NDSU Fall Conference Presentation on Home Sausage Making

2. Developing a Home Sausage
Making Program
Robert Maddock, Meats Specialist
Julie Garden-Robinson, Food
Specialist

3. Goal of this Workshop
• Provide agents with resources to develop
a homemade sausage program.
• Including these slides, a handout with
processing instructions, and the Extension
bulletin on home sausage making.

4. Overview
• We will go through slides with important
information
• Do a “hands-on” activity and make a
several small batches of sausage to show
the importance of functional ingredients
• Could develop a series of programs, with
each meeting day getting more advanced.

5. Sausage
• The term sausage is based on the Latin
word “salus” which means salt
• Basically any ground meat mixed with salt
is a sausage
• Addition of other ingredients, spices, and
processing techniques results in the wide
variety of sausages available to be
purchased or made

6. Three Ingredients
• There are essentially only three types of
ingredients in any sausage:
– Meat
– Functional ingredients (salt, sugar, cure,
etc…)
– Spices and seasonings

7. Important Concepts
• Bind: The ability of the meat particles to
“stick” to each other
– Bind is obtained by the addition of salt and
mechanical action
• Water-holding capacity: The ability of the
meat to retain moisture during processing
and cooking
• Color: Color differences due to
ingredients

8. Important Concepts
• Collagen content: The amount of
connective tissue in the meat
– Some species and cuts have more collagen
and result in lower quality sausage
• Microbiological quality: The amount and
type of bacteria found in the meat

9. Food Safety Guidelines
• Wash hands for at least 20
seconds with soap and water
• This should be done anytime
your hands could become
contaminated
• Also before and after preparing
and cooking

10. Food Safety Guidelines
• Ensure equipment and surfaces are clean
before using
• Sanitize surfaces using chlorine bleach
solution, allow to air dry
– 1 tablespoon chlorine bleach per gallon of
water

11. Food Safety Guidelines
• When using frozen meat, thaw in the
refrigerator on the lowest shelf
– Never thaw meat on the counter
– Using the lowest shelf is important to avoid
contaminating ready-to-eat foods
– Thaw meat at 40 ͦF or below

12. Food Safety Guidelines
• Use refrigerated ground meat within two
days
• Use whole red meats with in three to five
days
• Keep raw meat separate from other foods
• Marinate raw meat in the refrigerator

13. Sausage Classifications
• Fresh Sausage
– Ex. Fresh pork sausage
– Storage and Handling
• Keep refrigerate
• Cook bratwurst, bockwurst, thoroughly before
eating
• Consume within 3 days or freeze

14. Sausage Classifications
• Uncooked smoked sausage
– Ex. Smoked, country style, mettwurst,
keilbasa pork sausage
– Storage and Handling
• Keep refrigerated
• Cook thoroughly before eating
• Consume within 7 days or freeze

15. Sausage Classifications
• Cooked smoked sausage
– Ex. Frankfurter, bologna, cotto salami
– Storage and Handling
• Keep refrigerated
• Consume within 7 days after opening vacuum
package

16. Sausage Classifications
• Semi-dry sausage
– Examples: Lebanon bologna, cervelot,
summer sausage, thuringer
– Storage and Handling
• For best quality, keep refrigerated

17. Sausage Classifications
• Dry sausage
– Ex. Genoa salami, pepperoni
– Storage and Handling
• Do not require refrigeration

18. Sausage Classifications
• Cooked meat specialties
– Examples: Loaves, head cheese, scrapple
– Storage and Handling
• Keep refrigerated
• Consume within 3 days after opening vacuum
package

19. Fresh Sausage
• Fresh: Meat and ingredients are mixed
and stuffed or packaged and consumed,
refrigerated, or frozen
• Easiest to make
• Examples: Pork Sausage, Bratwurst,
Breakfast Sausage

20. Cooked Sausage
• Cooked: After stuffing the sausage is
cooked and/or smoked and then packaged
for later consumption (includes emulsified)
• Requires proper cooking procedures to
assure safety
• Often smoke is introduced
• Examples: Polish, hot dogs, cooked and
smoked, ring bologna

