Preventing soggy snack stick casing

[JoeB]

USMCPaul i always process: Grind, stuff and link, then refrigerate for 24hrs. i do use a drain pan in my lug. Next day vacpac and freeze or poach w/ice bath and freeze. To your answer. I chill my meat to stiff before grinding. Use ice or near ice water with my seasonings for mixing. Stuff immediately after mixing or your dealing with concrete . Link and place on the counter to air or / hang for an hour to dry. Refrigerate for 24hrs to bloom, and vacpak The longer the meat increases to room temp the more bacteria / pathogens multiply to an unsafe level. Ok i’m a math guy soooo risk has a direct proportion to the rm ambient temp, and correlated directly by current temp of the meat. No easy answer… Keep your meat cool below 40* Hopes this helps… Cheers

[twilliams]

JoeB im assuming you meant to tag the original poster and not me?

[JoeB]

twilliams said in Preventing soggy snack stick casing:

JoeB im assuming you meant to tag the original poster and not me?
I guess? Little confused on the reply of the reply to the reply. Sorry

[opah73]

i dry at room temp on racks so air gets all around over night , then place in refridge in brown paper bags for a day or 2 whitch removes more moisture. i like mine a little drier than some i think. but lots of people seem to like them

[USMCPaul]

Thanks for all the replies and ideas. My plan for next time is to Ice bath for 10 minutes, dry at room temp overnight, vacuum pack, then refrigerate.

It will be a few weeks probably, but I will update this thread and let y’all know how they turned out.

[JoeB]

USMCPaul I don’t do snack sticks but I know that if I vac pac sausage and don’t freeze quickly the vac will pull out the juice. When I thaw a pack I always break the seal to keep the juices intact. Could be you’re using too much vac. Never saw a stick in the store vacpaked. Just a thought.

[USMCPaul]

JoeB that is a good point. I wonder how many people do vacuum pack their snack sticks?

I will start a new thread and ask.

[JoeB]

USMCPaul I think to freeze is a non issue. But to store fresh in a vacuum would suck out the moisture. I can say that’s the way it works with my meats and sausages. Shrink wrapped is a non vac seal. Mostly used in commercial packaging

[USMCPaul]

Thanks JoeB. I never knew that “shrink wrapping” is a thing with with food, only boats and such.

I suppose I will have to either freeze, then vacuum seal or just eat them faster…hahahaha.

Learning a lot here.

[JoeB]

USMCPaul doesn’t need to be frozen just firmed up your welcome

[Grimpuppy]

I like to rest them 2-3 hours then put them in a tub layered with paper towels in the fridge for a day. Pull them out and then strait to vac seal and freezer.

[cdavis]

Grimpuppy looking good .