Mennonite Farmers Sausage

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Thanks.  Do you have any recommendation for a meat grinder/suffer (some thing that may work with ez peel casing)?  When you are making the sausage..does it need to be done in a chilled environment or can it be done at room temperature?  Thanks
 
mrsteerman, no problem doing the sausage at room temperature as long as you follow normal food safety guidelines. It helps to chill the grinder before hand, meat grinds better if it is partially frozen 1-2 hours before grinding. I'm not familiar with the ezpeel casing, so I can't help you there. Most people will recommend getting a separate grinder/stuffer if you can. I use an old hand crank grinder(easy to find ata garage sale or something, and a kitchener 5lb stuffer. Bass pro/cabelas/amazon etc all have similar models for a reasonable price.  
 
Looking good guys. I have made batches of Mennonite sausage before with a friend of mine. Just a couple of differences to what you are suggesting these were no cure at all just salt, pepper and smoke. Last time we made there was over 200 lbs that were done. The only smoke that we have used is Black diamond willow. I would like to try with some of the other woods to see the difference.

Dunc
 
 
Hello.  I am in a similar situation as you.  Far from the nest with no farmer sausage.  I had Pioneer or Winkler farmer sausage when I was back home. How has your sausage making venture gone.  Have you perfected it?  Any tips/tricks advice?  Thanks

Dorian
I live in the heartland of Mennonite farmer's sausage. My dad and I made thousands of pounds of it over the years I lived at home. It was a way of making money off of hogs that were not ready for market when the barn was supposed to be filling with a new batch. 

Here's my opinion for what it's worth - Winkler and Pioneer are not worth eating. Follow the recipe and process outlined above and I think you will have a much better sausage than those two companies will give you. Don't be afraid to include some fat in the recipe. If you are in the south of Manitoba and want to purchase sausage, go to Spenst Brothers in Winkler and buy their sausage. I prefer it and Winkler/Morden CO-OP in-store sausage to the two big companies, hands down!
 
I've taken to using Morton's Tenderquick in my farmer's sausage. It is simple and straight forward. Takes care of salt, cure and sugar (I like some sweetness in my FS). To that I add black pepper and smoke. I think my next batch will be smoked with oak. That will take me down memory lane!
 
There's just a very TINY amount of sugar in Morton's Tender Quick....I'm surprised that folks are able to pick it up.
biggrin.gif
There's enough sugar in there to satisfy me when I am making farmer's sausage. My dad used to add brown sugar to the mix and when I make farmer's sausage with with base ingredients I also add brown sugar. It can get too sweet for my liking if too much sugar is in the mix.
 
How much Morton Tender Quick are you using per...???
I don't have the recipe in front of me right now. It's at my dad's about 2 hours away. If I am correct, I am using it to the level recommended on the packaging but I'm not too certain about that. A quick Google search seems to indicate that of the Tender Quick mix itself, sugar is right around 20% with salt, cure and anti-caking agents making up the rest. While that isn't a lot I would disagree that it is tiny. It's enough to taste. My dad used to use just enough Tender Quick to give the sausage the cured look and topped it up with salt and sugar. I talked him out of that as it isn't guaranteeing the protection of nitrates for the smoking process, which in most practices is warm enough to take the temperature into the botulism danger zone.
 
No, it's not 20% sugar...I was born at night but it wasn't last night..I can assure you it's a small amount.
wink.gif
Sources? I've tried searching and I've found references of 19% and 20% along with one reference of 2%. The 2% reference was you on another thread on this site. I was also born at night (not last night) and I am having a hard time taking what you are saying seriously without some sources. Prove it and I will believe you but as of now I suspect you are blowing smoke.
 
"Originally Posted by DiggingDogFarm  

Here's my recipe for a cure that's used at the same rate as Morton[emoji]174[/emoji] Tender Quick[emoji]174[/emoji] for recipes NOT requiring nitrate.

17.5 oz salt (I use pickling salt)

5.0 oz sugar

2 oz cure #1

It's super easy to use......

For dry curing....use one tablespoon (1/2 oz.) per pound of meat.

For curing ground meats such as sausage....use 1/2 tablespoon (1/4 oz.) per pound of meat...it provides ALL the cure and the salt for the recipe.....no additional salt is needed.

~Dig"

Here is your recipe for a substitute for TQ. Here you have a total weight of 24.5 oz with sugar weight of 5 oz. 5 oz of sugar makes up 20% of the total weight.
 
No, it's not 20% sugar...I was born at night but it wasn't last night..I can assure you it's a small amount. :wink:
Sources? I've tried searching and I've found references of 19% and 20% along with one reference of 2%. The 2% reference was you on another thread on this site. I was also born at night (not last night) and I am having a hard time taking what you are saying seriously without some sources. Prove it and I will believe you but as of now I suspect you are blowing smoke.

I'm blowing smoke????
BWAHhahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!

This is like those cure threads last week!!!!! Lots of non-sense...few facts!!!! LOL

SIGH!!!!!!!!!

Okay, time to let the cat out of the bag.......


Here are the facts...this is from the MSDS sheet for all three of Morton's curing products, so you DO have to be familiar with them all to make total sense of it...but, anyway...you can easily see that there's not much sugar in Tender Quick.....

 
"Originally Posted by DiggingDogFarm 


Here's my recipe for a cure that's used at the same rate as Morton[emoji]174[/emoji] Tender Quick[emoji]174[/emoji] for recipes NOT requiring nitrate.

17.5 oz salt (I use pickling salt)


5.0 oz sugar


2 oz cure #1


It's super easy to use......

For dry curing....use one tablespoon (1/2 oz.) per pound of meat.
For curing ground meats such as sausage....use 1/2 tablespoon (1/4 oz.) per pound of meat...it provides ALL the cure and the salt for the recipe.....no additional salt is needed.


~Dig"

Here is your recipe for a substitute for TQ. Here you have a total weight of 24.5 oz with sugar weight of 5 oz. 5 oz of sugar makes up 20% of the total weight.


Yeah, that's a substitute.
We're not talking substitutes here.
The amount of sugar in that has nothing to do with what's in actual Tender Quick.
 
You know what? I've looked back on the posts, cooled off, and I've got to say I was more than a little touchy. I apologize. No reason. I'm a jerk. You didn't come across as condescending.
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky