Hi all! New here and looking to learn.

[7sixtwox3nine]

So, I was just finishing up my first batch of hot Italian sausage and facing the question of what to do with all those links? Surely, I wouldn't eat them all in 3 or 4 days and freezing just didn't seem like the best answer. smoking came to mind but I'd read somewhere that meat should be cured to prevent botulism when long term storage seemed likely. Here I am then, all ears and eyes.

I'm an old Navy vet (Vietnam era Seabee's) with many interests including cooking, grilling, baking, beer, wine and cheese making, sausage and pasta making, canning, carpentry, motorcycling, 4 wheeling, hiking, camping, fishing, hunting and shooting sports. I'm skilled with a camera, I write poetry and short stories,  and I genuinely like to learn new things. I stay busy, always have a few projects in the works and never finish on time because I can't 'say no' when someone needs help or wants to talk..lol ...but enough about me

I'm not necessarily a "prepper".. but I do believe in self preservation

 

[disco]

Welcome from Canada.

If you are going to cure sausage, you should be adding a curing agent (Morton's Tenderquick, Instacure #1, Prague Powder #1, Pink Salt #1). at the time of mixing the meat. These days it is not usually done to make long term storage possible but is done to give a cured flavour and to allow time for long slow smoking without allowing botulism or other toxin producing bacteria to flourish during the long periods in the danger zone for bacterial growth. 

Personally, I freeze my fresh sausages (breakfast, bratwurst, Italian) with good result. Even when I cure sausage (summer sausage, cotto salami, etc) I freeze some of it for longer term storage. I do note a change in flavour with the frozen portions but not objectionable.

I would suggest you cruise the sausage forum. There are lots of posts from people with a lot of experience.

If you want to make friends, post whatever you end up trying. We love Qview (pictures).

Disco

 

[GaryHibbert]

Hey

Welcome to the Smoking  forum.   You’ll find great , friendly people here, all more than willing to answer any question you may have.  Just ask and you’ll get about 10 different answers—all right.  LOL.   Don’t forget to post qviews.

Gary

 

[leah elisheva]

Welcome indeed! And thank you for serving!

You'll love it here, and do come join our "winos" group too, (click up in the "Groups" section), if you like, as we have a lot of fun chit-chatting in there!!!

Cheers! - Leah

 

[gary s]

Good morning and welcome to the forum, sound like you have a lot going on, looking forward to future post and pictures.

Gary S

 

[7sixtwox3nine]

@ Disco...Thanks so much for the welcome and the info, suggestions :) I'll definitely be looking into the sausage forum and I appreciate your valuable input.

 I do hope to make friends here, haha  and I will surely be posting some (Qviews?) pics :)  ..and checking out the OLDFATGUY blog

@ Gary ..Thanks to you also for the quick reply and the welcome..with good suggestions. I need all the help I can get LOL

@ Leah.. and Thanks indeed to You for the warm welcome and the group invite :)  I found it and a few others I was interested in, so thanks again!

@ ALL..........I hope to get to know each of you better and of course I hope I'll be able to share something of interest to you.

any questions? just ask. I'll answer if I can :)