21. Dried and Semi-dry Sausage
• Dry and semi-dry: Product is fermented
and dried after stuffing.
• Can be cooked and smoked as well
• Most difficult to make, is the most “artful”
of all sausages
• Examples: summer sausage, pepperoni

22. Typical Sources of Meat
Ingredients• Beef
• Bison
• Pork
• Poultry
• Lamb
• Game

23. Meat Ingredients
• Skeletal Tissues
– Trimmings
– Whole Cuts
• Variety Meats
– Organs: Liver, Kidney, Blood, Heart

24. Meat Ingredients
• Percent lean is essentially everything that is not
fat
– % lean is determined by measuring fat and
subtracting from 100
– Example, 15% fat meat is 85% lean
• Therefore, % lean includes the water, protein,
and ash (mineral) portions of meat

25. Beef/Bison
• Trimmings (small pieces of meat)
– Variable in Lean Content
– Generally good protein, binding ability and
darker color
• Whole Muscle
– “Premium” products
• Bison is most similar to beef, likely has
even darker color, and is generally leaner

26. Pork
• Trimmings
– Higher fat content
– Lower binding ability, paler color
• Shoulders (boston butts, and picnics)
• Cushion Meat

27. Lamb and Game
• Lamb – specialty ingredient, similar to beef
for most processing characteristics
– Has unique and intense flavor
• Game – For the most part, mixed with beef
or pork
– Can have differing characteristics

28. Poultry
• Often used in low-cost formulations
• Can be a “premium” product as well
– Turkey brats
• Low fat
• Pale color
• Bind value can be an issue, may require
additional mixing time

29. Functional Ingredients
• Those ingredients that turn fresh into
sausage

30. List of Functional Ingredients
• Major
– Salt
– Sugar
– Nitrite
– Ascorbate/Erythrobate
– Phosphates
– Water

31. List of Functional Ingredients
• Minor (probably never used by home
sausage makers)
– Potassium Sorbate
– Monosodium Glutamate
– Vegetable Proteins
– Lactates
– Diacetates

32. Salt
• Functions:
– Preservation
– Taste
– Protein Extraction
– Increase Water Retention
– Bind
• Use 1-6% depending upon product
– Precooked roast beef 1% or less; country
ham > 6%

33. Reduced Sodium Products
• How low can you go?
• Sea Salt, Flaked Salt, Salt Blends can
reduce amount of salt needed
• Potassium Chloride, (KCl) may replace
40% of NaCl
• Often can reduce salt by 20-40% without
noticeable quality differences, but taste will
change

34. Sugar
• Dextrose, sucrose, corn syrup solids,
honey
• Dextrose most commonly used due to cost
plus sweetness
• Sucrose (table sugar) not common, but
usable

35. Sugar
• Functions
– Taste
– Counteract harshness of salt
– Preservation
– Increased water holding capacity
– Browning
– Energy source for bacteria in fermented
products
• Use <1 to 2.5% common for different
products
• About ½ of salt is a common rule

36. Nitrite and/or Nitrate
• ONLY USED FOR COOKED AND
SMOKED PRODUCTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• “Cure” old timers called “saltpeter”
• Generally comes as sodium nitrite
(NaNO2), nitrates (NaNO3) are rarely
used and only for specialty products

37. Nitrites and/or Nitrates
• Functions
– Stabilize color
– Flavor
– Prevent microbial growth (especially
clostridials (botulism))
– Retard development of rancidity

38. Nitrite and/or Nitrate
Product
Maximum
Ingoing
Nitrite, ppm
Maximum
Ingoing
Nitrate, ppm
Allowed Residual
Nitrite in Finished
Product, ppm
Bacon 120 0 40
Cooked
Sausage 156 0 100
Fresh Sausage 0 0 0
Dry Sausage 625 1719 100
Dry Cured Meat 156 2188 100
Baby Food 0 0 0

39. Nitrite Use
• Modern Cure (pink salt) is 6.25% Nitrite
and 93.75% salt
• Available at retail stores
• How much do we add to sausage to get
156 ppm?
• 1 ounce per 25 pounds of meat

