WHY BOLOGNA “TAKES WATER” IN COOKING.
Query.—H. P. writes: “Sometimes I have bother with my bologna taking water when cooking them. Can you tell me what to do to prevent this trouble?”
Ans.—The difficulty you mention is caused by the sausage not being properly boiled. Ordinary round or long Bologna should be boiled in water of 160 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit for about thirty to forty minutes, and thick, large Bologna should be boiled in water of 155 to 160 degrees for from three-quarters to one hour, according to the size. If the sausages are very large, it will take from one and one-quarter to one and one-half hours to cook them properly. After sausage of any kind have been cooked, they should be handled as follows: Pour boiling water over them to wash off all the surplus grease that adheres to the casings, and then pour cold water over them to shrink and close the pores of the casings. This is very important and should be closely observed by all packers and sausage makers who wish to have their sausage look nice and keep their fresh appearance. The shrinkage and quality of cooked Bologna depends considerably upon the temperature in which they have been boiled. It is very necessary for every man who cooks sausage to use a thermometer.