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Modern curing is based on Nitrates and is very scientific. The best way to ensure proper curing is
to purchase one of the many commercially available curing agents from either a grocery store or
your local butcher. A very common cure is Prague Powder, which is available in two types ( #1 and
#2).
CASING
There are many different types of casing available, the right choice depends personal preference
as well as the type of sausage you wish to make. For most sausages, your choices are natural or
collagen. Don't let the names fool you; collagen casings are not a synthetic product. They are
made from beef skin and other tissues. Collagen casing are uniform in size and texture and require
almost no preparation. "Natural" casings are the intestines of lamb, sheep, hogs or beef. They are
less uniform in size and require substantial preparation. For those reasons, more than 75 % of
commercially made sausage in the U.S. is made with collagen casing. There are also fibrous
non-edible casings that are used for some varieties of smoked sausages and bolognas.
TYPES OF SAUSAGE
Most sausages fall into one of four categories: Fresh, Smoked, Cooked or Dried. All sausages,
except dried, require refrigerated storage. There is also a sub-category of uncooked smoked
sausages.
Among the fresh and uncooked smoked sausages, you will find such flavors as kielbasa or Polish
sausage, Italian sausage, breakfast sausage and many others. Both fresh and uncooked smoked
sausages require cooking before eating and also require refrigerated storage.
Smoked and cooked sausages include salami, bologna, the ever-popular hot dogs and many others.
Proper smoking requires a smokehouse or smoker. These can be simple home-built structures
made from metal drums or even od refrigerators or they can be elaborate manufactured units.
Most smoked sausages are warmed before serving. Many people think that a smoked sausage will
last much longer without spoilage, but this is not true. Smoked sausages should be treated the
same as fresh sausage in terms of storage.
Dried sausages require the longest processing time, as they are air dried over a long period of time.
Some types of dry sausages are pepperoni, prosciutto and a variety of ham products, just to name
a few. The conditions under which the meat is died are very exacting; temperature, time and
humidity must all be carefully monitored for a safe and delicious product.
STORAGE
It is important to remember that sausage will lose its flavor the longer that it is stored. It is
recommended that you only make as much sausage as you will need for 4-6 weeks. Even frozen
sausage will begin to lose flavor noticeably after 6 weeks. Frozen sausage should be thawed slowly
in the refrigerator before cooking or serving. Quick thawing of the product will degrade the taste
as well.
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