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smoking Sausage season has begun

Cures usually either have nitrates or nitrites depending on whether you're cold smoking or air drying or fermenting. If you're just making fresh sausage you don't need the cure, it's mostly for low temps where botulism thrives.
 
Pepperoni are usually a dry sausage which can be trickier to make since you need to air dry for several months and you need to use certified pork and a nitrate cure.
 
Potawie do you buy seasoning kits or do you have your own recipes and if you make your do you add nitrates or nitrites and arent some of the preservitives associated with migrains? My wife gets migrains and thats the last thing I need between "hot" hands and a headache I'll be back in the dog house for sure
 
There is a lot of debate when it comes to nitrates and nitites but I believe these cures are necessary when low temperatures are involved.
I use a lot of bought seasonings, and when I cold smoke I use nitrites to help prevent botulism. Nitrites are natural and are found in higher levels in many vegetables or anything with nitrogen, and are also produced naturally by our bodies. Too much nitrites however can be a bad thing so proper measurement is important. I think the nitrite cure I use calls for 1/4 tsp per pound of meat, and this should be mixed with seasonings and water and mixed well into the meat.
If your wife eats hams, bacon, or hotdogs then she's had meat cured with nitrites/nitrates and she should be ok
 
Nice Job!
I got a 5 lb. stuffer from the Sausage Maker.com.
A word on frankfurters (and sausages)-- once you make your own, you'll never go back to store bought!!!
 
Caustic Casey said:
A word on frankfurters (and sausages)-- once you make your own, you'll never go back to store bought!!!
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Isnt that the truth!!!

Have you made frankfurters? Im looking for a recipe
 
Mortons Tenderquick is a good all around cure.http://www.mortonsalt.com
I use it for making my own tasso ham.I use a Waring meat grinder for my sausage.At around $100 not bad for small amounts.Grind your meat as cold as possible,and don't be afraid to add plenty of FAT!Sausage is not health food!
 
imaguitargod said:
Based on the fact that I've seen veggie burgers, I'm going with a yes.
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Sure...but why would you want to? But then...if you sub veggies for meat and fat in a sausage, then it is no longer a sausage.

Cheers, TB.
 
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