Sausage Casings

@wdaly That could work, we will try that as well when we do the test, thanks for the idea!

Sausage Casings: 203 Tips for Stuffing Fibrous Casings Attend this Intermediate level class from Meatgistics University by watching the video, reading the article and post any questions you have! Prep-Work Fibrous casings are the most popular choice for making summer sausages and some other larger diameter sausage-like products. It is made from a paper product and is generally easy to work with but here are a few tips to make sure you are making the best product possible. First, make sure your fibrous casings are soft and pliable before you attempt to stuff them, they need to be soaked for 30 minutes in 90-100°F to soften them up. Choose the largest stuffing tube or horn that you have that your casings will fit over, with larger fibrous casing this is generally your largest stuffing tube. Doing this will allow your casing to stuff evenly and prevent swirling inside the casing which can cause an odd appearance odd when you slice your summer sausage. What to Expect Since Fibrous casings are so strong blowouts really are not a major concern here so feel free to stuff the casing until the casing is smooth and full while minimizing backflow. Backflow is when sausage comes back up around the tube before going into the casing. So make sure you are holding the casing on tightly and near the end of the tube. As you are stuffing your fibrous casing make sure that you leave at least a few inches at the end of the casing so you can clip it closed with hog ring pliers, a bag and casing clipper or a max pac stapler. Twist the end of the casing as tightly as possible and place your hog ring or staple as close to the meat as possible to keep the meat tightly in the casing. Extra Information Now, most of the fibrous casings that we sell are prestuck, which means that small holes are already present along the casing. This allows for the pressure to bleed out during the cooking process and for the casing to form down tightly to the meat. If you purchased one of the few fibrous casings that are not prestuck you will need to get something like a sausage pricker and make some holes up and down the summer sausage. The casings already have a loop of string on the opposite end to hang it in a smoker so your hog ring will be responsible for keeping the casing closed while the weight of the meat is pushing down on it, so make sure it is as tight as you can make it. One other thing to make note of here even though it is not technically part of the stuffing process if you do not run a shower cycle or an ice bath to cool your sausage down the casing is going to stick to the meat when you try to peel it. If you have run an ice bath and it is still sticking when peeling try putting it in the fridge overnight, that will often allow the casing to peel away cleanly. Shop waltonsinc.com for Fibrous Casings Shop waltonsinc.com for 11 lb Sausage Stuffer

@screamin said in Sausage Casings: 201 Tips for Stuffing Collagen Casings: Is a 32mm casing strong enough to hang a one foot sausage in the smoker.? My smoker has the depth but diameter doesn’t allow laying large number of sausage flat. In general, a collagen casing should be strong enough for what you are doing. Be aware that Walton’s also sells a fresh collagen casing for non-cooked fresh sausages and they advise against using this type of casing for sausages that will be hung in a smoker. I assume this is because they are just not as strong as the regular collagen casings.

Sausage Casings 104 - Shelf Life & Storage Attend this entry level class from Meatgistics University by watching the video, reading the article and post any questions you have! Natural Hog and Sheep Casings Shelf-Life - If they are unopened and stored in a refrigerator or cooler you can expect to get 12 months from these casings but remember, these are a natural product, not a manufactured one so times can vary. The casings might have an unpleasant smell to them but that is to be expected if however the smell is truly rancid then the casings have gone bad and should be disposed of. The difference in smell between the slightly unpleasant normal smell of these casings and spoiled casings is unmistakable. How To Store - These will be sent to you either packed in salt, if you purchased the home pack, or kept in a salt solution if you purchased the 100-yard hank. The salt will keep the casings fresh throughout the shipping process but they should be stored in a cooler or refrigerator when you receive them until they are ready for use. Once you have taken them out of the package and rinsed and cleaned them they can be put back into the salt or salt solution and vacuum packed again at which point they will have the original shelf life. Collagen Casings Shelf-Life - Collagen casings should have a shelf life of between 12-24 months depending on how they are stored. If the casing feels excessively brittle when you are putting it on the stuffing tube or you are experiencing an unusual number of blowouts your casings might have gone bad and should be disposed of. You can slightly rehydrate older collagen casings by taking them out of there package and storing them in the refrigerator the night before they are going to be used. Once you have used how much you need you can reseal them in a bag. Do not vacuum pack them though as this will crush the casings How To Store - They should be kept in a dry place that is between 40-60° F and left in the original packaging until they are ready for use. Once they have been opened you should reseal the casings and always store them in an airtight container. The older the casing is the more brittle and prone to blowouts it will become. Fibrous Casings Shelf-Life - These casings do not really go bad, you should get at least a few years out of them if stored correctly. How To Store - They should be kept in a cool dry environment and out of direct sunlight. Cellulose Casings Shelf-Life - These casings do not really go bad, you should get at least a few years out of them if stored correctly. How To Store - They should be kept in a cool dry environment and out of direct sunlight. Shop waltonsinc.com for Collagen Casings Shop waltonsinc.com for Fibrous Casings Shop waltonsinc.com for Natural Casings

@glen Interesting, something to think about trying next time. Thanks!

@Faith-Fellowship If you want to parboil you should use Natural Casings as collagen casings generally wont stand up to being boiled. You might also want to think about using a cellulose casing that is inedible, it will give you a skinless product at the end but it is good for cooking. If you vacuum pack them first and then par boil them (Sous Vide style cooking) then you can use Collagen, Natural or Cellulose.

@mrwoody thanks for the info