I know I know I ask a lot of questions [emoji]128540[/emoji] Anyway if I make a batch of say hot link sausage or Andouille can I freeze just the ground mixture in vac sealed bags then defrost and stuff later? If so.....can it be frozen with the Cure in it or should that be left out till ready to stuff?
Another quicky I have a recipe that tells me to cut into cubes.....season with the spices and Cure and refrigerate for 1-2 days before grinding. I'm pretty sure 1-2 days is perfectly fine but will the cure "change" the texture for the worse? Or will it make it better?
Got my first batch of spices mixed for Andouille so I'm getting there. Excited to start this journey.
Thanks in advance guys
Scott
You sure can freeze your ground mixture and stuff later. Some may not like to do it as they worry about texture. I think that as long as you aren't freezing for 4+ months you will be fine.
I have it on good authority there is no issue to freezing your sausage with seasoning and cure mixed in. I have been smoking Franks I made last Oct/Nov that were ground, seasoned and cured, stuffed, vac sealed and frozen.
THE KEY is that the ground, seasoned, and cured sausage must sit in the FRIDGE for 12-24 hours before you freeze it. The cure will work its magic in that time frame but WILL NOT do it's job while frozen. (Thanks for answering all of my questions on this in the past DaveOmak
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So the process would be:
Season & Cure Meat -> hold in fridge 12-24 hours -> Freeze
I cannot answer on whether or not the cure one cubes would change the texture before grinding or not. My educated guess is no it will not.
I personally would grind then season and cure rather than do it the way your directions instruct. You can do it either way but I find it easier to grind the meat/fat alone. Separately, add a little water plus seasoning and cure to the blender and blend, then pour seasoning into meat and mix thoroughly. Hell every store bought sausage seasoning mix I've ever seen does it the way I just described :)
After mixing in seasoning and cure I would stuff and let sit in the fridge to dry, drain, etc. for 12-24hrs then vac seal and freeze.
When I make sausage I generally do 40-80 pounds at a time and usually about 30-35 pounds of pure Venison grind (no fat added) for baggies.
I do all of my grinding in 1 day and I mix the seasoning and cure for my sausage that same day. The meat sits in meat totes in the fridge over night.
The next day I stuff and all of the sausage (40-80 pounds) and let it sit in the meat totes in the fridge again over night.
The next day I twist into links, cut, vac seal, and freeze it all.
My time table is not some master plan I have concocted. It is simply due to the fact that I'm 1 man doing all of the work until stuffing day. I then have to beg or bribe or call in favors to get a second set of hands to help me stuff the sausage and then I also do all other 2 man duties that same day while the stuffed sausage sits in the meat totes in the fridge. The next day I can twist, cut, seal, and freeze everything all on my own.
With this time table I easily get 24 hours of cure penetration in my sausage before it is frozen :)
I hope all this info helps and I look forward to seeing what you make!
