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Sausage Making and Cured Meats

Good sausage makers are just as discriminating about their sausage ingredients as winemakers are about theirs.  Early sausage makers found that a wide range of raw ingredients could be used.  The primary ingredients of sausage were the parts of the animal that were not used in other ways.  Many parts are used in the production of sausage and the less tender cuts, including organ meats and even blood can be delicious when ground, spiced and cased.

Curing meats was and still is a survival technique used to preserve meats, fish and game for extended periods of time by applying salt, seasoning, and additives (mainly for color).  Our society still cures meat, ranging from the individual to large corporations who sell in mass to the public.  They all use a variation of the same old-fashioned techniques that have been used throughout history.

The word "sausage" is derived from the Latin ~salsus~, meaning salted.  The term was most likely applied to cured or salted meat in general.  In early days, people did not have refrigeration, so making sausage was a way to preserve their meat.

At Leeners, we intend to provide top quality ingredients and equipment for the sausage maker.  If you have any further questions or comments, please use the contact us link above and email our experts.

Types of Sausage

• Cooked Sausage is made with fresh meats and then fully cooked.  The sausage is then eaten immediately after cooking or refrigerated and reheated before eating. 

• Cooked Smoked Sausage is much the same as cooked sausage, except that it is cooked and smoked or smoke-cooked. It is eaten either hot or cold. 

• Fresh Sausage is made from meats that have not been cured.  This sausage is refrigerated and then thoroughly cooked before eating. 

• Fresh Smoked Sausage is fresh sausage that has been smoked.  After smoking, the sausage can then be refrigerated and cooked thoroughly before eating.

• Dry Sausage is made from a selection of meats.  These are the most complicated sausages to make because the drying process has to be controlled.  Once produced, this type of sausage can be eaten immediately, and will keep for long periods of time as long as it is refrigerated.