Homemade Sausage Making

Hi Gunny,
Over the years I have used all sorts of Paprika, sweet, hot and smoked but when you use the Genuine Hungarian varieties You will immediately notice the difference.
It's like chalk and cheese.
Most Paprika powder here comes from Spain, mind you I am not knocking it but it certainly is not in the same league.
And as the suppliers are changing rapidly in this world, may be we will all be eating chinese paprika powder, they have to be better to beat the Magyars.
Regards,
Jan.

It all starts with peppers. Perhaps no plant so readily hybridizes as solanaceae. Closely related to the potato, tomato and nightshade and belladonna, peppers are variable even within a named variety. That Hungarian paprika stands out as exceptional probably relates to purity of variety and growing conditions. With most herbs the time of harvest has a great influence on quality and taste.
The Burpee seed catalog offers several varieties of "bell" peppers. It might be interesting to grow all of them and do side by side taste testing.

As we have learned, there are the peppers of the king, and then there is the king of the peppers.

Do anybody have Penzeys-store nearby ?

Gulyás wrote:Do anybody have Penzeys-store nearby ?

Eighteen miles one way to Minneapolis or twenty-one miles to St. Paul. With my SUV we're talking about a gallon of fuel each way. I'm thinking the shipping cost would be cheaper than the fuel! And I can't think of $30 of spices I need for the free shipping. Maybe I should look more at the site.

Jim

There is a Penzeys up the road a piece from where I work. Kind of pricey....~$20 lb. I also notice that Sausagemaker has Hungarian paprika for $10.99 for 15 oz, and free shipping right now. Anybody have experience with their Hungarian paprika?

I have lots of experience with hungarian peppers. I was born there, lived there for 27 years.
The peppers are not the same, the 2 most famous are szegedi, and kalocsai.

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My son is living in Minneapolis.

I am sorry for the misprint regarding the cultures. If you've already ordered F-LC, don't worry. We'll use it. Our first choice for this particular Mettwurst recipe is T-SPX because it is a little slower in producing fermention and results in more flavor. However, the speed of fermentation is determined by the temperature and although FLC is much faster, it also provides added listeria protection. (F-LC produces the bacteriocins Lactobacillus Curvatus and Pediococcus Acidilactici which suppress the growth of Listeria Monocytogenes - the bacteria responsible for causing the disease listeria. To bolster the flavor and color, it also contains Staphylococcus xylosus).

Stan Marianski has written the instructions for T-SPX. If you have already ordered F-LC ...no problem. We`ll simply adjust the temperature and a few other "fine touches". Both cultures are top-notch! So, there's no problemo pato loco (El Duckoooo)

Okay wranglers....
How is everyone doing with their reading? How about hearing from all associates? Please let us know how you're doing and if you need to go slower or faster? Also have you ordered your supplies? And... be sure to include any suggestions you may have. Are the "self check ups" helping you understand the material?

Please check in now gang! Let's hear from all of you registered with this projcect. Tell us how you are doing.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

Hi,
I will collect some natural sheep casings next week and the T-SPX will be on the way as well. I did have a lot of trouble finding a supplier here but luckily I found one that actually carries the T-SPX in stock.
Otherwise I am ready to roll.
Regards,
Jan.

Hello C.W.

I did not order everything yet, because I'm very busy, but I catch up.
Saturday I'll be cooking cattle goulash for 15 people, 14 adults, and 1 kid.

Hi Chuckwagon,

Thanks for the explanation on the cultures, I am up to speed on everything so far and ready to move ahead anytime the groups is ready. I will order the T-SPX and 76mm casings and netting when we get a bit closer to this part of the project-I have everything else on the shelf.

Thanks

Hi everyone!

I'm up to speed on the reading, I just need to start looking at the recipe list and get everything ordered. Like a few others, it's busy right now. But I should have time tonight to do some online shopping for the needed supplies.

Also, what's the projected timeline for the first grinding/stuffing session?

CW- I have a question about the grinder plates and the sizes of the holes. My LEM grinder came with a 10mm and a 4.5 mm grinder plate. I haven't been 100% happy with the texture when making sausage and grinding once when using either one. The 10mm leaves the fat larger than I'd like, the 4.5 seems a tad too small and leaves the texture closer to emulsified than I'd like for a fresh sausage. So my question is, should I pick up a plate that is somewhere in between, like a 6 or 7 mm, or should I just be using the 10mm and double grind everything?

Hi there!

I've read the material before, so I'm good there. Checking my supplies against the list and waiting on a delivery from Sausage Maker.

Hi tooth.

In my opinion, it depends on what you're making. Double grinding is a supermarket trick, to hide the horsh** in the "meat". For fresh sausage, the 10 mm. works just fine, specially if you bake/fry/or grill it. Now if you want to make bologna, that's different.
6 mm. plate works good for fat, if almost frozen. 8 mm. too. Single grind.

Hey CW. I'm onboard.
Got the reading done, twice.
I have most of the spices.
I have to order a couple of the casings.
I have to go to Calif the first week of September. I'm driving and taking the MB gasser and my Amazen Tube Smoker.
I'll do my ordering when I get there and find out my address, so I may be a little behind, but, I will catch up.
I just hope it all fits in my car.

On another note, I went through the recipes again and we do need F-LC (Saddle Bum`s Smoky Beef Stick) and T-SPX (Mettwurst - Braunschweiger)
We also need Pasilla Chiles (Chorizo by El Ducko)