General

@Austin thanks Austin. I will still buy a hat to start!

@jonathon you need to try making this. I am telling you this is some of the best snacks I have ever had! Everyone that stops by when i have it loves it and starts making it.

So this fall I was out hunting in NC and found some papinkis! I grew up picking mushrooms in PA and was beyond thrilled living down here now knowing I will still find these tasty little treats![image: 1550853345628-screenshot_20190222-112628_gallery.jpg] [image: 1550853361458-screenshot_20190222-112633_gallery.jpg]

@craig-holbrook Depending on the usage it might or might not add flavor. I know that paprika is either banned or heavily frowned upon by the USDA in cured products because it can color the product a similar color without being properly cured. That might actually be your best bet as what the USDA says doesn’t apply to you and the reason they banned it is exactly what you are trying to do! If you look at the ingredients of Chorizo you can see that all the major ingredients have a coloring function as well.

@kevine Okay that makes a little more sense! It obviously has a lot of sugar in it, most seem to include cinnamon as well, nutmeg, All spice and cloves. Now that I am typing out those ingredients they sound like a good mix for a sausage don’t they? Would obviously have to add a lot of salt to aid in protein extraction and to increase the taste of the other ingredients in the meat but one of my favorite seasonings is the Apple Bratwurst so this might end up being very tasty!

We have mixed the night before and use only 1/2 the required water. Then adding cold water right before stuffing will soften the mixture. Summer sausage goes well because of the larger stuffing tube. We do the same for snack sticks that is harder through the smaller tube.

@baconator Yes you can, we freeze all of our cheese here before shipping. I have tested freezing and refreezing it and there are no noticeable issues with doing so.

@chicovt I only used a binder the very first time l made snack sticks , l will typically stuff 19mm , 23mm , 32mm , and 1 1/2" all in one batch using only a 12mm tube . I experiment with something different almost every time l stuff n smoke . I DO ALWAYS grind mix/season and stuff as my prep procedure then allow the stuffed products to rest in stuffed form for about 12 hours refrigerated , good luck Chico !!

@austin Thanks Austin I am putting together an order now. You guys are the best!

Replacement springs for the automatic marinade injector. Does anyone know where I can get replacement springs? I have lost one of them. It seems like they should be available and some should come with the injector. It comes with easy to get o-rings, but not with springs.

The Hawaiian seasoning is milder than some of the hotter seasonings; it has a nice tropical flavor profile with a touch of pineapple. I think, as a seasoning for jerky, the drying process would intensify the flavor and give a nice finished product–something my wife and grandkids would like; not too salty or too spicy. Tbone, I also think adding a little soy sauce and maybe some pineapple juice would be great. Let’s see some pictures and a taste report when you get it done. Best, G

@tbone I’d be leery of that because as you dehydrate meat it becomes more difficult to kill off the bad bacteria. Basically, you are creating heat-resistant bacteria and without enough moisture, you can’t kill it. Check out this article for more information on this https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/meat-preparation/jerky-and-food-safety/ct_index

@tbone First, glad the imitation bacon came out great, we love that stuff and need to make more of it! As for how it is going to work for bacon jerky my only worry would be that it might get crumbly as it gets dried to that level. It works with regular bacon because it is still a whole muscle piece of meat, when you grind it down and restructure it, you are getting a very good bind BUT it’s still not the same as a regular whole muscle piece. In the end I think you will be perfectly fine but that is the only “danger” I wanted to point out! Let us know how it turns out!

@mykrawc Good question, there is a magnifying glass in the upper right-hand corner near where you see your profile avatar. Once you click on that you should be able to search past posts based on titles, posts (the content), users and tags. Let me know if you have any issues with this!

@sloaned Okay, then no, you do not need to soak them but dipping them in water briefly, like you would for collagen sheets might not be a bad idea, it at least wouldn’t hurt anything. Just make sure it is cool water and it is a very brief dip. If you are doing this weekend please post your results, I am interested in seeing what happens!

@twigg267 Can you give us some more of your process? What cuts are you making it out of? Are you making restructured or are you making whole muscle? What seasoning are you using and are you smoking and dehydrating, just dehydrating?

I recently made 25 lbs. of H and 25 lbs. of W. I was also using carrot fiber for the first time. After receiving advice about carrot fiber from the Walton’s Community and knowing my goal is a semi-dry sausage I was confident to experiment a little. The H was mixed with 48 0z. of water and 4 oz. of carrot fiber. The W was mixed with 36 oz. of water and 3 oz. of carrot fiber. I do not notice a significant difference between the two, both have a good bind and great texture. Hope this helps.

@jonathon The Hawaiian seasoning does have a mild, slightly sweet, good porky flavor. I think I’m going to use it in the next batch of breakfast sausage I make; something a little different than the normal “country sausage” flavor profile. It should be good as a breakfast link in natural sheep casings. I also think it would be good as a brat with pineapple added and just a splash of Chinese Soy Sauce. Sliced about 3/4 inch on a diagonal cut as the meat in a Chinese stir fry with onion, celery, bok choy and noodles. It would be a spectacular asian dinner centerpiece. Serve with ice cold Chinese beer. You guys should hire me for recipe development! Greg.

@gerygaub I already responded in an email to this but just so everyone else can see the answer as well, the fat cap won’t really pass much cure through to the rest of the belly so it is not necessary to rub it again. However, it is not going to hurt anything either so if you want to re-rub it then go for it!

i use denuded round. higher cost, less waste, cleaner eating