casing storage?

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burnz

Newbie
Original poster
Dec 20, 2006
19
10
Hey guys, I just bought some hog casings cause I was going to give my new grinder a try this even, Something came up and now I probably won't get to it until thrusday or friday. How do I keep the casings from going bad. Right now they're just in a plastic bag that the butcher put them in, no liquid or anything is that ok for a couple days? Or should I put them in some water or saltwater?

I'm a complete newby at this. Just got a grinder and have only made a batch of country sausage so far... but it was delicious. So this will be my first time trying to stuff some casings. thanks for the tips!

Thanks
Jeff
 
Put them in a ziplock or sealable container, and cover them with kosher salt. Put them in the fridge and they will keep practically forever. Some people freeze, but mine have never gone bad. Rinse well and soak a bit before use for best results.
 
Don't soak them until you are ready to use them. If they are dry/salted just store them in the fridge. If you soak them and cant use them all just like the other gentleman stated put in a bag and cover with salt.
 
Well nothing new to my reply everyone has the answer, Kosher salt(no iodine) and refrigerate them. I've had some I kept for 2 years before going through them. Right now I have 4 pks of different sizes in the fridge. Breakfast links, Hotdogs, Kielbasy, and also have a pkg of collagen for slim jims/venison sticks.
 
Well I'm going to make an attempt at making sausage tonight, i've seen mention of cleaning the casings, I read the sticky about flipping them inside out but the link to the post that shows how doesn't work, Is there a trick to it or will it be pretty easy and straight forward. And once I flip them inside and clean and soak on that side, do I then need to flip them back to normal or can I stuff with them inside out?
 
I think the way I read it was to turn them inside out and stuff them that way. I think it only has to do with presentation of the sausage. I have never done it and mine turn out fine. I do however rinse the insides out, it is similar to blowing up a water balloon. In think it is the same concept to turn em inside out just tie one end closed and use the water to push the casing through itself, if that makes sense, to me that would be a pain in the a$$.
 
Ya got the storage info ya need as to turning inside out I have done both on my Kielbasa venture. The inside out makes a more store bought look to the sausage but they sure taste better than store bought!
 
Well thanks for all the help. I ended up not turning the casing inside out. Maybe I'll try it next time to see if I notice the difference. The sausages taste great, I just followed a recipe I found online for brats and italian sausage. It was quite a bit of work I ended up getting it done in about 4 and half hours for 10 pounds of meat. Although since it was my first time with the grinder and stuffer there was a lot of learning to be done, I know the things I'd change for next time, and hopefully I can cut that time down. Going to fire up the grill tonight and crack a beer after work. I can't wait!!
 
A little late but I'd like to add a comment or two if I may...

The main reason i can come up with to turn casings inside out is if you are harvesting your own right from the butchered hog. These casings must be turned inside out to facilitate cleaning and to be de-fatted. If you are buying commercial casings this is already done.

For storage, salting as described is fine. If you only need to hold them for a few days just cover with water in a closed container and keep in the fridge. If they develop a bit of an odor rinse them and they'll be fine. I would avoid freezing for long periods of time as this can pull the natural oils out of the casing and lead to brittle un-usable casings.

To flush salted casings make sure there are no knots in the casing then hold the open end of the casing under running cold water to fill a couple of feet of the length and then force (flush) the water all the way through and out the other end.

Casings should be placed in some warm (not hot) water for a few minutes before use. This will loosen them up, make them more pliable and gererally easier to handle. You can do this a day in advance to make them even more so. Put them in fresh warm water when ready to use. Note: water too hot will cook the casings rendering them useless.

Possibly another reason why some folks are turning their casings inside out is to hide the whiskers that are present on some casings. Not desireable on fresh sausage due to appearance but generally not much of an issue with smoked product. Buy "whisker free" when you can.

jes..
 
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