Casings and Spices.
—All classes of beef casings, namely, rounds, bungs, middles and weasands, as well as hog bungs, hog casings and sheep casings are used in the Sausage Department. There is perhaps more chicanery used in Sausage Room supplies than in any other one department, consequently care in purchase of these supplies is worthy of attention. In sheep casings it is a matter of grading as to width, pieces and yardage per bundle; in hog casings, a matter of salt per pound purchased, and grading as to width and pieces; in rounds and middles one of holes, pieces and measurement per set.
Spices should so far as possible be bought in the natural state and mixed on the premises. Pure Food laws pretty well take care of the purity of the spice in most states.
Sausage Cereals.
—This is a very important factor in the manufacture of sausage. The province of “fillers” is to absorb water, preventing shrinkage, and while this is advisable to an extent, if overdone, it detracts from the quality of the product. The main base ingredients for fillers are rice flour, corn flour and potato flour. There are many sausage fillers on the market but the foregoing ingredients are most frequently used.
Potato flour or starch is not used to any extent today, manufacturers finding that there is a great deal of trouble attached to the manufacture of sausage containing these ingredients, on account of the liability to sour and spoil. Corn flour is the best filler that can be used, being less liable to ferment, while it absorbs the water quickly. While fillers are used to a great extent, the sausage manufacturer should remember that the quality of sausage is deteriorated proportionately to the amount of water that is worked in. Hence fillers should be used with discretion, and manufacturers who aim to make a name for their goods, are frugal with fillers.
Sausage Formulas.
—The following methods are tried and used for the manufacture of various kinds of sausage. Sausage makers vary procedure according to stocks on hand. However, for uniformity, it is best to conform to a standard so far as possible.
Pork Sausage.
—This is produced in various grades, from a fancy breakfast quality to a substance whose chief claim to the name is the form. A good pork sausage can be made as follows: