# Synthetic Sausage Casings



## Tony M (8/2/09)

I've made snags for many years but always with natural casings. I thought I would try some 30mm synthetic ones, so just ground up and spiced 5kg of pork and stuffed half a metre of casing and threw straight onto the barbeque to check the spice balance. Well, the bloody things split in about two seconds, so do I dash out tomorrow and go natural or is there a trick to these things. The synthetic stuff seems very easy to use and you just store in the cupboard so I would be keen on persevering with them.


----------



## fraser_john (9/2/09)

I have tried to use the collagen casings on several occassions. With both the small and larger diameter ones, always with the same result you have had!

I gave up on them and went back to natural ones. I think the trick with the collagen ones is to not stuff too tight, the meat expands during cooking and you get splits. But thats just a guess


----------



## Mercs Own (9/2/09)

I have never used the synthetic casing but one of my butchers does and usually when I cook his sausages they split - especially on the bbq!! I dont buy his sausages any more I buy them from my other butcher who supplies me with natural casings and uses them on all his sausages.


----------



## Jase71 (9/2/09)

I always thought that's why you poked them a few times with a fork before throwing them onto the heat, to allow the pressure to dissipate, and reduce splitting. 

Everyione else pokes their sausages with a fork, right ?


----------



## goatherder (9/2/09)

No way, I never try to break a sausage. You let all the fat (and associated flavour and texture) out.


----------



## Katherine (10/2/09)

I know you are not meant to but it's so hard not to....


----------



## Tony M (10/2/09)

I took Fraser John's advice and really understuffed these casings. I think flaccid is the consistency you must seek. Enid, my wife and sausage puller, really had them flying off the spigot to the extent that they appeared only 2/3 full, but when we twisted them up into links, it was enough to get rid of the wrinkles in the skins. Last night I cooked up a few and had only two split slightly so things are looking up. When I packed the remainder for the freezer this afternoon, the casings felt softer and more resilient, so perhaps contact time with moisture will improve them as well.


----------



## Mercs Own (11/3/09)

Tony M said:


> I took Fraser John's advice and really understuffed these casings. I think flaccid is the consistency you must seek. Enid, my wife and sausage puller, really had them flying off the spigot to the extent that they appeared only 2/3 full, but when we twisted them up into links, it was enough to get rid of the wrinkles in the skins. Last night I cooked up a few and had only two split slightly so things are looking up. When I packed the remainder for the freezer this afternoon, the casings felt softer and more resilient, so perhaps contact time with moisture will improve them as well.



There is also a school of thought that says if you hang your sausage for a day - in the cool room/fridge before cooking then they tend not to split when cooked. I cooked up some buffalo sausages last week for my show made with hog casings. I did it cumberland style ie in a spiral/coil with skewers through the middle to hold it together. Threw them in a hot pan with some olive oil and they split big time! The chef said they split because they were too fresh.


----------



## porky (11/3/09)

Mercs Own said:


> Threw them in a hot pan with some olive oil and they split big time! The chef said they split because they were too fresh.



I have found that cooking on a very low heat keeps them from splitting. I make sausage all the time and never have used anything but natural casings. Thrown into a hot pan will split them every time in my experience. Slow is the go. I do pierce them as well.

Cheers,
Bud


----------



## AndrewQLD (12/3/09)

budwiser said:


> I have found that cooking on a very low heat keeps them from splitting. I make sausage all the time and never have used anything but natural casings. Thrown into a hot pan will split them every time in my experience. Slow is the go. I do pierce them as well.
> 
> Cheers,
> Bud




I've had the same experience as Budwiser, synthetic casings do benefit from hanging overnight and I usually throw them in the pan before the heat is turned on, that way they gently come up to heat.

Andrew


----------



## olde (12/3/09)

Yep, they need a couple of days in the fridge to set properly. Cooking them too quickly can cause them to split also. Natural is nicer (and cheaper).


----------



## br33zy (12/3/09)

Tony M said:


> .... Enid, my wife and sausage puller....



Good on you Enid


----------



## Jerry (12/3/09)

Tony M said:


> I took Fraser John's advice and really understuffed these casings. I think flaccid is the consistency you must seek. Enid, my wife and sausage puller, really had them flying off the spigot to the extent that they appeared only 2/3 full, but when we twisted them up into links, it was enough to get rid of the wrinkles in the skins. Last night I cooked up a few and had only two split slightly so things are looking up. When I packed the remainder for the freezer this afternoon, the casings felt softer and more resilient, so perhaps contact time with moisture will improve them as well.




Thanks for the laugh Tony.

Using *"flaccid"* and *"Enid, my wife and sausage puller"* in a post had me laughing out loud and wiping tears from my eyes.

Cheers

Scott :beer:


----------



## gibbocore (18/3/09)

hahah... ahhh..

anyway, i have a question for all you sausage pullers, is there any different preperation to do should i want to smoke some sausages? Are smokes sausages cold or hot smoked? Anyone done it?


----------



## fraser_john (18/3/09)

Smoked sausages are typically cold smoked to start, then the temperature is raised to cook the meat as well. This link tells you how to make cabana like sticks and tells you to smoke at 140-145F for smoking/cooking temp.

John


----------

