venison snack sticks

[Fair-chase]

I'm getting ready to try some sticks in my bradley. I'll be using venison , LEM Backwoods hot stick seasoning and cure as well as 19mm collagen casings.

My first question is on the amount of hickory smoke to put on the 19mm venison sticks? I'm thinking about 4 pucks worth.

My second question is has anyone used the citric acid with venison snack sticks? The option of not having to refridgerate seems apealing.

[smokeitall]

I'm pretty sure Nepas, the snack stick king will be along shortly, but my personal preference is 4-6 pucks on snack sticks.  I have used the encapsulated citric acid but have never keep them out of the fridge or freezer.  It gives the snack sticks a little tang also.

Good luck with you sticks,
SIA

[NePaSmoKer]

Hi Fair-chase

4 pucks of wood is right. As for citric acid you would want to use EC, Encapsulated Citric acid. The EC is mixed in my hand just before stuffing.

SIA is right on the pucks too. The EC will not keep the sticks from going bad, The cure does that part. Longest i have sticks out in the jar is 2 weeks but i spray PS on them.  Potassium Sorbate

Hope it goes well for you.

nepas

[Fair-chase]

This is straight out of the new LEM catalog.

Backwoods citric Acid. "Give your sausage the old fashion zing, and make it shelf stable! When citric acid is added to your Salami , Summer Sausage and snack sticks it eliminates the need for refrigeration."



  what about this statement ?

[NePaSmoKer]

This is straight out of the new LEM catalog.

Backwoods citric Acid. "Give your sausage the old fashion zing, and make it shelf stable! When citric acid is added to your Salami , Summer Sausage and snack sticks it eliminates the need for refrigeration."



  what about this statement ?

This is still EC.

Regular powdered citric acid (AKA Sour salt) when added to your mix will impart the mix making it too sour right away. EC is what they use in medical caplets, this way it dissolves slowly into the mix. I aint saying you cant use regular CA but just not as much.

nepas

[Fair-chase]

So Is LEM's statement about stabilization incorect?

[NePaSmoKer]

So Is LEM's statement about stabilization incorect?

No not saying they are wrong either.


Encapsulated Citric Acid is widely recognized in production of sausages.
How does it work?

The acidulation of meat is effective for preservation of the final product. The fermenting action is dependent on naturally
occurring microorganisms in the fresh meat or on the bacteria in the already fermented meat with which a new batch of
sausage was infused.
Fermentation of sausage (by microorganisms) takes time. Before the advent of faster acting starter cultures, it could
take four to five days to achieve a pH low enough to retard pathogenic bacteria and provide a stable product.

It is impossible to use uncoated Citric acid because the sausage becomes brittle and crumbly. The fat separates from
the protein and, in general, the product becomes totally unpalatable, unprocessable and unacceptable. It's obvious, that
an acidulant has to work slowly enough to provide an acceptable product.



Encapsulated citric acid is manufactured by coating the solid granular acids with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
This coating inhibits acid release until the coating is melted during subsequent heat processing in the cooking cycle. An
acidulant must be retained in its encapsulated form to allow sufficient time for a matrix formation that occurs when salt is
added to meat tissue. Salt extracts the salt-soluble proteins in meat (salting in-process), which forms a "protein matrix"
that binds the meat particles and other ingredients prior to acidulation.


nepas

[Fair-chase]

  OK thanks for the great information . I now understand citric acid a little better. I still however have a question. I want my snack sticks to be semi moist , but don't want to have to refrigerate them. What do you use to preserve them? The slim Jims in the store are not refrigerated.

[NePaSmoKer]

  OK thanks for the great information . I now understand citric acid a little better. I still however have a question. I want my snack sticks to be semi moist , but don't want to have to refrigerate them. What do you use to preserve them? The slim Jims in the store are not refrigerated.

If your going to use the LEM snack stick seasoning they will be moist. The cure in the LEM mix will allow them to be counter safe for 3 to 4 days. Dont store them in a zip lock bag, the sticks need to breath. I use plastic or glass jusge with holes in the lid. You can spary the potassium sorbate on them to inhibit bacteria and mold.


nepas