Another casing question

[jkc64]

I 'lost' a sleeve of hog casings in the fridge about 2 months ago. They are in a container of fresh water with a lid on. Will these still be good to use?

 

[DougE]

Just plain fresh water with no salt? That may make a difference in the answers you get. If it is salt water, I'd say you're probably ok, but with just plain water, I don't know the answer.

 

[indaswamp]

Just water? Or water and a little vinegar?

 

[jkc64]

Just plain water, I had rinsed and prepped for stuffing on the weekend. Got the stuffing done had the casings in the frigde. Got distracted with something else and the casings moved to the back of the fridge forgotten.

 

[indaswamp]

I would toss them.

 

[JckDanls 07]

I would toss them.

Me too

 

[SmokinEdge]

Just plain water, I had rinsed and prepped for stuffing on the weekend. Got the stuffing done had the casings in the frigde. Got distracted with something else and the casings moved to the back of the fridge forgotten.

This is what tripped me to NO. If you rinsed then left in plain water for 2 months, then toss and learn. If you had not rinsed, I would vote to go forward.

 

[jkc64]

I was leaning toward tossing just didn't want to waste them if not needed.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I was leaning toward tossing just didn't want to waste them if not needed.

Salt concentration is all you have to fight bacteria. This is bacteria from the gut of an animal, that’s where all the bad stuff for us humans lives.

In perspective, salt in water, can only be concentrated to 26% salt, period the end. That’s high salt for consumption, but in terms of preservation with no drying or nitrite or lactic acid producing bacteria, it’s the only thing you have to fight bacteria (the salt concentration) so when you rinse the salt off and place in fresh water, those bacteria, if they exist, have a field day, and in this case it would be the bacteria that starts decomposition plus any other bad bacteria, for two months have room to grow. If you keep the casings in water saturated in salt, the casing stay safe and hydrated. salt settles to the bottom and casings are suspended in salt water keeping them soft and ready for months.