Chicken or Turkey sausage?

[cobra6223]

I found a recipe for chicken or turkey sausage from the Amish. It sounds good and looks easy to make but I have 2 questions. First off they use saltpeter and I should know how its related to cure 1or 2 by now but I don't and how do you sub for the saltpeter? Next they can it and don't smoke it or use it as a fresh sausage so could I smoke it or use it as a fresh sausage? Thanks Tim

[Saber 4]

I'm no expert on saltpeter, despite the rumors that it was in the food in Basic Training, although I would think if you weren't going to can it you could skip the saltpeter and use cure 1 if you want to smoke it and skip it if you are going to use it as fresh sausage. Hopefully the experts will come along and give you better advice and correct any flaws in my thinking.

[Habanero Smoker]

The directions are most likely from a recipe that predates the early 70's, and hasn't been rewritten. Before that time saltpeter was commonly used in the US. As Saber stated, use cure #1 instead at a rate of 1 teaspoon per 5 pounds, and you may want to reduce the salt in the recipe by the same amount.

The addition of the cure seems part of the canning process, to prevent botulism, and serves the same purpose as if you were to smoke it. So if you substitute the Cure #1 for the saltpeter you can smoke it. Even if you don't smoke it; you may want to add the cure for the flavor. And the choice to leave out any cure, and make fresh sausage is always an option.

[cobra6223]

Sorry it took so long to get back here but been busy with the granddaughter. Thanks u2 for the help I really do appreciate it!! I will use cure #1 however can you still even buy saltpeter? Thanks again Tim

[Saber 4]

I believe it may be available still but I personally wouldn't use it, I believe it was replaced by the newer Cure's 1 and 2 because of some negative side effects but I can't remember where I read that.

[Habanero Smoker]

Many areas in European countries still use it. At one time I thought it was banned for retail use in the US; which was wrong. You can still find it being sold. The Ingredient Store still sells it online.

As far as I know there are no or additional negative side effects associated with saltpeter (potassium nitrate) than using it's chemical equivalent of sodium nitrate. It is just that nitrates have no curing properties and must break down into nitrites first. How fast they break down depends on temperature and the presents of some friendly bacteria. Since they need to break down, it requires much longer curing time than if you started curing with nitrites. Overall it just makes them less reliable than nitrites.

[cobra6223]

Thanks again you two, very cool info. This site is juust the best BAR none!! Thanks Tim