Cure??

[Thompsoncentre]

Is there any way around not using cure?? I want to eliminate using sodium nitrates in my goods.

[Kevin A]

Make fresh sausage, not smoked— or only HOT smoke the sausage (over 225°F).

I'll take a wee-bit of nitrate over C. botulinum bacteria any day of the week.
FDA guidelines: 1 oz. Cure #1 per 25 lbs of meat  = about 1 level teaspoon of Cure #1 for 5 lbs of meat.

[KyNola]

Splitting hairs but unless your dry curing sausages, as in hanging them to dry for an extended period of time like salami, etc, you're not using nitrates.  Cure #1 is sodium nitrite.  That is what is used many times for smoking sausages at low temperatures.  Cure #2 which is used for dry curing meats is sodium nitrate which over time breaks down into sodium nitrite.

Don't be fooled by the packages of cured meat that says "no nitrites add".  Check the ingredients list.  You will find celery powder, celery juice, or both.  They are organic forms of nitrites but they are nitrites nonetheless.

If I have misstated anything, the folks who are much more learned than me will come along and correct me.  Take their advice.

[3rensho]

Not to pick nits but cure no. 2 contains both nitrite and nitrate.  And yes, properly used I'd rather have them than risk botulism.

[Habanero Smoker]

As Kevin A suggested, you can make fresh sausage, and cook it at a higher temperature. You can safely poach fresh sausage at 180°F. If you want to add a smoke flavor to your sausage you can use liquid smoke or hickory smoke powder. Liquid smoke is a "natural" product, I'm not sure if hickory smoke powder is natural or not.