# Cloth Summer Sausage Bags



## charlesk (Jan 28, 2014)

Any body know where to get the cloth or muslin bags for summer sausage 3 to 4 lbs.  I had a whack and am running low. The nearest supplier to me wants a buck  bag. Am from Southern Ont. but have a Port Huron address for in States only delivery. Anything in Canada or States would be appreciated I did find one Butcher Supply in Tennessee but was hoping for one closer (shipping charges)

Any help would be appreciated


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## palladini (Jan 30, 2014)

Why not just go visit a local store that sells clothes and stuff, buy some muslin, use a pair of scissors and cut, this is where a sewing machine comes in very handy.


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## diggingdogfarm (Jan 31, 2014)

Unbleached cotton muslin....if you don't have a serger machine a French seam on a regular sewing machine works great.




=Martin=


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## palladini (Jan 31, 2014)

DiggingDogFarm said:


> Unbleached cotton muslin....if you don't have a serger machine a French seam on a regular sewing machine works great.
> 
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> ...


Here is a video on how to make a French Seam -


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## charlesk (Jan 31, 2014)

I am close to some  little Mennonite butcher shops, I think I will try there and see where they get their bags and price them out. If still to expensive then I will go the sewing route. Daughter in-law just got a new fancy sewing machine and is taking a course on how to use everything. some bag sewing would be good practice.  Thanks for the info Martin about "unbleached cotton muslin and type of seam". If I find anything at a reasonable price I'll let you know


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## diggingdogfarm (Jan 31, 2014)

The video is good but you'll definitely want to make the bags so that the enclosed part of the seam is on the outside of the bag.






=Martin=


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## charlesk (Jan 31, 2014)

yes I noticed that too. I had some bigger bags that I wasn't using cause they were to big so I cut them in half and got my daughter in-law to stich up the end for me I did notice that all the stitching was on the outside. She did kind of a weave stich and it worked great. I am just thinking that if I have to make the bags I will have to get her to it do cause she has the machine, they are busy with jobs and little kids so I don't like to bug them too much but I know she'll do it.


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## woodcutter (Jan 31, 2014)

I have not ever tried muslin bags. What is the difference between muslin and fibrous casings? Any advantage?


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## palladini (Feb 1, 2014)

DiggingDogFarm said:


> The video is good but you'll definitely want to make the bags so that the enclosed part of the seam is on the outside of the bag.
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Well do the french one and simply turn it inside out. 

A book I own, Home Sausage Making by Charles G. Reavis, has a good article on Muslin bags sewing and use for sausages













Book.jpg



__ palladini
__ Sep 5, 2013


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## ak1 (Mar 24, 2015)

Can these sausage bags be stuffed by hand easily or is a stuffer recommended?


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## daveomak (Mar 24, 2015)

Unbleached, pre washed and shrunk muslin from W-M ....    about $4 for 36 x 54....    or something like that....














muslin.JPG



__ daveomak
__ Mar 24, 2015


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## charlesk (Mar 24, 2015)

AK

You could stuff the bags by hand but I would think it would be a pain because they have to be stuffed fairly tight to eliminate any air. If you are just doing a couple you could try it.

I did get 4 yds. of unbleached Muslin at a mill end store. will get 60 bags and the muslin was $15 so .25 cents a bag instead of a dollar but with no labour included to make the bags.


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## ak1 (Mar 25, 2015)

Thanks.


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## mudflap (Sep 1, 2015)

Canadian Butcher Supply, Thedford, ON


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## charlesk (Sep 2, 2015)

Mudflap

I have gotten bags from Thedford but was looking for something cheaper. I got some Muslin cloth and made my own. As a matter of fact I used them for the first time yesterday and no blowouts they worked good


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## jhend (Nov 1, 2015)

Hi Charlesk  would you mind posting or emailing the flat size you cut the cloth to and how many pounds of meat you would expect It to hold.

Thanks

John


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## kbrecken (Dec 7, 2015)

Well, Ive been looking for natural cotton bag casings for a long time, seems nobody makes them for retail, just commercial distribution, so I'm going to have some made, at my shop, I work at a large format digital graphics company, and we happen to have 3 industrial sewing machines at the shop, so I'll source out the material, and get them made

If anyone want's some of these, let me know the detail's and then we can figure out the bulk cost's (not including shipping) - KB

FYI at my COST,  No Profit, + outgoing taxes & shipping 

just to clarify - KB


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## jhend (Dec 8, 2015)

Hay KB,

  The cotton \ muslin bags are not that hard to find online but they are expensive. I did make some 2 weeks ago after purchasing 1 meter of muslin for $13.00 at a local fabric store. I got 15 bags 9" X 14" (flat) out of the meter and 4.5" X 14" sown in half that held 1078 grams each. I have since got a prepackage 3 meter piece at Walmart for $15.00.













