoning.

CAJUN STYLE SAUSAGE Blend #110
Contains red pepper, black pepper, white pepper, onion powder and garlic powder for a spicy, cajun flavor.

CHORIZO SAUSAGE Blend #111
An ethnic sausage seasoning used to produce a chorizo with full flavor, but not too hot.

SUMMER SAUSAGE Blend #114
A new favorite with everyone! Our seasoning blend is sure to be a hit.

FAJITA RUB SEASONING Blend #123
Perfect for beef and chicken fajitas.

BOLOGNA/FRANKFURTER Blend #125
Everyone will love this blend, which produces “old-fashioned” bologna or frankfurters.

JERKY SEASONING Traditional Flavor Blend #131
Our best selling jerky seasoning. A blend of spices that enhances the natural flavor.

TERIYAKI JERKY SEASONING Blend #134
Increasingly popular sweet soy based blend for jerky.

MESQUITE MARINADE Blend #142
Southwestern flavor that is gaining popularity throughout the country.

BUFFALO WING MARINADE Blend #148
Outstanding for appetizers! This zesty marinade will season up to 50 lbs. of wings.

First of all I suppose an introduction is in order…

I have 28 years meat handling and processing experience. I have extensive experience cutting and merchandising at the retail level. I’ve worked in processing plants, and retail markets. In 1986 I created Summers Sausage Company which gave me more opportunity to experiment with seasonings, techniques, and processes. Summers Sausage Company was a small custom shop specializing in wild game processing and operated for over 20 years. I also helped run a Smokehouse BBQ restaurant for a couple of years where I was acting manager and pitmaster.

I’ve gone from all that to creating Southern Indiana Butcher Supply located in Lamar Indiana. Southern Indiana Butcher Supply stocks butcher and boning knives, band saw blades, sausage seasonings and casings, smokehouse, and meat packing supplies. Visit us at www.butchersupply.net

Jesse Summers