Here's what I found on the Sausage Maker web-site......
Hog Casings
How do I prepare a salted hog or sheep casing for stuffing?
Preparation should be completed as follows:
- Unravel the casings into separate strings.
- Rinse the salt from the casings with fresh water. When flushing the casings, the outside should be washed. This usually takes care of itself as the water is being flushed through the inside.
- Store casings with ends hanging over the top in a covered container in the refrigerator overnight.
- Prior to stuffing, place the casing into lukewarm tap water. This will allow the casing to slide more easily onto the stuffing tube.
- Introduce a generous amount of water into the casings before placing it onto the stuffing nozzle.
- Slide the casing over the nozzle.
- During the course of stuffing, always try to keep the casing to the front of the nozzle where the meat is coming out. This helps eliminate air pockets and breakage.
Why do my hog casings have a strong odor?
Salted casings have a very long shelf life when stored properly. When refrigerated, packed liberally in purified salt, they have an indefinite shelf life. Un-refrigerated, these salted casings quickly begin to give off a strong odor even though they are not spoiled. Put them back under refrigeration and this odor for the most part subsides.
Can leftover casings be reused?
If you don't use all of the casings, they can be re-salted and kept in the refrigerator. Squeeze out as much water as possible. When fairly dry, sprinkle salt on the casings. DO NOT USE IODIZED SALT—PURIFIED SALT WOULD BE BEST.
Why are my casings tough?
By nature, natural casings can sometimes be tough. Rinsing and flushing (see above) help make a casing tender. However, here are some more suggestions from our sausage specialists:
When smoking sausage, do not put a stuffed sausage from the refrigerator into a hot smokehouse. The sausage should sit at room temperature for a couple of hours and then put into a warm smokehouse, gradually increasing the temperature until the desired smoking temperature is reached. Too much heat will almost guarantee that the casings will be tough.
Never put a sausage into boiling water. Instead, start cooking in cold water, bringing the temperature up gradually. The water should be brought to a boil and then simmered until the sausage is fully cooked.
