Sausage Making

Home | Store | Sausage filler | Making sausage | Sausage casings
Sausage recipes
Beef sausage recipes | Pork sausage recipes | Venison sausages | Alligator sausage recipe | Jerky recipes

Brief sausage making history

The word sausage came from the Latin word salsus (salted). There is an evidence that sausages were produced as early as 1100 BC and were already popular among the ancient Greeks during the Trojan War. By 500 BC sausage making was mentioned in works of Roman and Chinese literature.

It's uncertain if sausage making was originally developed as a means to preserve and transport meat, or as a result of economical butchery.

Early sausage producers stuffed casings made from the cleaned intestine, or stomachs of the animal with meat off cuts, tissues, organs, blood and fat to form suitable for preservation shape.

With the discovery of collagen monomer in 1930's and subsequent research new sausage casings material became available - collagen casings. In 1933 large diameter salami casings were manufactured in Czechoslovakia. Production of smaller diameter collagen casings commenced in 1952.

Along with non edible plastic and cellulose casings, edible collagen casings opened a new era in sausage making industry. Modern sausage producers have all the benefits of these economical and uniform casings with consistent diameter and long length that allows high speed filling

The sausages

The basic sausage consists of grounded meat mixed with herbs / spices and filled into a casing with a sausage filler. Commonly used meats are pork, beef, venison, lamb, chicken, goat, kangaroo meat, horse meat, turkey, etc. The meat to fat ratio depends upon the sausage style and vary between 15 and 50%. In many countries, fat content is legally limited by Standards that specifically regulate composition of sausages including food additives

Fresh, cooked, dry sausages

• Fresh sausages are made from meats that have not been previously cured. They must be refrigerated and thoroughly cooked before eating
• Fresh smoked sausages are fresh sausages that are smoked. They should be refrigerated and cooked thoroughly before eating
• Cooked sausages are made with fresh meats, and then fully cooked. They are either eaten immediately after cooking or must be refrigerated. The frankfurter or hot dog is the most common pre-cooked sausage
• Cooked smoked sausages are cooked and then smoked or smoke-cooked. They are eaten hot or cold, but need to be refrigerated
• Dry sausages are cured sausages that are fermented and dried. They are generally eaten cold and will keep for a long time

Meat processing equipment catalogue