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Summer sausage question
Whitetail Deer
Contributors to this thread:
kyrob 03-Oct-22
HDE 03-Oct-22
Pat Lefemine 03-Oct-22
btnbuck 03-Oct-22
Mo/Ark 03-Oct-22
Treeline 03-Oct-22
butcherboy 04-Oct-22
KsRancher 04-Oct-22
Brotsky 04-Oct-22
KSbuzzcut 04-Oct-22
boothill 05-Oct-22
KSbuzzcut 05-Oct-22
Zbone 06-Oct-22
boothill 07-Oct-22
Mule Power 07-Oct-22
Mint 08-Apr-24
Lenny 06-Aug-24
wytex 06-Aug-24
midwest 06-Aug-24
From: kyrob
03-Oct-22
For those who make deer summer sausage, do you use the encapsulated citric acid? Some videos seem adamant that it is needed and some never mention the stuff. I can't seem to find enough info one way or another to decide whether to use it or not. Any info is appreciated.

From: HDE
03-Oct-22
Check out the meatgistics series on waltons.com

From: Pat Lefemine
03-Oct-22
Is that what’s called ‘the cure’ ?

From: btnbuck
03-Oct-22
I've made a lot of summer sausage, but I always have used a commercial sausage mix. (P&S seasoning mostly) I've had very good luck with them and my pellet grille. I had to look up the stuff you are referring to. Maybe someone with more knowledge about that ingredient will reply with a better answer.

From: Mo/Ark
03-Oct-22
I don't use it. Just pink salt (#2). Plus seasonings. Last batch of 10 lbs lasted a week...

From: Treeline
03-Oct-22
No, I use Morton’s Tender Quick in my recipe. Everyone that has tried it loves it.

From: butcherboy
04-Oct-22
No, encapsulated citric acid is only used to give the meat that “tang” flavor associated with dry cured summer sausage. I tried it once and don’t care for it all. I’ve made thousands of pounds of summer sausage without it. Be sure to use some kind of curing salt whether it’s sodium nitrate, celery powder, or cherry powder. The celery and cherry powder will change to sodium nitrate during the cooking process.

From: KsRancher
04-Oct-22
2nd on the Mortons

From: Brotsky
04-Oct-22
I like the "tang" and use it in all of my sticks and sausage.

From: KSbuzzcut
04-Oct-22
I have made summer sausage both with and without incapsulated citric acid and can say I preferred the taste with it included

From: boothill
05-Oct-22
I've used Hi Mountain Summer Sausage and casings for many years and they come with the seasoning and cure packets in the kit. The last 2 batches I've done the meat has stuck to the casing and I've never had issue in the past. I contacted HI Mountain and they said too much fat in the meat. Has anyone else had issues with meat sticking to the casings? The processor added some fat to the grind but can't imagine that being an issue.

From: KSbuzzcut
05-Oct-22
The only time I've had meat stick to the casing is because I didn't stick it in an ice bath after it reached the internal temperature I was going for. It will continue cooking after you pull it from the smoker so the ice bath stops that and "sets" the casing. I've heard of people using up to 30-40% fat in summer sausage and not having any casing issues. I like a 20% fat ratio

From: Zbone
06-Oct-22
Curious, how long will homemade keep, refrigerated, or unrefrigerated?... Thanks

From: boothill
07-Oct-22
KSbuzzcut, I normally do throw in a sink of cold water but I think the last time I put on a tray and stuck in fridge instead. That may of been the problem so will try and make sure I don't overcook on temp and put in cold water as soon as I pull it out of smoker. Thanks for the info and I probably created my own issue and didn't know it.

From: Mule Power
07-Oct-22
Scoot… lmao!

From: Mint
08-Apr-24
You only need it if you want to start the smoking process right after stuffing instead of letting the meat sit after mixing for the cure to set.

From: Lenny
06-Aug-24
I don't I use pink salt

From: wytex
06-Aug-24
Resting the sausage overnight after stuffing allows the seasonings to penetrate all the meat, not just the cure. We use the citric acid but it comes in the mix we buy from a processor in spouse's hometown.

From: midwest
06-Aug-24

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