cloth casings?

[bill ace 350]

Had a friend sew up a few casings out of muslin. Wanted to try it, similar to the Taylor Pork Roll. Want to do some summer sausage or salam(dry cure). Any one else try these type casings?

 

[woodcutter]

I have not tried them. I remember seeing NEPAS use them for Lebanon bologna.

 

[boykjo]

Had a friend sew up a few casings out of muslin. Wanted to try it, similar to the Taylor Pork Roll. Want to do some summer sausage or salam(dry cure). Any one else try these type casings?

Are you familiar with dry curing? You will need special equipment to regulate temp and humidity to produce quality and safe dry cured sausage. Not having the correct humidity, you will have case hardening. The sausage will be hard on the outside and soft on the inside thus trapping moisture inside which  micro organisms/bactiria will grow. The sausage need to lose a certain percentage of weight as it dries so you will have to weigh it at the start and keep a record. When the sausage has reached its target weight you need to test the ph level to make sure its ok to eat.... You have good and bad bactiria. The good bacteria will look like white powder . The bad bacteria will look dark in color like moldy food..... Here is a good reference

http://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage-making/drying

http://www.sausagemaker.com/drycuring.aspx

Boykjo

 

[bill ace 350]

Thanks for the replies. Yes, I have successfully dry cured pepperoni on the past, using natural casings. Just wondering if using cloth would require any additional steps/preparation.