[acrown64]

Hi folks, I currently have 4 saddleback pigs we are bringing on for pork! Two should be at weight for killing within the next couple of weeks. I have got the abattoir sorted but still need to find a suitable butcher. My main concern is sausages. I have heard that they can be expensive to get your butcher to make? Is it worth paying the butcher or should I buy a sausage filling kit and try it myself?!? How hard can it be after all? (Famous last words, lol).

Does any one have any experience of this or could give me any advice on the sausage making process ( dos and donts?).

Thanks
Alastair

[Greenerlife]

Some butchers do seem to charge a premium for making sausages and is IS a skill - but one that can be acquired easily.  My first piggies sausages were done by the butcher, and I seem to remember that they charged me a fee by the kilo to cover the price of skins and making up.  It is fun to make your own, and it is not rocket science and I have done my own ever since.


I bought a stuffer (shared one first, then decided I wanted my own gizmo!). I ask the butcher to mince my chosen pig parts and then add my own seasonings and buy my skins from Weschenfeld (spelling?) and then play my own "Generation Game".  I looked at a few youtube videos to get the linking right and hey presto...


good luck!

[Bionic]

Alastair, I got the butcher to make most of them but asked the abattoir for some mince so that I could give it a go myself with flavourings and skins from Weschenfeld too. I was disappointed in the flavourings as you wouldn't know they were there but other than that my own sausages didn't look too bad. Although the first few were a bit funny to look at. I found it quite hard work though, even though mine was already minced.
Maybe for the first time you could do as I did and get the butcher to make some and do a few yourself. That way you get an idea of what you can cope with for the next time.
Sally

[Hassle]

I've made my own sausages, but using a friends industrial mincer/mixing and sausage machine and him doing show and tell ... so I've done the generation game and then platted up until i was asked are my arms tired as I'm holding several kilos in the air 

I probably could have done it myself but not without a few mistakes it's all about how tight/loose you hold the skin on the tube and air is a nightmare.  Ask the butcher if you can watch/ help and perhaps see if you can borrow a small hand machine and have a go with a few kilos, the butcher will sell you skins... the mix is quite easy to do yourself unless you want fancy ones but basically rusk, wet bread and salt is all you add.... don't think you are making more health by not using salt as you risk botulism.

For this advice I'd be happy to try some 

[Tregwyr]

Andrew James Premium Electric Meat Mincer Grinder and Sausage Maker Powerful 1800 Watt Copper Motor

We put the above on our Christmas list....

It works brilliantly and sausages are really easy to make. We bought collagen skins rather than hog skins as a friend told us the latter had a flavour all of their own (and not altogether pleasant). There are loads of sausage recipes online. I would advise that you buy it sooner rather than after your pigs have gone off, then you can mince fresh meat. We were on a bit of a deadline - the meat arrived back with the mincer to follow, which was a bit stressful. The sausages are amazing!!!

[Greenerlife]

Seeing the last post is interesting...We had a sausageathon with about 10 people all making their own recently, and some people used the collagen skins.  They are definitely easier to use theough the processing as they are uniform, but I have never found that hog skins have "flavour"  When you buy them they have a slight whiff of pig about them, but they should, shouldn't they?    they are quite processed, so no question of anything untoward. 

[Fowgill Farm]

The above suggestions are all ok if the sausages are for your own consumption ONLY.
If you plan to sell theres lots of hoops to jump thro and you'll need to contact your local environmental health officer.
My butcher makes my suasages and charges £1.45 per kg this includes making, traying, wrapping & labelling.
mandy

[acrown64]

Thanks for the replays guys. That mincer recommended above seems like a good bit of kit and at a keen price. I think I will buy one of those and a few packs of collagen casings and maybe try it out with a bit of shop bought pork, ( don't want to waste my good stuff ) and see how it goes as a trial run.

Anybody have any suggestions of seasonings? On another note has anyone ever made chorizo? Saw a thing on tv and the mixture seems pretty straightforward!

[mwncigirl]

We've been looking into curing, chorizo, salamis etc, have a look at the food and processing part of the food and crafts forum on here. There's lots of advice on there. I have found it really helpful.


Our abbertoir has a butchers attached, they make sausage for £1 per lb. I reckon its great to make them yourself if you have time, but if not, our butchers do a great and pretty cheap job. I'd also make a small amount to practice rather than be landed with tonnes of minced meat. A bit overwhelming!!

[Greenerlife]

Anybody have any suggestions of seasonings? On another note has anyone ever made chorizo? Saw a thing on tv and the mixture seems pretty straightforward!

I probably make up a third of my sausages as chorizo, as I use it a lot in cooking.  I then hang them for a week before freezing them.  I do buy proper Spanish smoked paprika for them though - ordinary paprika just doesn't do it. (Makes a nice sausage, but not an authentic taste)

[MAK]

If it helps ;
We purchased some shoulder meat and fat, skins and seasoning from Weschenfelder and had a go.
The next year we butchered our own 2 pigs and made 2 types of sausages.
This year we did the same plus saucison sec and chorizo.

WE HAVE HAD HELP FROM EXPERTS ON THIS SITE !!  Give it a go and have fun.

[acrown64]

UPDATE!!
So i purchased the Andrew James meat grinder as recommended above (great bit of kit by the way), and order a pack of natural hog casings online.
I got some nice pork shoulder off the local butcher and gave it a test run tonight.

Did some plain ones for breakfast, just seasoned with salt and pepper, and then some spicy chilly "Dinner" sausages.
Turned out great! Better than I could have imagined for my first time. The machine is great and easy to use. Will definatley be making more when the pigs are done.

I have included a picture below to show off my handy work, lol 

Thanks for all the advice! Next trial run is the Chorizo!

A

[Hassle]

They look really good Although can't see the taste please email half a dozen, and I'll give you my expert opinion (I say expert by that I mean I eat a few) 

[MAK]

They look great A. I think the taste improves after 24 hours so even better tomorrow !
I think that we are just one year ahead of you. We got some help from other TAS members about drying chorizo and have these and some saucisson sec ( Rosette really) hanging as I type.
I strongly recommend Weschenfelders Toulouse sausage seasoning. They are a great dinner sausage with duck and white beans ( cassoulet). Mt little girl made this lot !

[P6te]

I strongly recommend Weschenfelders Toulouse sausage seasoning.

I can certainly endorse Weschenfelders Toulouse seasoning, that is one we did and in my opinion and that of a lots of our customers it was the best one.  The main difference between the Toulouse and the others we tried was that with Toulouse you do not add any rusk to the mix so the sausages are 100% pork (other than for the seasonings).  Most other Weschenfelders seasonings we've tried are around 70% pork from memory.

Pete