Sausage help

[Sr_Egor]

I will be making my first batch of sausage this week. I believe I have all supplies, tools and ingrediants needed.
My goal is to turn out something like the pic below.

My first question is about the cure. Sodium Nitrite or Mortons Tender Quick or does it matter.
The recipe I have calls for sodium nitrite and sodium erythorbate. I don't have SE. Can i substitute with more SN?

Next question, Storage: I know it best to eat straight out of the smoker and store it in your belly, but is it better to smoke, then freeze what you dont eat? Or stuff in casing, freeze raw and smoke at a later date? How long will smoked sausage last in the fridge?

Thanks for the help.

rr

[Swamp Donkeyz BBQ]

The sodium nitrite is what I use. It comes with the seasoning when you get it from REO Spices in Huntsville. We usually stuff, then put in a cooler, on ice, and then smoke it the next morning. We also vacuum seal and freeze ours once it cools down and take it out of the freezer as needed. Fresh sausage never stays in the fridge long enough to go bad in our house. But I would imagine it has a fairly long shelf life between the cure and the smoke. Hope that helps.


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[Papa Tom]

You can successfully make a sausage that looks like the picture.
OK first use Modern cure #1 (aka Pink Salt, originally Prague Powder #1) it contains 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% sodium chloride (table salt).
You could also use Morton's TQ but if you have cure #1 that is a better way to go.
Sodium nitrite can be toxic so never use more that 1 level teaspoon of cure #1 per 5 lb. of meat.
Sodium erythorbate is a cure accelerator and is not really necessary it just takes a little more time.
Swamp Donkeyz method is good but I'll add a couple tips.
Take it out of the Ice chest and let it warm to the point there is no condensation on the sausage skins (they need to be dry but still tacky) before putting in the smoke.
Smoke at a low temperature for several hours gradually raising the temp to bring the IT of the sausages to 160°F then pull and dunk them in a bucket of ice water to quickly drop the IT to less than 100°.
Now hang the sausages to dry and they will develop that nice mahogany color.

It is ok to freeze sausages and you are better off to smoke them first.
I can't say just how long but smoked sausages will keep quite a while in the fridge but you can smell them every time you open the door so they won't last too long.
If I make a big batch I smoke, freeze, vac pack and store in freezer (freeze first so vac packer doesn't squash them).

[Davidtxs]

check this out
http://www.bbqdryrubs.com/sausage-making-for-beginners/

[Sr_Egor]

Thank you fellas for the input.
I did not realize the sausage (with cure) needed to rest.
Most likely, due to time constraints, mine will rest for 24 hours.

The sausage making for beginners is a great resource and answered all the other questions I had.

[HillCountryKid]

Are you maikng freash sausage or dry Sausage? If it is freash sausage then you do not need a cure, if you are going to put it on the grill or cook it. On dry sausage what Papa Tom said "Sodium nitrite can be toxic so never use more that 1 level teaspoon of cure #1 per 5 lb. of meat." I always season, grind, let set over night in the fridge, and then grind,stuff, rest and then smoke. That is for freash suasge.

[Sr_Egor]

It will be smoked to 165-170, then eaten, refrigerated and frozen.
I guess grilling is the best way to reheat?

[Swamp Donkeyz BBQ]

Grilling is fine. You can also put some on indirect heat, while doing a brisket or ribs, as a snack.


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