Freezing Sausage

highlife4me said:

 
I think most sausages taste the best AFTER they have been in the freezer for a couple months if they are frozen properly,  that time allows the seasoning and smoke flavor meld a bit.

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dward51 said:

 
With freezing it has more to do with the way the meat was wrapped for freezing than anything else IMO.

Freezer paper, zip lock bags, zip lock freezer bags, and wrapped with foil or plastic wrap are the least protective.  Better protection means longer storage time.  Basically when frozen, the meat is going to try and loose moisture if possible and that is what causes freezer burn.  The more the moisture from the ice crystals can escape, the quicker it happens.  If you are finding ice crystals or "frost" on meat in your bag or wrapping, it's not going to last long at all.

Vacuum bagging is the way to go, but the quality the bag construction also makes a difference.  There are some bags that are better than others.  The best are the 3 layer (or more) bags with different barrier layer material made for long term commercial storage.  Some of the less expensive store brand bags are OK, but not so great for long term freezer storage. It ends up being a "you get what you pay for" situation.  My logic is why toss $20 worth of sausage 1 year from now because I saved $0.25 on the vacuum bag.  Also on bags I use for long term storage, I double seal "just in case" as I have seen heat seals that "looked" perfect actually leak down in a couple of hours which gives that slack space for ice crystal frost to form in the bag.

With a decent freezer bag and proper seal, you have basically stopped time.  Absent and incomplete seal or the bag being permeable over time, the meat should last a very long time.   I just thawed and smoked a ring of Italian sausage that was vac packed over a year ago last week.  It was hidden in the back of the freezer as most of my sausage does not last that long before being eaten.  Tasted fine (it was frozen as fresh - but I do like to let the fresh sausage sit at least 24 hours in the fridge for the flavors to meld before freezing if my goal is to freeze the meat). 

Also how you thaw frozen meat affects the quality of the final product. 

Letting it thaw in the fridge overnight is the best IMO.  But for a quick thaw the best way is to put the still sealed freezer bag in a container with room temp tap water and let it slowly thaw.  Stick a plate or something on top to keep the entire vac bag submerged.  Should only take 30 minutes or so unless it's a really thickly stuffed vac bag.   Microwave is the worst way - just don't do it!!!!   You can let it air thaw on a counter, but then you are really going to be stretching out the time it will take and the core will likely still be frozen (be especially conscious of time and temp when dealing with un-cured sausage). 9 times out of 10, I go with the sealed vac bag in room temp water method.

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Brewz said:

 
Hey experts!

I have a question about freezing meat that's bothering me. First let me tell you what I'm using so you can give the best advice.

I bought a Dynaglow Signature vertical smoker, LEM .35 grinder, LEM 5lb stuffer, Foodsaver vacuum sealer, and an upright freezer. I've made several batches of different sausages with somewhat success. I might change the seasonings to my personal preferences is the only thing that wasn't successful for me.

Now, on several different sites I have read that sausage only lasts about 30 days frozen before it starts to turn rancid. Is this true? If so, I have a lot of friends to gather so they can eat up my half full freezer of meat. If true, this will certainly limit my sausage making.

Any input on your experiences with freezing are appreciated.

Thanks.

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dward51 said:

 
With freezing it has more to do with the way the meat was wrapped for freezing than anything else IMO.

Freezer paper, zip lock bags, zip lock freezer bags, and wrapped with foil or plastic wrap are the least protective.  Better protection means longer storage time.  Basically when frozen, the meat is going to try and loose moisture if possible and that is what causes freezer burn.  The more the moisture from the ice crystals can escape, the quicker it happens.  If you are finding ice crystals or "frost" on meat in your bag or wrapping, it's not going to last long at all.

Vacuum bagging is the way to go, but the quality the bag construction also makes a difference.  There are some bags that are better than others.  The best are the 3 layer (or more) bags with different barrier layer material made for long term commercial storage.  Some of the less expensive store brand bags are OK, but not so great for long term freezer storage. It ends up being a "you get what you pay for" situation.  My logic is why toss $20 worth of sausage 1 year from now because I saved $0.25 on the vacuum bag.  Also on bags I use for long term storage, I double seal "just in case" as I have seen heat seals that "looked" perfect actually leak down in a couple of hours which gives that slack space for ice crystal frost to form in the bag.

With a decent freezer bag and proper seal, you have basically stopped time.  Absent and incomplete seal or the bag being permeable over time, the meat should last a very long time.   I just thawed and smoked a ring of Italian sausage that was vac packed over a year ago last week.  It was hidden in the back of the freezer as most of my sausage does not last that long before being eaten.  Tasted fine (it was frozen as fresh - but I do like to let the fresh sausage sit at least 24 hours in the fridge for the flavors to meld before freezing if my goal is to freeze the meat). 

Also how you thaw frozen meat affects the quality of the final product. 

Letting it thaw in the fridge overnight is the best IMO.  But for a quick thaw the best way is to put the still sealed freezer bag in a container with room temp tap water and let it slowly thaw.  Stick a plate or something on top to keep the entire vac bag submerged.  Should only take 30 minutes or so unless it's a really thickly stuffed vac bag.   Microwave is the worst way - just don't do it!!!!   You can let it air thaw on a counter, but then you are really going to be stretching out the time it will take and the core will likely still be frozen (be especially conscious of time and temp when dealing with un-cured sausage). 9 times out of 10, I go with the sealed vac bag in room temp water method.

Click to expand...