Homesteading: How to Make Sausage

Making your own sausage is a great way to save money, become more self-sufficient, and enjoy delicious homemade meats. Whether you hunt your own meat or purchase it from the store, making sausage is easier than you think. Below is a simple step-by-step guide to get you started on your sausage-making journey!

What You Need

Before you begin, gather the following ingredients and equipment:

• 5 pounds of meat with a high fat content (pork is a popular choice, but you can use any meat you prefer)
• 1 pound of fat (to make a total of 4 pounds of meat and 1 pound of fat)
• Your favorite sausage recipe ingredients (see recipe ideas below)
• 15-18 feet of sausage casings (if you plan to stuff your sausage)
• Meat grinder
• Sausage stuffer (if you plan to stuff your sausage)

Prep Work

Good sausage-making begins with proper preparation. Follow these steps to ensure the best results:

1. Cut your meat into 1-2 inch chunks. Make sure your fat is chopped into smaller pieces than the meat.
2. Freeze all your meat and equipment (including the grinder) for 1-2 hours. This helps keep the fat and meat separate, preventing them from mixing too early.

Making The Sausage

Once your meat and equipment are cold, it's time to start the sausage-making process:

1. Mix your dry spices with the meat, saving the salt and sugar for the end. Keep everything cold while mixing.
2. Place the meat in a covered bowl and return it to the freezer for 15-30 minutes. The goal is to chill the meat, not freeze it completely.
3. While the meat is chilling, mix your wet ingredients and refrigerate them.
4. If you're using casings, soak them in warm water to prepare them.
5. Remove the grinder from the freezer and set it up. Attach the casing to the sausage stuffer if using one.
6. Grind the meat into a cold bowl immediately after setting up the grinder.
7. Put the ground meat back into the freezer for a few minutes.
8. Using a paddle attachment from your mixer (or a wooden spoon), mix your wet ingredients into the ground meat.
9. If you’re not stuffing the sausage, seal the meat and store it. It can stay in the refrigerator for about a week or in the freezer for up to a year.

Stuffing Your Sausage

If you're stuffing your sausage, follow these steps:

1. Load the cold ground meat into your sausage stuffer with the casings already attached.
2. Follow the instructions for your specific sausage stuffer to properly stuff the casings.

Sausage Recipe Ideas

Breakfast Sausage Recipe

This breakfast sausage recipe is easy to make and delicious!

• 4 pounds pork butt
• 1 pound fat
• 4 tsp kosher salt
• 3 tsp fresh black pepper
• 4 tsp freshly chopped sage
• 4 tsp freshly chopped thyme
• 1 tsp freshly chopped rosemary
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

Mix all ingredients into cubed meat, grind, and form into patties (or keep ground). Cook on the stovetop. This recipe is adapted from Alton Brown's Breakfast Sausage Recipe.

Hot Italian Sausage Recipe

This flavorful Hot Italian Sausage is a crowd-pleaser. Here's what you'll need:

• 4 pounds pork butt
• 1 pound fat
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/8 cup ground paprika
• 1/2 tsp anise seed
• 1/2 tsp fennel seed
• 1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients into cubed meat, grind, and stuff into casings. For full instructions, visit Allrecipes Hot Italian Sausage Recipe.

Additional Resources

For more tips and guides on sausage making, check out these resources:

• How to Make Homemade Sausage from Simply Recipes
• Sausage Making Tips from Homestead Honey