Fresh sausages that contain a homestyle blend of spices and seasonings may taste superior over many store-bought products. A variety of natural and processed casing products can be used to create custom links. The following information will provide you with an overview of casing products that are available and will help you properly prepare and use a batch of casings.
Casing Products
Casing products that are purchased through a food supplier may be listed as natural, collagen, or cellulose casings. The intestines of many animal breeds are used to create natural casings. These products are soft and pliable when dry and will be much more fragile when wet. Collagen is used to make edible and non-edible casings. Some processing applications are used to mold collagen into casings. Collagen casings may be varying thicknesses.
Thin collagen casings are typically used to make sausages and hot dogs. Thicker casings are used to enclose the ingredients used to make salamis and bologna. Thicker casings are non-edible. Cellulose products are used to create vegan casings. Vegan casings are thin and translucent. They are edible and may be preferred by those who consumed a plant-based diet.
Preparation And Use
Some manufacturers use salt to preserve each casing product that is being packaged and shipped to a distributor. Salt should be rinsed from casings, prior to securing each casing to an industrial sausage linker. This type of linker will contain a horn that is used to anchor the opening of a casing. This part of a linker may be constructed of metal, such as stainless steel. The steel and the casing material will remain in contact while the sausage is being made.
A casing should remain unfolded and unwrinkled throughout the sausage production process. This will allow meat, spices, and other ingredients to be evenly distributed throughout each casing. The use of a water bowl will prevent a group of casings from becoming entangled with one another.
First, set up your industrial sausage linker. Set up a casing station. This station should consist of a large bowl of water and the casings that you will be using with your industrial equipment. Next, open up a bag of casings and use fresh water to rinse them off. Drape the end of each casing over the rim of the bowl. Pick up one casing at a time and use your fingertips to slowly guide the end of the casing over the horn. Keep one hand on the casing while you use the linker to stuff each link.
For more information on an industrial sausage linker, contact a company near you.
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