INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Sausage has to be stuffed into something and that something is most often
the intestine of a hog, cow, or sheep. Before you gasp, rest assured that
these casings are kept scruplously clean and are packed in salt which keeps
them fresh indefinitely. Natural casings come in an array of sizes, ranging
from under one inch to a lillt over four inches in diameter. The smallest
are usually sheep casings, 1/2" to 1 1/16" and the largest are from beef, 2
1/2" to 4'. think of sheep casings as being the size of most hot dogs, and
beef casings the size of a large salami. The hog casings are the most
common since many sausages are made in the two inch diameter range. Their
sizes range from small (1 1/2 inch), medium (2 inch), and large (2 1/2
inches). all should be kept refrigerated or frozen until ready to use. You
should be familiar with two other types of casing; collagen and muslin.
Collagen casings are made of natural, pure, edible protein. They generally
cost a little more than intestines, are sometimes a little harder to find,
but are convienent to use and usually can be substituted freely for recipes
calling for natural casings. Muslin casings can be purchased or homemade
and are sometimes used with summer sausage and salami. One needn't be a
Betsy Ross to stitch up a muslin casing. Just follow the instructions given
in Chapter 4.
Muslin Casing: You will need a piece of unbleached muslin about 12" long
and 8" wide. Fold the muslin lengthwise and tightly stitch a seam across
one of the short ends and continue along the open side. Keep the stitching
about an eight of an inch from the edge of the material. The short side of
the seam can be curved in a semi-circle to give the finished product a
rounded end. Turn the casing inside out so that the stitching is on the
inside. Set it aside until you are ready to stuff it.
Casing Preparation: Snip off about four feet of casing. (Better too much
than too little because any extra can be repacked in salt and used later.)
Rinse the casing under cool running water to remove any salt clinging to
it. Place it in a bowl of cool water and let it soak for about a half an
hour. While waiting for the casing to soak, you can begin preparing the
meat. After soaking, rinse the casing under cool running water. Slip one
end of the casing over the faucet nozzle. Hold the casing firmly on the
nozzle, and turn the cold water on, gently at first, and then more
forcefully. This procedure will flush out any salt in the casing and
pinpoint any breaks. Should you find a break, simply snip out a small
section of the casing. Place the casig in a bowl of water and add a splash
of white vinegar. A tablespoon of vinegar per cup of water is sufficient.
The vinegar softens the casing a bit more and makes it more transparent,
which in turn makes your sausage more pleasing to the eye. Leave the casing
in the water/vinegar solution until you are ready to use it. Rinse it well
and drain before stuffing.
Source: Home Sausage Making by Charles G. Reavis Garden Way Publishing ISBN
0-88266-477-8
From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

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