I’ve been making polish sausage for years by just smoking them for an hour or two at a low temp for flavor and then vacuum package and freeze for later grilling or frying. I have never used any cure in this process but am wondering if this is risky now. If I do use cure, would I have to fully smoke/cook them or can I just smoke them enough for flavor? Thanks for any help

Thanks Jonathan. I’ve never checked the sausage temp after smoking them but have a feeling they are above 155 degrees otherwise we’d be in trouble. In the future I will use cure and check the sausage temp after smoking. Thanks again.

In the future, if I use cure, is it necessary to smoke the sausage to an internal temp of 153? Or, can I smoke them to a lower temp (125-130) for an hour or so just for flavor and then freeze for later grilling to IT of 165.

Thank you both for the information. If I fully cook them in a water bath after smoking, why do I need to use a pink cure? Also, if I use a water bath to fully cook, what temp do I heat the water to or do I just bring it to a boil? Is it necessary to cool the sausages after the water bath? Thanks in advance.