how to get kielbasa to come out brown instead of dark red

king kabanos · Post by **king kabanos** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 17:47

i have seen some kielbasa in my local polish deli and some of them are light brown and when i make kielbasa it comes out reddish with a little bit of brown or all red. like kielbasa jalowcowa do you just smoke it for less time and then start baking it or what? another question i am going to start cold smoking kielbasa and wanted to know if you will get sick since it is still raw inside or you do not becuase of the cure? anyone have any pics of done cold smoked kielbasa

unclebuck · Post by **unclebuck** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 20:36

Just freeze the pork for 25 days and you will meet USDA standards for consuming uncooked pork. Grind while it is still half frozen, and you will end up with some of the best "kuby" available, as that is what we call it in the Great White North!!!!

crustyo44 · Post by **crustyo44** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 21:14

Unclebuck's advise is correct and using cure #1 in the kielbasa you have nothing to worry about.
Cheers,
Jan

king kabanos · Post by **king kabanos** » Fri Aug 02, 2013 17:20

ok got it but how about getting the color of the kielbasa brown instead of red when hot smoking? is it just smoked for less time

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Fri Aug 02, 2013 18:15

The wood you use for making the smoke has an influence on the color of the finished product.
http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?p=10982#10982.

sawhorseray · Post by **sawhorseray** » Fri Aug 02, 2013 18:53

king kabanos wrote:ok got it but how about getting the color of the kielbasa brown instead of red when hot smoking? is it just smoked for less time

I'd think most sausage that goes into the smoker is going to stay there until it reaches a internal temperature of 152°. The red color that comes from the paprika usually turns pretty much brown by the time a sausage is fully smoked. The type of paprika used might make quite a difference in color also. The most important aspect is flavor. RAY

crustyo44 · Post by **crustyo44** » Fri Aug 02, 2013 21:21

KK,
What colour are you talking about. Like this?

or like this?

Cheers,
Jan.

unclebuck · Post by **unclebuck** » Fri Aug 02, 2013 21:25

It is the "prague powder" or cure #1 that gives it the red color!

king kabanos · Post by **king kabanos** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 00:39

i use cherry or apple wood. thats some nice sausage what kind are those?? i am talking about this color here is the link and click on the photo that has the kielbasa pic in it

http://www.sweetpoland.com/component/vi ... duct_id=44

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 00:50

What does the color taste like?

Post by **redzed** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 01:54

There are numerous factors affecting color. To begin with, as has already been mentioned, the addition of nitrite will result in a pink or red colour when the meat is cooked. Different cuts of meat are affected differenly. Meat from the part of the animal from active is darker, contains more myoglobin, and after being cured and smoked will be a dark red. The parts of the animal that are less active will be lighter in colour. If you add beef or game to your sausage the colour will be a dark red as well.

If you add paprika or any capsicum seasonings it will also affect the colour.

As far as the exterior colour of the sausage it is almost always the result of the wood. I have found that smoking with cherry gives sausage a reddish colour. Some woods result in a gold brown (oak) darker brown (hickory), lighter brown alder. I'll bet that the jałowcowa in the pic above was smoked with oak or alder and maybe a small amount of juniper wood. The taste would not be very good if it waqs smoked with juniper wood only. And juniper berry sausage is named as such because of the addition of a small amount of ground juniper as a seasoning.

king kabanos · Post by **king kabanos** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 04:06

thanks a lot red zed yeah i was talking about the exterior color. what wood do you use to smoke most of your suasages

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 06:41

Hi KK,
As far as I know, the type of wood mainly determines the skin color. Apple is mild and sweet in flavor and is often used with poultry and pork. Apple smoke will cause chicken skin to turn dark brown in color. Nevertheless, it remains one of the most popular woods for smoking. Hickory is America's favorite smoke, but it leaves a dark mahogany red color (actually preferred). However, given a little time, both smokes will eventually turn dark brown in color. The color in your reference photo, in my opinion, is that of a commercial maker using a very think cold smoke, and very little of that. I believe it would have just a hint of smoke flavor - nothing like our more subtle recipes on this site. The red color of freshly made sausage is actually the color that many people look for. Yet, as the pellicle dries, the color will continue to darken into a deep brown. Hope this helps. Have a great week-end!

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

crustyo44 · Post by **crustyo44** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 09:06

KK,
The sausages in the bowl are my house style Csabai. Cure #1, Genuine Hungarian Paprika and cold smoked with Australian hardwood.
The last photo are Stiffolder, Cure #2, Genuine Hungarian Paprika and cold smoked over several days with drying in between. Smoked again after 7 days.
The only wood I use is Australian hardwood, I like the flavour and easy to get.
Original recipes are from Snagman with some of my own alterations, more stewed garlic and plenty of chilli flakes.
Cheers,
Jan.