The casings you choose can greatly enhance your sausage making and serving experience. Sausage casings come in a variety of types and sizes. The four main categories of sausage casings are natural casings, collagen casings, fiber casings and synthetic casings.
We prefer to use natural casings for our sausages. We believe that natural casings provide the best flavor and appearance for the final sausage product. Natural sausage casings enhance and complement the natural juices and qualities of the meat and spices. If you are smoking sausage, the natural condition allows for deep smoke penetration.
Natural casings are made from the submucosa (a layer of loose connective tissue beneath the mucosa), which is the primary collagen layer in the intestines of pigs and sheep. Natural casings are usually packaged in a sealed bag in a moist salt solution. Use what you need and reseal in the resealable bags provided for storage. The resealed casings can be stored in the refrigerator for several months.
For beginners, we usually recommend using pork casings first as they are easier to work with than delicate sheep casings and produce a thick sausage. Pork casings should be soaked in water for 30 minutes to 1 hour before use.
Sheep casings produce very delicate thin sausages, but care must be taken not to overfill them. Once you get the hang of sheep casings, they are well worth the effort. Again, these casings should be soaked in water for 30 minutes to 1 hour before use.
Collagen casings Collagen casings are made from a gelatinous substance found in the connective tissue, bones and cartilage of all mammals. This is the same substance used to make the famous gelatin desserts. In the United States, most commercially purchased sausages are stuffed with collagen casings.
Collagen casings are the complete solution for all sausage applications, including freezing, frying, grilling and oven cooking. Collagen casings are supplied in a pleated stick form and the amount required for each application can be reduced. These casings are suitable for hand attachment if the proper sausage mixture and recipe are used. When hand joining, the casings are dry, so we recommend using vegetable oil to help with this process. The oil has the added benefit of leaving a lasting shine on the sausage and aiding in cooking. No soaking is required, and if stored in a cool, dark place, they have an unlimited shelf life and do not need to be refrigerated.
Fiber Sausage CasingFiber sausage casings are made from lignocellulose (basically paper) that is permeated with protein. Fiber casings are the toughest casings produced and are not edible.
You will usually see Italian salami. They are used where maximum uniformity of finished diameter is required, whether it is sausage or bacon.
The uniformity of the product packed in the casings makes them ideal for pre-packaged slices. These casings do not require refrigeration and should not be consumed.
Synthetic casings Synthetic sausage casings are made from alginate, cellulose and plastic. Don't worry, you should not eat this casings, it will not leach into your product.
The casing itself does not need to be refrigerated. Synthetic casings can also be referred to as artificial casings.
Synthetic casings are used by a large number of producers and can be made in different colors or printed with different designs. They are the most uniform and strongest of all types of casings. Synthetic casings should not be consumed.
