Sausage Casing Question

[deb415611]

I bought some hog casings from Hi-Mountain when I was buying some jerky seasoning in the fall.  They are packed in salt.  I don't see an expiration date anywhere on the package.  Do they last for awhile?  How long do they last once they are opened?   How can you tell if they are bad?

Thanks,
Deb

[Smoking Duck]

I bought some hog casings from Hi-Mountain when I was buying some jerky seasoning in the fall.  They are packed in salt.  I don't see an expiration date anywhere on the package.  Do they last for awhile?  How long do they last once they are opened?   How can you tell if they are bad?

Thanks,
Deb

They should last a long while Deb but I'm not really sure.

How can you tell if they are bad?  One night, outta the clear blue, the cops will just show up at your door 

Someone with a lot more sausage knowledge than I should be on soon to help.

SD

[drano]

Deb,
Can't give you the whole answer, but I'm sure someone here will.  I don't use natural casings, so this is only what I've read on the net.  
They last quite a while, but I don't know how long.  You rinse the salt off them before stuffing, and if you have some left over, I've always read you can re-salt them and they will be fine.  
I've also read they always have a bad smell, but once rinsed in fresh water they are fine.  
For now, I'm sticking to collagen casings--no fuss, just use what I need and throw the rest back in the box.
Hope someone gives the whole story soon.
drano

[deb415611]

How can you tell if they are bad?  One night, outta the clear blue, the cops will just show up at your door 


SD

Are we talking about the sausage casings or my kid now?

[Smokin Soon]

Do not keep casings that you have soaked and rinsed for use. Just put the unused casings in a zip-loc and in the fridge and they will last a long while. The salt is the preservitive, once it is gone, they could spoil.

[FLBentRider]

How can you tell if they are bad?  One night, outta the clear blue, the cops will just show up at your door 


SD

Are we talking about the sausage casings or my kid now?

YES

[Smoking Duck]

Definitely the sausage casings, Deb.  You don't strike me as the type that doesn't have a good control over what their child is doing.  ANyone as adept as you at pizza, italian sausage, etc., has got to have their act together on all fronts.

Now, my kids......watch out 

[deb415611]

Do not keep casings that you have soaked and rinsed for use. Just put the unused casings in a zip-loc and in the fridge and they will last a long while. The salt is the preservitive, once it is gone, they could spoil.

I have only been taking out what I need.  If I over estimate I have been throwing them away. 

[deb415611]

Definitely the sausage casings, Deb.  You don't strike me as the type that doesn't have a good control over what their child is doing.  ANyone as adept as you at pizza, italian sausage, etc., has got to have their act together on all fronts.

Now, my kids......watch out 

Not quite sure how my food obsession links to my parenting but if it does you are fine -- you got the pizza thing down!  You also have the ground pepper thing .   

[Smoking Duck]

Well, I'm not sure there is a correlation.  My take on you and by reading your posts was that you were someone who has their stuff together.  Me.......I'm a mess most of the time but believe it or not, I'm a rather strict parent.  The kids know better than to leave the house and not say Yes, sir or No, Ma'am or please and thank you.  They know they'd better pack up and head to North Dakota to live with Grandma and Grandpa if the cops come knocking on my door for something they've done.


Man, I've really hijacked this thread.  I'm sorry Deb and I didn't even do a dang thing to help you with your question.  My gosh, I've really gotta find a job soon.  Even I'm finding myself unbearable.............

SD

[Tenpoint5]

  My gosh, I've really gotta find a job soon.  Even I'm finding myself unbearable.............
SD

Pulled pork Sammies on the corner. Doing what you love and loving what your doing and getting a couple bucks.

[Smoking Duck]

I'm actually thinking hard about opening a joint at the farmers market shown here:

http://www.americancountryside.us/market/about/

However, starting capital is hard to come by in these days of credit crunch.  If I ever get it started, I'd probably have a little refrigeration unit selling CB, belly bacon and cheese as well.  They have someone in their now (a butcher) but his stuff isn't that good (I could be a little biased here) and I think I could compete well with him.

SD

[Smokin Soon]

Duck, In the real world you cannot compete with the Amish on this one, unless you have something they dont. The fact that the raw materials for anything they grow, harvest, butcher, ect. All without unions or benefits, pension, ect. They have reduced costs to the bare minimum on every item they sell. I respect them for that and would happily shop at that farmers market if I were in Elkhart. But hey I'm in the no job camp too, so anything goes my friend! Just my thoughts, no blasting intended......

[Mr Walleye]

Deb

Here is a couple of sites with good write ups on natural casings. Both indicate that unused casings can be saved and re-salted. I have also read it in a number of books. I try to be fairly accurate on estimating my casings, if I have a limited amount left I do usually throw them away but if it's a larger amount I do re-salt them. As far as how long they last, both these sources indicate a year or more providing they are packed in salt and kept in the fridge. In some of the material I have read they have indicated much longer. I can get them locally so I buy mine in packages that will do about a 100 to 120 lbs and I don't have any problems using them up in pretty short order.

http://www.alliedkenco.com/catalog/popup_text.php/fld/howto/tbl/howtos/key/17

http://www.sausagemaker.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=36#hog

Mike

[Habanero Smoker]

Sausage Makers goes a little further. They state if properly cared for, and repacked in purified salt (pickling salt), their shelf live is indefinite.

Hog Casings