If you get the MES, get the AMNPS too. MES won't make smoke at the low temps..and I read commercial mix instructions on sausage before and it just said 'Put it in at 180f until 145f internal'. I didn't do that. I except it might have been okay, but it sure sounded like a way to fat out the sausage. I think alot of the commercial instructions are aimed at ovens, and just covering their own butts for safety reasons.
I picked up some cheapo seasoning from fleet farm, and it was good. At times I really feel making my own seasoning blend isn't worth it after I go and hunt down weird spices. Pay 8 bucks for some thing I use half a teaspoon of.. lol.
I wouldn't poke holes in them now. And I've had sausage take forever too. The highest I'll go is 190f on sausage <and then when it is meant to end up cooked any how>. At that point though the form can look horrid.
The family doesn't overly mind my spending a twenty here or there on rarer spices. Especially since they all like having the stuff around, but it annoys me! It makes sense for SM to be cheaper though; bulk production. Around me, half the spices for sausage making I can't find any thing but these ultra expensive gold label organic gourmet lines. So I have to spend like 7 bucks on fennel seed, because a generic version just plain doesn't exist!