40. Ascorbates and Erythrobate
(not common for home use)
• Functions:
– Rapidly increase rate of cure reaction (allows
for essentially instant cooking of cured
products)
– Antioxidant
– May reduce nitrosamine formation
• Use is regulated at 550 ppm and is
required for when using nitrite to cure
bacon

41. Phosphates
(not common for home use)
• Various types of phosphate, many are now
blended for different applications
• Function
– Increase water retention
– Antioxidant
• Use is limited to 2%
• Possible to inject 100% or greater meat
weight using phosphates

42. Water
• Water quality is very important to meat
quality
• Impurities can affect color and taste
• Functions:
– Increase juiciness
– Carry dry ingredients (sausage and brine)

43. Natural Casings
• From the GI tract of livestock, are edible.
Must be kept refrigerated before use. Are
packed in salt and should be rinsed in
clean water before use.
• Are sized, but species type is close
enough
– Pork, for most brats, Polish, etc.
– Lamb, for small diameter sausage like hot
dogs
– Beef, large sausages like bologna

44. Plastic Casings
• Are used for bulk stuffing
• Are inedible
• Commonly used for pork sausage or
breakfast sausage

45. Collagen casings
• Edible casings manufactured from hides,
mostly beef hides
• Are used for products like snack sticks or
breakfast links
• Are typically not used on smoked products

46. Fibrous Casings
• Inedible, waxed paper casings
• Used for larger diameter sausage like
summer sausage and salami

47. Herbs, Spices, and Condiments
• Allows for large variations in sausage
flavor

48. Adding Flavor to Meat
• Depending upon your desired final flavor
– Try for balance among bitter, sweet, and
savory
– Specific products will have a greater
emphasis in one area
• “Hot and Spicy”

49. Definitions
• All are from plant origin.
• Herbs: Generally from northern climates,
plants with an economic value.
• Spices: Generally from tropical climates,
are very aromatic
• The terms “herb” and “spice” are now
often used interchangeably.

50. Formula vs. Unit Pack
• A unit pack is a complete spice formulation
in one package, available at many retailers
• Formula is a homemade recipe

51. Herbs and Spices
• Herbs and spices are:
– Seeds, fruits, leaves, bark, blossoms, stems,
roots, bulbs, or tubers
• History
– A long time ago foods didn’t taste good
– Spices were extremely valuable
– Many civilizations were built upon spice trade

52. Classification of Spices
• Natural
– Whole or ground plant parts
• Ground
– Pass through sieves to sort into consistent
sizes
• Essential Oils
– Derives from spices via hot water distillation
• Oleoresins
– Concentrated flavors from solvent extraction

53. Black Pepper
• Pepper accounts for 35% of total spice
trade
• In medieval times, taxes were paid in
pepper
• A berry from the Piper nigrum plant
• Comes from East Indies, India

54. White Pepper
• Same source as black pepper
• The pericarp or “rind” of the pepper is
removed to make white pepper
• Used when no color is wanted in meat
(light colored product)

55. Red Pepper
• From the Capsicum family
• Native to North America, quickly adapted
worldwide
• Used for flavor and “throat sensation”
• Used in small quantities
• Measured 2 ways: ASTA Units (300-
4,000) or Scoveille units

56. Paprika
• Capsicum family
• Generally provides very little flavor.
• Some “sweet” or “hot” paprika will add
flavor
• Is primarily used to provide red color to
meat products

57. Chili Pepper
• Made from larger, sweeter peppers than
Red Pepper
• Used for flavor
• Produces domestically and in Mexico
• Less hot than Red Pepper
• “Chili Powder” is a mixture of Chili Pepper,
garlic, oregano, cumin, and salt

58. Nutmeg
• From the fruit of a tropical tree
• Sweet, warm flavor of hot dogs
• From Indonesia, Grenada

59. Mace
• Comes from same plant as Nutmeg
• From the membrane of the nutmeg kernel
• Lighter flavor and color than nutmeg

60. Coriander
• From the parsley family
• Has a lemony-sage flavor
• Rose-like aroma
• Can replace nutmeg in hot dogs
• “Sugar Plums”
• The leaves of the plant are cilantro

