Encapsulated Citric Acid

[Gudie69]

I ordered a summer sausage seasoning kit that contains encapsulated citric acid. I do not have a dedicated stuffer and have read not to run the citric acid through the stuffing function of my grinder. Can I just skip adding the encapsulated citric acid?

 

[voyager 663rd]

Apparently of no interest so I deleted it.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I ordered a summer sausage seasoning kit that contains encapsulated citric acid. I do not have a dedicated stuffer and have read not to run the citric acid through the stuffing function of my grinder. Can I just skip adding the encapsulated citric acid?

Mix the ECA in after the grind . If you are stuffing with your grinder then just skip the ECA, but you will miss it.

 

[Steve H]

For summer sausage. You can hand stuff instead.

 

[Gudie69]

For summer sausage. You can hand stuff instead.

Steve-do you mean just dropping the meat in the casing then use the casing to push down/compress the meat? Will that provide a firm sausage or would if be too loose?

 

[chopsaw]

Can I just skip adding the encapsulated citric acid?

Yes , you can skip it . You don't want it to burst or dissolve to soon , or it will ruin the sausage .

 

[GatorAGR]

ECA gives the sausage/sticks that classic tangy flavor. So the flavor profile would be noticeably different, however, I don't think it would result in a "bad" summer sausage without it. If you don't have a dedicated stuffer, you might consider getting a cheap "jerky gun" to stuff with. As mentioned above though, stuffing SS by hand wouldn't be too difficult because of the large casing size. I personally would try to find a way to incorporate the ECA if you can.

 

[Steve H]

Steve-do you mean just dropping the meat in the casing then use the casing to push down/compress the meat? Will that provide a firm sausage or would if be too loose?

Roll into balls roughly the same diameter as the casing. And press them into the casing. These casings are pretty tough. So you can use some pressure to get any air pockets out of it. I do this if I'm only doing a couple of them.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Roll into balls roughly the same diameter as the casing. And press them into the casing. These casings are pretty tough. So you can use some pressure to get any air pockets out of it. I do this if I'm only doing a couple of them.

This. And sometimes I use one of those rubber or silicone spatula like you use to scrape batter out of a bowl to push the mince down and get the air out. It works just fine.

When I do small batch on larger (4-5”) casing of say, bologna, I just roll the top of the casing down like a sock, stuff and then just keep pulling the roll of the casing up as the meat level climbs. It’s very workable.

 

[DougE]

I've played with ECA quite a bit.

It needs to be the last ingredient you add to the ground meat, just mixed in to incorporate before stuffing.

Using a grinder to stuff is a no-go. If you rupture the capsules before the cooking process releases the citric acid, it ain't going to do its thing like it's supposed to. The capsules are heat activated and meant to release during the cooking process.

 

[Fueling Around]

Never tried ECA myself. Tried Fermento a couple times and not impressed.
@Steve H and @SmokinEdge got you covered on the ease of hand stuffing

...
If you don't have a dedicated stuffer, you might consider getting a cheap "jerky gun" to stuff with.
...

I make small batches of sausage with a 2# jerky gun. I added a set of SS tubes to stuff various sized casings.

 

[dward51]

ECA will also cause the texture of the meat to degrade if not used "properly". Don't add it and let the meat mixture sit overnight or for hours.

You want to add it last, just before stuffing and smoking. If you are mixing the other spices and letting your meat rest overnight in the fridge before stuffing, don't add the ECA then. Add it by hand and the preferred method of loading the summer sausage casings would be with a stuffer. I don't know how well it would work with a grinder, but if you do try a grinder make sure you only used a stuffing plate and no cutting blade. You don't want the ECA capsules to break open too soon. The heat will do that job for you at around 140*, and by that time the meat is mostly set so it does not affect the texture and just adds the twang you want.

 

[zwiller]

Personally I would skip the ECA. I make it that way all the time. Not going to taste the same but it's still dang tasty. Summer sausage without the ferment is cervelat or "bologna".

Fermenting is actually pretty dang easy and if like the tang just jump in and learn. Easiest way is oven with light on. I put a light bulb in a spare fridge. Fermenting tastes WAY better than the hacks.