Sure gel and citric acid?

[lcash74]

Can you use encapsulated citric acid or fermentation for snack sticks while using the Sure gel as a binder? I know it has phosphates in it and I’m curious if the phosphates will negate the effects of the acid.

[IVERYAN]

lcash74 You can use both products together safely. Waltons has several snack stick videos in which they use both products. If you haven’t watched them yet, I highly recommend that you do.

[lcash74]

Thank you! I plan to make Andouille sausage and snack sticks and then allow them to ferment overnight using the “Taste of Italy” culture.

[IVERYAN]

If you are adding ECA, you cant let your meat sit overnight, as it is a cure accelerator. If you are putting your meat in the smoker right away, you are good to go.

[John Belvedere]

lcash74 said in Sure gel and citric acid?:

Thank you! I plan to make Andouille sausage and snack sticks and then allow them to ferment overnight using the “Taste of Italy” culture.

I don’t know the ingredients your planning to use in your sausage but using ECA and a “Taste of Italy” may not give you the results you are looking for. ECA will give you a nice tang in your sausage and should be added to your sausage right before it goes into your smoker. “Taste of Italy” is a starter culture that needs to ferment for 18-36 hrs. with a final PH level of 4.9 - 5.2. Using both at the same time will cause the ECA to break down since it’s encapsulation will dissolve during the “Taste of Italy” fermentation. This could cause your mince/farce to become grey and mealy. Also “Taste of Italy” is usually used with cure#2 for a dried cured sausage with 30+ day of drying. Here is a link that describes the use and benefit of “Taste of Italy”
https://youtu.be/Pyp8Qu8BEWw
Hope this helps.

[samspade]

That’s what I love Bout this place. You dont get trolls saying yeah go for it. You get reliable information from those who know. Good info John Belvedere and IVERYAN

[lcash74]

John Belvedere I am planning on using the Taste of Italy by itself not in conjunction with ECA. They both do the same as regarding the acidity level. The benefit of using the fermentation would be to also add a depth of flavor.

[craigrice]

this is why this site is what it has become .

[Dr_Pain]

I use either but not in conjunction… and always ferment using a pH meter (but that is the geek in me)

[lcash74]

Dr_Pain Thank you, I also have the geek gene! I have the Apara instruments ph meter.

[Jonathon]

If you use |Encapsulated-Citric-Acid don’t use |Cold-Phosphate-Sodium-Phosphate but Sure Gel is fine. This is a good question and shows you are really thinking it through lcash74 good job and IVERYAN is also a nice answer. The real award though has to go to John Belvedere who must be the best meat processor in the State of NY. We do have some start cultures but we really don’t recommend them yet to retail customers. There is a lot of measuring of both temp and pH along with requirements for relative humidity that make it hard to manage at home. If we can ever find a reliable, affordable home dry curing cabinet we will dive deep into that but they are all insanely expensive and just seem to be getting either cheaper, or more expensive!