How long can you keep fresh casings

[nickelmore]

Just wondering how long it is safe to keep fresh casings in the refrigerator without re-salting them.

I buy them by the 1/2 pound used some and need to know how long I can keep them in cold water without adding salt to the water.

Thanks

 

[morkdach]

bumpety bump good

 

[rivet]

Hey Nickel, I think I found you some answers....

this one "....Fresh casings have a shelf life of about two months if kept in salt and kept refrigerated. The sheep casings are very delicate and require more skill. Nowadays the fresh casings come on tapes or tubes so that they are easier to thread onto the filling nozzle and avoid the arduous task of unravelling a large knotted mass..... comes from what looks like a great sausagemaking website in the UK:
http://www.sausagemaking.co.uk/

This one

"WHAT IS THE SHELF LIFE OF NATURAL CASINGS?

Salt: 1 year or more
Preflushed in Net Pack: 6 months to one year.
Preflushed in Vacuum Pack: 6 months to one year.
Preflushed on plastic Tubes: 6 months to one year.
-Top-

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO STORE NATURAL CASINGS?

Store in the cooler at 40º (4.44ºC) or less in brine or well salted. NEVER freeze casings."


Comes from this website:
http://www.sausagesource.com/NatCasingFAQ.htm#ShelfLife



And you can check out the website below and ask them questions online:
http://www.dewied.com/casings_hog.html


Looks like a very good company.


Hope this helps you out and good smokes to you!

 

[bassman]

I have used hog casings that were salted/frozen for 5 years and the sausage came out great. I don't know their reasoning for the no freeze advice. I had no splits and the flavor was not affected.

 

[werdwolf]

If packed in salt my butcher states they will last indefinitely. I have had some close to a year old and still good.

Just make sure and rinse them well.

 

[nickelmore]

I think I leave them in a strong brine until I get back from deer camp, and re rinse them when I get back.

Contemplating my first time with summer sausage tonight, still looking for a recipe that does not use corn starch solids or anything that I may not have on hand.

I thought I had one that used powdered dextrose but I cant find it in "the book"

 

[desertlites]

my butcher says packed in salt,sucky bagged,frozen will last forever & a day.never had a prob here.