The past several years my folks have given us homemade smoked sausage for Christmas. It is a special, unique treat that is a ‘throw back” to my childhood days when we butchered our own hogs. This year I decided to ask mother how she makes it.
Mother sews up tube “socks” from unbleached muslin cloth. She cuts the material 10 inches wide and then doubles the material to make it 5 inches wide and 18- 24″ long. They stuff the sausage into the tubes as tight as they can, tie the end shut with twine and coat the outside of the cloth sack with lard. Mother said she drops little balls or hunks of sausage into the tubes and daddy squeezes and stuffs it as tight as he can. She lets them hang 3-4 weeks in a cold room to cure before they are ready to eat. I cured mine in the refrigerator. After I opened the sack, I cut the sausage into patties and froze them in ziplock bags in the freezer. The tube below I cut into twelve patties.
Now that my folks no longer butcher, they go to their local grocery where they can order “bulk” seasoned sausage. Mother said she adds 3 T. liquid smoke and an additional 1-1/4 tsp. salt to five pounds of sausage. Each sack holds approximately 4 pounds. She said if you use fresh, unseasoned sausage, add sausage seasoning of your choice.
I bake the patties in the oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour and serve with fried eggs, applesauce and toast. This sausage has its own unique flavor and was a very special treat when we were growing up.
Joan Cosby Said:
on January 10, 2017 at 11:31 am
Thanks for sharing.Always enjoy