IMG_0995.JPG



__ jhend
__ Dec 8, 2015






They have been hanging for a week now and will be smoking cold smoking them in the next day or two.


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## kbrecken (Dec 8, 2015)

Hi jhend,

what your hanging is exactly what I'm going to have made, that's how my Grandfather did it, and my family would expect me to do it as well, I found some Canadian commercial suppliers online, but they wouldn't sell them to me or ship out west,

My intent is to have some made 4 - 4.5" (once stuffed) x 16" long (once tied)

Thx - KB


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## jhend (Dec 8, 2015)

Hi KB do you have a family recipe you can share? I am always interested in recipes and methods i.e. are your summer sausage hot or clod smoked?

John


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## charlesk (Dec 8, 2015)

John

the bags are cut 5 1/8 wide and 13 1/4 long when sewn they are 5x13  I can't say how much they weigh exactly cause I have never weighed one about 3 Lbs I think. I get the unbleached muslin cloth at Len's Mill End Store. $3.99 yd which is 36"x 60"


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## jhend (Dec 8, 2015)

Thanks for the info Charlesk


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## kbrecken (Dec 10, 2015)

Hi jhend, Happy to share my family's recipe, just got to dig it up, will post this weekend, if memory serves it was for 400 lbs at a time so you'll have to do some cypher'n, and cold smoke, it was my Great Grand fathers / Grand fathers recipe, from back in the day when there was no refrigeration so, I hope it's not in German!  - KB


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## jhend (Dec 10, 2015)

"I hope it's not in German! " LOL I can get it translated thanks.

John


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## kbrecken (Dec 10, 2015)

jhend, I found one a while back but, it's not in my moms hand writing, thats the one I'm digging for, that one will definitely not be in German,


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## kbrecken (Dec 13, 2015)

Found it here ya go













Goebel_SummerSausage_FamilyRecipie.jpg



__ kbrecken
__ Dec 13, 2015


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## daveomak (Dec 13, 2015)

kbrecken said:


> Found it here ya go
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kbrecken, afternoon....   Nitrite cures in Canada can and usually are a different concentration than those in the US....   

In the US, the amount of Prague Powder, cure #1, Pink salt etc. would be 4 oz. per 100 #'s, 8 oz. per 200 #'s.....  Our nitrite mixes for sausages etc. is 6.25% nitrite.... 

If you don't mind, would you please note on your recipe that you are using Canadian mixed Prague Powder....  That way, folks won't get confused with the higher amount cure being added....

Thanks much....    Dave


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## kbrecken (Dec 13, 2015)

Dave, excellent point, thanks for the info, will do - KB


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## jhend (Dec 13, 2015)

Thanks KB for the recipe and Dave much appreciated. It is very important to read the directions on what ever cure you are using. I have been using readycure. I is a pain because it contains 1% Sodium nitrite and 99% salt so you have to do the math. Always need to check.


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## ak1 (Dec 17, 2015)

Ready cure is easy to use. 2% by meat weight. If you have 100lbs of meat use 2lbs ready cure. We also have cure#1 & cure#2.


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## daveomak (Dec 17, 2015)

AK1 said:


> Ready cure is easy to use. 2% by meat weight. If you have 100lbs of meat use 2lbs ready cure. We also have cure#1 & cure#2.




Darko, evening...    No offense... my point was cures are different in Canada and the US....     6 tsp. or  10 oz. Prege Powder per 200 pounds of meat didn't make sense to me..   

We have folks from all over the world watching this forum.....    To avoid confusion and helping folks cure their products safely, we should make note of the amount of nitrite in our curing salts...    
I use curing salts from commercial outlets that have 0.75% nitrite...  It's application rate is 2#'s per 100 #'s of meat for a 150 ish Ppm ingoing  nitrite...    
There are so many chemical make ups, that the reader should be able to  make a note about how much of "what" to add to be safe


Dave....


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## ak1 (Dec 18, 2015)

Dave, I agree completely. My understanding is that Prague powder ( Cure#1 or #2) is the same whereever you get it. Now of course I have Readycure available to me, and there is Tenderquick in the US which I've never seen here in Canada. 

