Was planing to make Sriracha flavored snack sticks with high temp cheddar cheese tomorrow. While in Wichita a week and a half ago I purchased a bag of seasoning and sure cure. Din not want the encapsulated citric acid. My question is did I mess up by not purchasing a binder such as carrot fiber or sure gel. Is binder absolutely necessary or can snack sticks be made successfully without it? Another alternative I may have is to use a cure from a HI MOUNTAIN snack stick kit that says to stuff immediately because the cure acts as a binder. I live 100 miles from Wichita and cant just run down and get some. Any suggestions or help would be appreciated.

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/topic/1028/new-to-excalibur-seasoningsRSS for NodeThu, 10 Sep 2026 19:34:29 GMTSat, 19 Jan 2019 03:09:52 GMT60charlie That sounds like a great combination. You will be fine without ECA, carrot fiber and sure gel. These products help to create a moister product with a better mouth feel but I have made plenty of snack sticks without additives that were great for friends and family. They might have a shorter shelf life but I am sure if you follow the directions you will be happy with the finished product. Remember without encapsulated citric acid you will need to hold them in the refrigerator overnight before going to the smoker. Good luck and most of all enjoy making your own snack sticks!

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/3432https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/3432Sun, 20 Jan 2019 01:51:18 GMTcharlie you need to stuff immediately because the meat mixture will get to thick to go through a small stuffing tube but still need to let the stuffed snack sticks cure in the fridge for the proper amount of time… i use non fat powdered milk as a binder un my snack sticks.

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/3431https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/3431Sun, 20 Jan 2019 00:57:15 GMT