[cookiejar]

Has anyone successfully used the collagen casings for making sausage? I've been making my own sausage for a few years using the natural casings but this year I decided to use the collagen casings since they didn't have the same stigma as the "natural". In any case, as they are cooking, they always burst open and I don't know why or what I'm doing wrong. Does anyone out there have the answer for me?

[phatch]

I've used them. They are a little pickier about stuffing and by your description you're overstuffing them for the capacity of collagen casing.

Make sure you prick every air bubble with a pin to bleed out the air. And when you cook, some fork sized holes poked in the sausage help it relieve pressure while cooking though you do lose some juiciness.

Overall, I prefer natural casing. Much easier to work with, but trickier to store.

Phil

[Breton Beats]

I am curious as to what the "stigma" about natural casings are. I mean if you are making meat sausages using natural casings just sorts proves you can use the whole animal and not throw anything away.

[cookiejar]

Thanks for the advice. I wasn't poking them before cooking and I stuffed them full to begin with and then I twisted them into links which made them even fuller. I'll try relieving the air this time...but I'm going back to natural next time. I don't have a problem but it seems there are a lot of people that get all silly when they find out where it comes from. Thanks again.

[xboxchamp593]

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[oldschool1982]

Originally Posted by phatch

Overall, I prefer natural casing. Much easier to work with, but trickier to store.

Phil

Phil, I agree with you on the preferance but I don't understand why you comment about their storage. If you keep them in a bucket, tupperware, cambro immersed in a brine solution (typically I use 1 cup of salt to 3 cups of water) with a tight lid (I actually use my food saver bags to eliminate chance of mess) they will last almost forever. The trick is to rinse the casing thoroughly before using. This should be done anyway.

I've never tried the collagen casings and unless the natural ones dissapear from existance I probably never will. Not wishing to appear "closed minded" but it kinda follows Breaton's comment.

I've also never heard of poking holes in the sausage casing. It kind of defeats the purpose of putting it in the casing in the first place doesn't it? I mean I do make patties when I don;t want to mess with the KA mixer attachments and all but the casing help keep the juice in the sausage making it more moist. By poking holes, sure you release some of the pressure but also allow for all that flafor to leak out. If the casing is spliting whe you cook them they are being over-stuffed and they will split no matter what. JMHPO

[shel]

Some years ago I had a chance to watch Bruce Aidells make sausage, and being the chatty guy he is, he carefully explained everything he was doing and why he was doing it. He never mentioned poking holes in the casing, and, based on what I know of Mr. Aidells, were this a technique of some value, he'd probably have mentioned it.

I'm far from expert on the subject of making sausage, however, I completely agree with oldschool on this point.

shel

[phatch]

The fork poking hole trick is more useful with collagen casing as they're more likely to burst. But a pin hole for air bubbles is one I've seen in a number of sausage books. The air expands the more than the meat when heated which often ruptures the casing. The pin holes themselves are small enough to not effect juiciness when cooking.

This is more about people stuffing at home who aren't real good at stuffing sausage. I can get a good stuff if I have someone else to help me, but when I do it alone, I get air bubbles between trying to work the plunger and feed casings at the same time. May also have something to with equipment. I'm using a home style Kitchen Aid and their grinding/stuffing attachments.

Phil