People ask many times "Can I substitute this cure for that cure?"  Alas the typical answer is NO!. I've always said yes you can as long as you look at the proper usage. What is important is that one uses the proper amount of their cure.  for the amount of meat. Any curing salt one buys has directions for use. It really isn't that difficult.


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## daveomak (Dec 18, 2015)

AK1 said:


> Dave, I agree completely. My understanding is that Prague powder ( Cure#1 or #2) is the same whereever you get it. Now of course I have Readycure available to me, and there is Tenderquick in the US which I've never seen here in Canada.
> 
> People ask many times "Can I substitute this cure for that cure?"  Alas the typical answer is NO!. I've always said yes you can as long as you look at the proper usage. What is important is that one uses the proper amount of their cure.  for the amount of meat. Any curing salt one buys has directions for use. It really isn't that difficult.



Morning.... You and I know it ain't that difficult...  Awhile back, I read where a newcomer to the site used Himalayan pink salt in place of cure #1....    Sooooooo, you never know what can confuse folks.... There can always be "someone" that gets confused...  That's what I'm trying to avoid...   It may be an impossible task but......   :head-wall:


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## crankybuzzard (Dec 18, 2015)

DaveOmak said:


> Morning.... You and I know it ain't that difficult... Awhile back, I read where a newcomer to the site used Himalayan pink salt in place of cure #1.... Sooooooo, you never know what can confuse folks.... There can always be "someone" that gets confused... That's what I'm trying to avoid... It may be an impossible task but......


Even with nitrate, nitrite, and celery juice combined, we can't cure everything!


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## justin p (Oct 27, 2016)

I found the best place to buy them is www.butchersupplycompany.com

They have 2 or 3 pound cloth bags in a white stitch or red stitch and their prices are very reasonable.


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## jhend (Oct 30, 2016)

Thanks for posting the link Justin.


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## jhend (May 12, 2019)

Don't know if anyone is following this thread but I have purchased these summer sausage bags and they work very well. Good quality and reasonable. The seller is in London Ontario.

https://www.ebay.ca/i/323569963202?...MIgcPSp6SX4gIVREsNCh3wvQn0EAYYBCABEgKDJfD_BwE


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## daveomak (May 14, 2019)

FWIW, I made some hot Italian sausage and stuffed some home made bags to make Hot Italian salami...
First bag had a sewn end...   PITA...  Sooooo, I sewed a looong tube.. open both ends....
Slipped the entire tube on the stuffer and tied the one end closed..    Filled the tube to what I liked and tied it off again and cut the tube to length....  Sooo much easier and it makes for a good looking salami stick....  No fancy stitching..  A light zigzag and call it good....








Smoked for several hours...  then kept the heat on (170F) until the sausage felt the correct firmness for a salami... 
I really like the flavor of the Hot Italian Sausage Salami...  A.C. Leggs #103 Hot Italian...






I modified my Chef's Choice meat slicer so it slices much thinner now....  Good mod....


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## unclejhim (May 21, 2019)

Dave that salami looks really good. Can you post the recipe?


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## daveomak (May 22, 2019)

Here you go Jim.....   AC Leggs #103 Hot Italian Sausage mix....  Made for a great salami....   Drying in the smoker to the right amount of squeeze, I think is the secret...  Slowly dry at 160ish smoker temp until it starts to firm up to a perfect texture is key..  AmesPhos (STPP) keeps the salami and sausage moist...

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t...lian-seasoning-mix-final-money-2-8-16.241772/


..


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## bluebombersfan (May 22, 2019)

That's great looking salami


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## jhend (Jun 2, 2019)

Nice job Dave looks yummy


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## unclejhim (Jun 2, 2019)

daveomak said:


> Here you go Jim.....   AC Leggs #103 Hot Italian Sausage mix....  Made for a great salami....   Drying in the smoker to the right amount of squeeze, I think is the secret...  Slowly dry at 160ish smoker temp until it starts to firm up to a perfect texture is key..  AmesPhos (STPP) keeps the salami and sausage moist...
> 
> https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t...lian-seasoning-mix-final-money-2-8-16.241772/
> 
> ...


Just saw this ( been busy) Thanks gonna try that soon.
So you smoke at 170  to 150 ish. I.T. at then dry at 160 till you get the firmness wanted for salami?


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