Safe Practices for Sausage Production

eHow
June 23, 2011

Sausage production has become a highly respected culinary art. Craft sausage makers at home and commercial producers alike create inventive flavor profiles from a product once considered peasant food. Sausage is safer for consumption than some other meats because of the effects of salt, pH, curing, drying and cooking, which preserve the product and eliminate bacteria. Still, sausage makers should adhere to safety guidelines.

Clean Surfaces and Equipment
When preparing any food, follow general guidelines to reduce the risk of food-borne illness. Always wash your hands with soap and water before beginning work and between tasks, or after doing anything that could contaminate the food product, like sneezing or touching your face. Start with clean equipment and surfaces. This is particularly important when grinding meat, as bacteria can hide and thrive in the grates of the grinder.

Proper Refrigeration
If you are using frozen meat for your sausages, thaw it in a refrigerator or cooler, not at room temperature. Thaw on the lowest level of the cooler to avoid raw juices dripping on other foodstuffs. Always marinate sausage meat in the refrigerator as well. Keep the meat as cold as possible during processing, around 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. If necessary, refrigerate the meat at various stages of the process: after grinding, after seasoning and before stuffing.

Thermal Processing
Most sausages are smoked and heated to pasteurize the product and extend its shelf life. Smoking also gives sausage its characteristic smoky flavor and coloring. The smoking and heating process is necessary for safe sausage production, except in the cases of a few products that are meant to be cooked at the time of consumption. To smoke Polish sausage, stuff the meat in hog casings and hang them to dry. Smoke at 120 degrees for one hour, 150 degrees for another hour and 170 degrees for two hours or until an internal temperature of 141 degrees is reached. Remove the sausages from the smokehouse and spray with hot water for 15 to 30 seconds. Shower them with cold water until they reach 100 degrees. Let the sausages dry for one to two hours and refrigerate.

To smoke summer sausage, stuff the meat into the casings and smoke at 140 degrees for one hour, 160 degrees for another hour and 180 degrees for two hours to an internal temperature of 155 degrees. Remove from the smokehouse and follow the Polish sausage procedure for showering and drying before refrigerating.

To make cooked sausage that is not smoked, like liverwurst, stuff the meat into an impermeable casing. Submerge the sausages into a pan of water and heat to 170 degrees. Using a thermometer, allow the sausage to reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees. Do not allow the water to boil.

Storage and Handling
Keep fresh sausages refrigerated. Cook thoroughly before eating, and consume within three days or freeze the leftovers. For uncooked smoked sausage like pork kielbasa, keep refrigerated and cook thoroughly. Consume or freeze within seven days. Keep cooked smoked sausages like bologna or frankfurters refrigerated. Consume within seven days of opening. Dry sausages like Genoa salami and pepperoni are shelf-stable and do not require refrigeration. Semi-dry sausages like Lebanon bologna and summer sausage are best kept refrigerated. Cooked meats like head cheese and scrapple should be refrigerated and consumed within three days of opening.

References
North Dakota State University; The Art and Practice of Sausage Making; Martin Marchello, et al.; 2004
Food Safety and Inspection Service: Principles of Preservation of Shelf-Stable Dried Meat Products