How to Store Sausage Casings?

Are you wondering how to store the sausages in a way that they don’t go bad? You are not alone.

The casing of sausage should be refrigerated for 4-6 weeks. You can freeze casings for longer periods of time, but you must thaw them first.

Place casings in a cool place to thaw. Once thawed, wrap casings around a small bowl or pan, cover it with plastic wrap and place it back in the refrigerator.

This process usually takes four to six hours. Do not leave your sausages in the cold room.

Sausage makers wonder the same thing, regardless of whether they are novices or have lots of experience under their belt. Unless you’re making skinless sausages, which are better off cooked right away anyway.

Making sausages means putting in quite a fair bit of time and meticulous work. You have to choose what cut of meat to use, for how long you should grind the meat, and decide whether to season before or after grinding.

That’s a lot of work to do only to end up throwing your sausages away, just because the casings have gone bad. But don’t throw in the towel just yet…

There are a few tricks that every sausage maker should know, the most important of which is to keep your sausage in the fridge, not in the freezer or at room temperature. 

Do Sausage Casings Go Bad?

Natural sausage casings can go bad, and not storing them at the right temperature is a common cause. Just the same way not adding the right amount of water to your sausage mix could mean ending up fixing dried up sausages…a simple mistake could see things go south real quick.

It is important to remember that some types have a strong smell, similarly, some people have a hard time trying to figure out if meat is good or bad if it has some sort of smell, like ammonia. So be careful not to mistake it for a bad scent of a sausage. Sometimes, you don’t need to rinse or air them.

How Sausage Casings Should Be Stored

After making your first round of sausages, you could end up with a few extra sausages. Does that mean that you need to throw them away?

It is true that not. You can use them for the next batches of sausages if they are stored correctly. This is where the issues will start.

Is it known that a properly stored natural casing can last for up to two years? That is not the case for many people because they make one of the following mistakes.

The casings can either be frozen or kept at a certain temperature. As they should be stored in the fridge, neither of these options will make the sausage last longer.

Their best before date can be moved a lot closer if they aren’t storing them correctly.

Tips for Storing Sausage Casings

Make sure you follow these expert tips if you want to make sure your sausage stays good for longer. Natural sausage should always be stored in a fridge, according to butchers.

They do not recommend freezing the casings since they can be damaged by such low temperatures.

It is possible that you will not be able to eat them after they have been frozen. It is possible that a temperature above 50F can reduce the longevity of the casings.

You won’t be able to keep them for more than six months, instead of being able to store them in a fridge for a year or two.

Sausages can be stored in a variety of ways, one of the most common being to pack them in salt.

You will be able to use them after you wash the salt off because it will keep them fresh for a longer period. Washing the salt off is also one way of making your sausage casings tender,, so it’s a win-win really.

You can choose between coarse salt and wet brine to store your sausage casings.

To avoid any metallic taste, you should avoid the common table salt and use kosher or non-iodized varieties. There are also different types of salts that go in sausages, in which case most people prefer using kosher salt.

The best solution is to get a vacuum-sealed package, but the salt works just fine if you don’t have bags or containers to store it.

This way of storing the casings can also be used for other types of casings. However, if they remain open, they can last longer.

Can You Freeze Sausage Casings?

The different types of sausages can be stored in different ways, some are frozen others are cooked and smoked, depending on whether you like them fresh or cured. The ones that are frozen will not hold up as well as others.

Sausage casings can be frozen, but they should be done properly. After freezing natural sausage, they should be preserved in a wet brine solution.

The freezer burn and crystallization of the sausage will be prevented by this. It’s important to make sure they don’t tear while it’s freezing.

It is possible to freeze them for up to two years. If you are going to use them again in a week or two, there is no reason for you to freeze them.

It’s a better idea to put them in a fridge for a short period. This should be the case for those who prefer smoked sausages. The problem is, while smoke penetrates natural casings easily thanks to its thin nature, this very advantage might turn out to be the casing’s undoing in frozen conditions.

How Can You Tell If A Natural Casing Is Bad?

Even when it’s fresh, natural casings themselves. There is a strong distinct odor that is unpleasant. You might have noticed this already when making and/or closing your sausage casings.

There’s a difference in the smell of sheep and hog. This doesn’t mean that they are spoiled. The sheep are said to have a better smell than the other animals.

The smell they will have will be one way to tell. Since fresh ones stink, that’s right. If the smell has changed, you need to be able to detect it.

A rancid and sour smell can be found in Spoiled casings. The smell is really strong if you are certain that the shells are still good.

It will be helpful to air out the casings for a few minutes. If you want to soak them again, you can rinse them off and use a new brine.

It is possible to soak them in a solution of water and vinegar. It’s a good idea to use one part vinegar to the other part water.

It’s always a good idea to always soak in cold water. You can soak them for a couple of days. It is possible to get rid of the smell to make working with them easier.

If they are stinking up your kitchen, then you should do this. You may need to open a window when you first use it.

After being sealed up for some time, the smell is strong. It might seem like they are not doing well.

If you want to check, you can rinse them off and see if the smell has diminished. This will usually work and the casings will not stink as much.

If the smell goes bad, it will be worse than the natural smell. It will be obvious that there is something wrong.

It can be difficult to notice if the smell is gone, so if you are unsure, inspect the appearance. In case they have gone bad, you should be able to tell from any type of spotted discoloration.

It will be easy to spot the mold on the shell. Alteration of the shape of the casing that doesn’t look natural is also another tell-tale sign.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article taught you a thing or two about preserving your sausage.

You can enjoy making sausages without worrying about the sausage going bad if you follow a few good tips on how to store sausages properly.

If they are kept on a shelf, they might become rancid, so don’t put them in a freezer.

If it’s hog, sheep, or beef, make sure the sausages are refrigerated so you can use them again in the future.