My meat is shrunken and wrinkly....

[tod osier]

We have been making fermented sausages for the past couple years and have had great luck and really have been having fun with it. Couple pics of the final product for our latest batch. A peperone (L) and a salame.

Close up.

As far as the process, these are fermented sausages. Venison and pork fatback with salt, curing salt, spices and a bacterial inoculum to ferment (T-SPX). The sausages are stuffed and fermented at 75F for a couple days at 100% humidity. After the initial fermentation they are hung at 50-60F with decreasing humidity over time, I start at 60-70 and then after a couple weeks, go down to 50-60% and then 40-50% at the end. It is important to keep the humidity high, so they don’t dry too fast on the outside. These sausages have been dying about a month and a half – the smaller ones are dry, but the larger ones need a couple more weeks. They all will hang until the last ones are dry. These are stuffed in big casings/hog middles. We did 40 pounds in this batch.


Need a donor…

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The sausages towards the end of the hanging period in the drying chamber (freezer that is not turned on and used just to maintain humidity). I have a small fan in there to keep the air moving. The white stuff is mold – white powdery mold is fine.

Humidity and temp sensor.

Landjaegers from earlier in the fall. These are basically slim jims – little smoke, lot of black pepper, garlic, etc… We did 40 pounds of these – stuffed in large sheep casings. Came out great.

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Couple pics of the boys from a gloomy day for good measure…

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[fred slyfield]

Tod. looks yummy!!

Hope all is well back there.

Fred

 

[TimJ]

Well that's what all that cold and snow will do.

Looks good. Those are the types of things I'd like to try doing but probably never will. About as close as I've come is corning some goose and deer. That is some good eats.

Tim

 

[tod osier]

Tod. looks yummy!!

Hope all is well back there.

Fred

Thanks Fred, it has all turned out really well. Good having some diversity in the venison. Sausage in all forms is good.

I think I'm going to start putting Gus in for some tags to earn some points in WA given that youth apps are so inexpensive. I haven't completely read up on it, but it looks like something to pursue.

 

[tod osier]

Well that's what all that cold and snow will do.

Looks good. Those are the types of things I'd like to try doing but probably never will. About as close as I've come is corning some goose and deer. That is some good eats.

Tim

And age too, the older your meat gets the more shrunken. .

I've been surprised how easy it is if you follow the rules. We started making fresh sausages like Italian sausage, brats, etc.... and then moved on. If you like to eat the stuff - it is great to have and keeps frozen for a couple years - we are eating some from 2 years ago. These sausages were made from both frozen venison and pork, so it isn't like you need to do it during the season when you are busy. Nice project after the holidays and before starting seeds (Jen turned the lights on today, so it is time).

We are getting 3-8" today. Jen was out digging carrots before the storm .

 

[Yukon Mike]

Nice! That is a fine looking bunch of products you have there Tod the Butcher. Good job!

Mike

 

[sean sutton]

Man O man. that looks good!!!

 

[Mike Rowinsky]

I've tried some of Tod's preserved meats. They're delicious!!!

I need to get up to see him and visit sometime soon.

Mike

 

[mike braden]

I did my first batch of goose jerky this year. It was pretty salty and I imagine that I didn't use enough meat. I did mine in the oven at 215 with the door slightly open for about 3.5 hours. Kept a thermometer in there to monitor it at 185. I'm checking out smokers too. I'd like to do more stuff with it like you did Tod. Thanks for posting.

 

[jode hillman]

That is a great way to save the kills from the year with style! A stick or two of the Salame with some sharp cheese and cold stout. Perfect for a winter night.

 

[tod osier]

Nice! That is a fine looking bunch of products you have there Tod the Butcher. Good job!

Mike

Thanks Mike. I really enjoy it, I'm always cooking some adventure thinking of eating it on the trail or road - same with jerky. I could really have some fun with 500 pounds of bison - hope you are enjoying it!

 

[tod osier]

Man O man. that looks good!!!

Thanks Sean!

 

[tod osier]

I've tried some of Tod's preserved meats. They're delicious!!!

I need to get up to see him and visit sometime soon.

Mike

Sounds like a plan!

 

[tod osier]

I did my first batch of goose jerky this year. It was pretty salty and I imagine that I didn't use enough meat. I did mine in the oven at 215 with the door slightly open for about 3.5 hours. Kept a thermometer in there to monitor it at 185. I'm checking out smokers too. I'd like to do more stuff with it like you did Tod. Thanks for posting.

Getting the salt right on jerky is something I have trouble with. I've made batches both way too salty and not salty enough. I've made some pretty good goose and some pretty strong goose from late in the season birds.

You will have fun with a smoker!

 

[tod osier]

That is a great way to save the kills from the year with style! A stick or two of the Salame with some sharp cheese and cold stout. Perfect for a winter night.

It is good family fun too, this is unless the casings are giving you trouble .

 

[Tom Russo]

Those look really great!! I've been making fresh sausage for a few years and hope to get going with fermented stuff this spring. I converted a small fridge into a chamber and it seems to be stable during the "dry runs".
Tom

 

[TimJ]

Well that's what all that cold and snow will do.

Looks good. Those are the types of things I'd like to try doing but probably never will. About as close as I've come is corning some goose and deer. That is some good eats.

Tim

And age too, the older your meat gets the more shrunken. .

I've been surprised how easy it is if you follow the rules. We started making fresh sausages like Italian sausage, brats, etc.... and then moved on. If you like to eat the stuff - it is great to have and keeps frozen for a couple years - we are eating some from 2 years ago. These sausages were made from both frozen venison and pork, so it isn't like you need to do it during the season when you are busy. Nice project after the holidays and before starting seeds (Jen turned the lights on today, so it is time).

We are getting 3-8" today. Jen was out digging carrots before the storm .

I'll take your word for it on the age thing.

I need to get a few more seeds ordered but my plan now is to have a little less complicated garden this summer. Maybe try the less is more concept.

I did leave some carrots in last fall but since we haven't had the snow but have had the cold I'd need a jackhammer to get them out. I would have had to cover with a lot more then I did to keep the ground from being like pavement. Oh well my carrots are looking good in the bottom of the fridge.

Tim

 

[Tom Modin]

kick butt Tod. Fermentation is one of the sausage skills I have not tried yet.

 

[tod osier]

kick butt Tod. Fermentation is one of the sausage skills I have not tried yet.

Get to it then! I didn't make a warning about stink. About 1-2 weeks in they get pretty stinky and the whole house smells, but by 3-4 weeks they are calmed down.

 

[Capt Rich Geminski]

Tod, sounds like a great project. On the list for next year. Mother even wants to do it...