Smoked breakfast sausage with Apple question for the pros

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wazoo

Fire Starter
Original poster
Oct 24, 2012
71
13
Redmond, WA
I have been making sausage for a couple of years now and I am very happy with the results.  I want to make a smoked breakfast sausage with apples and wanted some advice from the sausage pros that hang out here.   After searching on line I can't really find much as far as recipes that have what I want.  I have a good breakfast sausage recipe that I have refined that I really like.  I want to add some apple and then smoke it.  The original recipe is for fresh sausage so there is no cure.  I will add cure #1 at the right ratio and reduce the salt appropriately.  From what I can find from researching on line it sounds like the best way to add apple is to fry it lightly with a little onion in bacon grease.  Let it cool and then mix it with the pork.  I am going to stuff into sheep casings.  Then I want to smoke it. I want to vacuum seal and freeze after I am done.  Here are my options on smoking.  

1.  Cold smoke for 2 - 3 hours then poach to 154 degrees,

2.  Warm smoke for 2 - 3 hours at 115 - 120 degrees then poach to 154 degrees

3.  Warm smoke for 2 - 3 hours at 115 - 120 then bump slowly up to 170 degrees and finish in the smoker to 154 degrees

4.  Cold smoke for 2 - 3 hours keeping temperature in the below 45 and package as fresh sausage.

I think either option 1 or 2 would produce the best results.  I would really like to hear from so the sausage makers out there that have a lot more experience than I do.  Please help.

Wazoo
 
If your going to make cured apple sausage you will need to add cure #1. There will not be that much salt added with the cure but your decision to adjust the salt amount will be your call.

1 & 3 sound good. Just keep in mind that poaching you will loose some smoke from the casings.

Hope this helps some

Here is a recipe for ya.

You could make this into fresh apple sausage.

2.5 lbs lean meat

2.5 lbs pork butt

16 0z granny smith apples peeled and diced approx 1/4 x 1/4"

1.5 T salt

1.5 T black pepper (course grind)

1 1/3 T coriander

2 T garlic granuels

2 T paprika

2 T dextrose powder

3 T chopped parsley (or more to taste)

1 T cinnamon

1/2 to 3/4 cup water

1 cup dry milk (opt) but binds meat

hog casings.

Grind med plate 1x

Stuff into casings, make desired links.

Can be baked, broiled, fried or on grill
 
Nepas thank you for the feedback and recipe.  In the past I have smoked my sausage in a little chief so it always needed some help to get to the right IT.  My wife got tired of me making her oven smell like smoked sausage.  Made for some interesting cookies. 
yahoo.gif
I just finished my smoke house so now I have so much more capability.  I thought poaching would decrease some of the smokeyness that I am looking for.  I think that I have going to go with # 3 and finish it in the smoker.

Also thank you for the recipe.  I will compare with my base breakfast sausage recipe and probably come up with a hybrid.  I will have results posted after the weekend.

Wazoo

Here is my new toy.

 
Squirrel thanks for the thought.  Did you re-hydrate the apples at all before using them or just chop them and add as is?  I do not have a dehydrator so I would need to buy dehydrated apples.  
 
I did not rehydrate, chopped fine and added. If you don't have a dehydrator you can do the same thing in a low and slow oven. I've done them at 170F overnight if they are thin enough. It's also better if you have a rack so the juices can drip out. 
 
Nepas thank you for the feedback and recipe.  In the past I have smoked my sausage in a little chief so it always needed some help to get to the right IT.  My wife got tired of me making her oven smell like smoked sausage.  Made for some interesting cookies. 
yahoo.gif
I just finished my smoke house so now I have so much more capability.  I thought poaching would decrease some of the smokeyness that I am looking for.  I think that I have going to go with # 3 and finish it in the smoker.

Also thank you for the recipe.  I will compare with my base breakfast sausage recipe and probably come up with a hybrid.  I will have results posted after the weekend.

Wazoo

Here is my new toy.

Thats a nice smokehouse you built. I sure do miss mine.
 
Like Squirrel I dehydrate my apples, chop and add dry. the liquids in the sausage will rehydrate them.
I like options 1 cause with the poach you'll get a nice juicy plump sausage. but to each his own.
 
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