How do you record your Recipes?

[DailyLunatic]

I'm just getting started in Sausage Making, so forgive me if this has already been discussed.

I'd been collecting a few recipes that I wanted to try. Almost everything has been 'x' lb. meat, 'x' tablespoon of 'y', etc.

Then I stumbled across a YouTube video where, instead of measures, they presented the spices as 'percentages' of the total weight. Salt=1.98% (i.e. total meats are 4536g [10lbs] and table salt is 1.98% [89.8g])

At first I was like, oh great, math... Then something clunked, and I realized, 'that's scalable'. One Excel Spreadsheet later (yeah I'm nerdy that way), and I just have to fill in a few 'unverified' spice weights (internet disagrees on grams/teaspoon on a few things) A bit of algebra, and I can now take a recipe in tsp, convert to grams, record, and can scale the recipe for the amount of meat I have, up, down, or create a blend. Easy peazy.

So, question is, do you record your recipes as tablespoons, grams, etc., for a set weight (3lb batch), or as % like they did?

-sterling

 

[SmokinEdge]

Everything I do in sausage making or curing in general is scaled as grams. There really are no two spoons that are the same in volume but weight is always right.

Weigh everything and apply ingredients by percentage is the only way to go. No spoon and shovels for me.

 

[Kvgsqtii]

I have an excel spreadsheet that I keep all my recipes in and everything is based off percentages. When I find a recipe I want to try, I take measurements from the recipe and convert to grams and then standardize to 1000g of meat. I also keep notes on each batch in there which helps with tweaking the recipes to dial in the flavor.

 

[Dustin Dorsey]

I put my recipes in percentages by weight in grams (standardizing to 1000 grams is pretty much the same thing). I don't really put them in a spreadsheet, I very sloppily write them on a sheet of paper and I have them on my fridge with a magnet. Most of my recipes are adaptations of ones I've found (stolen) that I've tweaked to my liking. Sometimes I'll combine things I like from several of the same type of recipe. I don't understand why some folks are so adverse to using percentages or metric. It's far easier than messing around with teaspoons and tablespoons. It's way easier to adjust or create new recipes. Also, when you try to scale recipes by volume there's always some rounding going on that can throw everything off when using these volume measurements like teaspoons and tablespoons.

 

[zwiller]

Grams and spreadsheet here too (and not just sausage, rubs/brines/injections). EDIT On awhim I started adding tasting and cooking notes to it and it is IMMENSELY helpful. No other way IMO. The level of precision and consistency is kinda shocking. I am beyond store bought quality and really close to what I would call artisanal level on some stuff and have not been doing this long. Any known good recipe here done in volume gets converted and plugged in. While I am at it, nearly all spices used are whole and fresh ground. I still use commercial mixes (almost always Legg) for things I have not figured out. Still put in a .xls file since I normally tweak it. Nothing against guys eyeballing stuff or using volume. They developed a feel for it over the years but I am still learning.

 

[JC in GB]

I have a notebook I use for developing recipes and another book with completed recipes. I measure everything in metric units as that is so much easier for scaling additives. If I come across a recipe in English system measures, I convert that to metric units as close as possible.

JC

 

[bmudd14474]

Grams for me when doing most things.

I also had a recipe program that I used but they went out of business so I am leaning on going to mastercook to store recipes.

 

[zwiller]

I used a notebook at first and works well. Forgot to mention there are some free apps for this. Pretty slick but not for me. I print mine out and use it to keep track of additions. Cross off or check the ingredients. Make on the fly notes or changes. Towards the end of the recipe/making the spice mix I am now tasting it so sometimes I tweak based on that. I have also cut and pasted recipes for people via DMs.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I have a recipe book. I long hand all my recipes and put them in the binder. I don’t trust electronics. When the power goes out I can still read by candle light, but that’s just me.

 

[lowcountrygamecock]

Paprika app. One of the few apps I’ve purchased but it’s well worth it. Browser download feature will download a recipe and strip out all the unnecessary blog junk that comes with most online recipes. Also has scale feature to increase/decrease servings. It’s a great app.

 

[DougE]

I do all sausages and curing on a percentage basis weighed in grams. Makes it simple to make adjustments doing it by percentages.

 

[DougE]

I have a recipe book. I long hand all my recipes and put them in the binder. I don’t trust electronics. When the power goes out I can still read by candle light, but that’s just me.

I have most of mine written down in a notebook as well.

 

[DailyLunatic]

I have a recipe book. I long hand all my recipes and put them in the binder. I don’t trust electronics. When the power goes out I can still read by candle light, but that’s just me.

Okay, but are ingredients by measure (regardless if weight or volume) or are they by percentage?

 

[DougE]

Okay, but are ingredients by measure (regardless if weight or volume) or are they by percentage?

I do all by percentage. Makes it simple to make adjustments to quantity, or tweaking the original recipe.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Okay, but are ingredients by measure (regardless if weight or volume) or are they by percentage?

Weight to percentage, always.

 

[noboundaries]

One Excel Spreadsheet later (yeah I'm nerdy that way), and I just have to fill in a few 'unverified' spice weights

Yep. Spreadsheet is my go-to for sausage and jerky ingredients based on the weight of the meat.

 

[DailyLunatic]

Thanks all, so it appears that many of you record by %, as I intend to.

So, speaking only to those that record by %, or weight. When you find a recipe you would like to try, and it is in volume measure (1 tsp of red pepper flakes for example), how do you get the weight? (tsp=1.3g for example)

Do you:
-Record by volume, then actually weight the ingredients the first time you make. Then re-record by weight?
-Weigh ahead of actually making, and record then? Then put everything back.
-Research the ingredient weights from internet, and record from unverified weight?

-sterling

 

[Fueling Around]

Doesn't matter which scale you use (American or metric) as long as measurements are based on weigh percentages I keep all my recipes on handwritten notes on paper or my journal. Once a recipe is gets to our liking, it gets added to my journal.

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

Paprika app. One of the few apps I’ve purchased but it’s well worth it. Browser download feature will download a recipe and strip out all the unnecessary blog junk that comes with most online recipes. Also has scale feature to increase/decrease servings. It’s a great app.

Paprika 3 is the best app ever!

 

[Kvgsqtii]

Thanks all, so it appears that many of you record by %, as I intend to.

So, speaking only to those that record by %, or weight. When you find a recipe you would like to try, and it is in volume measure (1 tsp of red pepper flakes for example), how do you get the weight? (tsp=1.3g for example)

Do you:
-Record by volume, then actually weight the ingredients the first time you make. Then re-record by weight?
-Weigh ahead of actually making, and record then? Then put everything back.
-Research the ingredient weights from internet, and record from unverified weight?

-sterling

Any of those methods would work to get a volume to mass conversion. If there is some error in the conversion, thats why I keep taste notes and adjust percentages accordingly.