61. Garlic
• A dried bulb
• Strong flavor
• Pungent
• Comes from California

62. Sage
• From the mint family
• Silver and grey in color
• Used in pork sausage and pizza toppings
• Comes in many forms

63. Cumin
• From the fruit of a parsley plant
• Strong, bitter flavor
• Taco meat flavor

64. Other Spices
• Fennel, Anise – Black licorice flavor, used
in Italian flavors
• Oregano – Herby flavor, Italian
• Cinnamon – Unique flavor in meat
• Onion Powder – Flavor
• Celery Salt, Cloves, Bay, Allspice, Ginger,
Marjoram, thyme, etc….
• Saffron? Worlds most expensive spice
($4000/lb)

65. Hints and Tips
• One-quarter ounce of ginger to 100
pounds of sausage makes them “burpless”
• “Hot” sausages often benefit from
additional sweetness and cinnamon
• Whole mustard or peppercorns provide
flavor and add to appearance

66. Processing Techniques
1. Carefully weigh out meat, water, and dry
ingredients. Place the meat ingredients
into a container, and the water into a
plastic container. All of the dry
ingredients can be mixed together into
another container cup.
2. Grind all of the meat twice, once through
a large plate, and once through a small or
final grind plate.

67. Processing Techniques
3. The next processing step is mixing of
ingredients.
a. Mix meat, any water, and functional
ingredients until all water has been taken up
b. Add the spices, mix until finished. This will
take from 1.5 to 10 minutes if mixing by
hand. When the meat is properly mixed
there should be no water present, and the
mix should have a sticky appearance.

68. Processing Techniques
4. Remove the meat from the mixer into a
container.
– **Food safety note, never put containers or
other equipment that may sit on top of a table
or other equipment directly on the floor.**
5. Stuff into casings or package.

69. Cooking/Smoking
• Note: not for cooking before consumption,
but cooking/smoking as part of processing
• Cooking equipment can be very simple
such as a regular oven to very complex
such as a large smokehouse
• The most important cooking tool is a
thermometer!

70. Cooking/Smoking
• Two (or three) important temperatures:
– Cooker temperature
• Wet bulb (this is the temperature at the surface of
the meat) which is lower than the cooker
temperature due to evaporative cooling
• Dry bulb (this is the temperature of the cooker)
– *Most retail and homemade smokers only
have a dry bulb thermometer*
– Product internal temperature

71. Cooking/Smoking
• Internal product temperature must reach a
point where all potentially pathogenic
bacteria are destroyed
• A good final internal product temperature
is around 155 degrees F, but lower
temperatures can be used if the product is
held at that temp for a period of time
– For example, 148 F for 5 minutes would also
be sufficient

72. Smoking
• During the cooking process smoke can be
introduced for flavor development
• Basically any hardwood will provide a
pleasant smoke flavor
– Fruit wood can impart different flavors
• To smoke, wood should be smoldering, not
burning, chips are better than whole logs
• Smoke is introduced early in the cooking
process

73. Cooking Examples
• Smoked sausage:
– 120 F for one hr; 150 F for one hr; 170 F until
an internal temperature of 150 F is reached
– Smoke for the first two hours, then the smoke
can be shut off
• Summer Sausage:
– 140 F for one hr; 160 F for one hr; 180 F until
internal temperature of 150 F is reached
– Smoke for the first two hours

74. Cooking Examples
• Non-smoked product can be cooked in an
oven in a pan of water
– Heat pan at a temperature of 170 F
– Cook until internal temperature reaches 150 F

75. After Cooking
• After the product reaches the correct
internal temperature, product must be
quickly chilled to prevent bacterial growth
• Quick chilling also improves quality,
especially juiciness
• Product can be chilled by spraying with
cold water or by placing in a container with
ice water

76. Final Product Storage
• Unless you are attempting to make a
fermented sausage (advanced) all
homemade sausage should be
refrigerated or frozen after cooking
• Package in vacuum bags if possible
• Wrap in butcher paper if you don’t have a
food saver machine

77. Enjoy!
• You can consume or share you home-
made sausage with friends and relatives
• You can’t sell home-made sausages
unless they are produced under
inspection, either state, federal, or local