Homemade sausage

[NYBowhunter]

1 hour ago, landtracdeerhunter said:

Holy smokes; this is an old thread. Bet that sausage by OP is long gone! LOL.

Yes long gone. 

[NYBowhunter]

3 hours ago, blackradio said:

These are similar to the sausages I've had in Slovakia/Czech Republic. They are great.

What size grinding plate do you use?

I've made a similar recipe a few times but I grinded the meat way too much, the inside has a hotdog consistency.

Cant say for sure but you should use a medium to fine plate. 

[NYBowhunter]

3 hours ago, Uncle Nicky said:

I've made sopressata & pepperoni in the past, but in the recipes I has used the meat was raw, I used Prague powder #2, and was VERY specific about temperature & humidity....I know for a fact if this wasn't followed correctly the sausage wouldn't dry correctly and there would be "air pockets", which aren't good. I gave it up when I moved to a house that didn't have a basement.

But this looks to be much simpler. I follow the recipes & techniques you have posted, the only questions I have are:

1). At the risk of sounding dense, this works using only Prague Powder #1 as a curing agent?

2). Do you dry the sausage at room temperature?

3). Do you have any problems with flies or mice showing up inside?

Thanks for any input in advance.

1) yes prague powder #1  is the curing agent  i use only because i also smoke mine before i set them off to dry.

2)room temps oh god no, read my OP, they are hung in a seasonal patio and i only make these in the dead of winter so the patio is like a fridge. This can only work if you have a cold dry place to hang them for a couple to a few weeks.

3) too cold for flys, no mice then again the way i hang them mice would never be able to get to them.

FYI- air pockets are not the product of the drying process. This ocurrs if the sausage is not suffed properly into the casings. You want to load the casings firmly and go slow to try and avoid air pockets. As careful as you are, you will still get some air pockets, but they should be small and taken care of before you toss that link aside. All air pockets get eliminated by using a sausage pricker (or a pin) and puncturing the air pockets and also lighly squeezing each link. Hope that helps.

[Robhuntandfish]

unfortunately not looking good for a deer for me this season.  Every year i put away pork on sale during the summer while shopping for making venison sausage and burgers etc. So been thinking i will still make some its just not going to have venison.  I have about 6 lbs of ground pork and 3 lbs of bacon ends and pieces (use for burgers) .  So am prob gonna grind the bacon and add to the pork.   Going to make some maple blueberry breakfast sausage and some rope smoked bacon sausage.  Or at least thats the plan.  Got some time yet and still hopeful but also thinking ahead.  And i already have all the spices and makings etc.  Even saved a blueberry beer to add to the breakfast sausage.  And no i didnt jinx myself- lol - i get stuff ahead every year.  

[Otto]

1 hour ago, Robhuntandfish said:

unfortunately not looking good for a deer for me this season.  Every year i put away pork on sale during the summer while shopping for making venison sausage and burgers etc. So been thinking i will still make some its just not going to have venison.  I have about 6 lbs of ground pork and 3 lbs of bacon ends and pieces (use for burgers) .  So am prob gonna grind the bacon and add to the pork.   Going to make some maple blueberry breakfast sausage and some rope smoked bacon sausage.  Or at least thats the plan.  Got some time yet and still hopeful but also thinking ahead.  And i already have all the spices and makings etc.  Even saved a blueberry beer to add to the breakfast sausage.  And no i didnt jinx myself- lol - i get stuff ahead every year.  

You got tons of walleye in the freezer!  Fish sausage??? (Sounds horrible)

[Robhuntandfish]

Just now, Otto said:

You got tons of walleye in the freezer!  Fish sausage??? (Sounds horrible)

lol.  it might come to that.....