Venison & Wild Hog Sausage - I need one more opinion

[cnl390]

I have already have 2 opinions.  One from a sausage guru, and one from an manager/employee of 30 yrs for a meat market/sausage maker.  So not to influence any opinions here I will not post what they said until I receive a couple of answers.  So, here we go.

Over the weekend we made about 130 links of venison and pork (some store bought & some feral), 50/50 using a venison sausage spice mix from a local meat market/game processor. 
The links hung in our smokehouse with a small fan from around 10:30 pm to 10:00 am with an outside temperature of around 45 degrees F. We then smoked using oak bark for approximately 24-30 hours. The sausage looks great and smells great. But here comes the problem & my question. 
I just found out yesterday the spice mix we got from the meat processor, although it is the same mix that is used for their venison sausage both fresh and dry. The mix that is sold to the public does not contain any curing salt. 
So here is the question... 
Is all of our sausage ruined? I have read that the worst thing you can do is to smoke sausage without a curing agent. 

 

[doctord1955]

So it spent a little over 36 hours at 45 degrees?

 

[cnl390]

That was the outside temp Saturday night.  It ranged from 45 outside temp at 10pm Sat night to around 68 Monday afternoon.

 

[doctord1955]

Did you Hot or cold smoke it?  And what was the meat temp?

Im afraid id throw it away!

 

[smoking b]

I would be afraid of it personally as it spent so much time in the danger zone above 40* without being cured. Being stuffed & smoked like that creates an ideal environment for C. Botulinum to grow & these bacteria produce a toxin that can cause botulism. Sorry to tell you that but it's better to be safe than sorry as it has no color, taste or smell & is VERY bad stuff!

 

[diggingdogfarm]

Toss it, it's not worth the risk.
It was in the danger zone WAY too long.
Even if it smells okay, you can't smell pathogenic microbes (the dangerous ones), just spoilage and beneficial.


~Martin

 

[cnl390]

I am going to tell your all the answers I received.

The sausage guru told me to use it as dog food.

The guy at the meat market/sausage maker told me that they do not put any cure in their smoked fresh sausage.  He said he was 100% sure that it was OK, and if it is cooked to 150 degrees internal temperature it kills everything.

Thanks

 

[rexlan]

I've not seen a "mix" that contained the cure so that was a big mistake right out of the gate.  Most have it in a separate package.

I agree with the others that it is not safe to eat as-is and I personally would toss it out.  25# isn't then end of the world but eating it may be.

However, I am not sure (and don't know) if cooking it now to temperature xxx will kill the bacteria which is surely present.  That is a question for a higher pay grade than mine.

 

[smoking b]

That's 5 to 1 on tossing it vs. eating it.  Out of sheer curiosity what are you gonna do?

 

[linguica]

I am going to tell your all the answers I received.

The sausage guru told me to use it as dog food.

The guy at the meat market/sausage maker told me that they do not put any cure in their smoked fresh sausage.  He said he was 100% sure that it was OK, and if it is cooked to 150 degrees internal temperature it kills everything.

Thanks

I'm making no judgments as to quality, that's your call. If you wouldn't eat it your self, sure as hell, don't give it to a defenseless dog!

Many years a ago a neighbor fed some spoiled food to her sons dog. The dog died and her son refused to see her for years.            

 

[doctord1955]

X2

 

[cnl390]

When making sausage just how long can it stay above 40 degrees before refrigerating or freezing?

 

[smoking b]

When making sausage just how long can it stay above 40 degrees before refrigerating or freezing?

With cure or without?

 

[cnl390]

With and without

 

[rexlan]

With and without

Try the search function ...........

 

[driedstick]

I'd dump it,

 

[gamehawg]

Cooking it to 150 will do nothing, the bacteria if present have already created the toxin.  You won't have any more created but you have death dogs no matter how you cook them.

If you think its ok, you eat one.  I allways sample my stuff to make sure its ok before I let anyone else try it.   

 

[smoke happens]

The fact you are using wild game (hog and deer, especially the hog) to me would be enough to put me on the other side of the fence of eating it. I hate to see hard earned meat that was hunted go to waste, but safety just is more important to me. That's a tough call, but in the end it really is not worth taking a chance on getting yourself or your family and friends very very sick. Sorry to hear about it, that sucks!

 

[cnl390]

Would the amount of regular salt in the spice mix have anything to do with the killing and or the growth of bacteria.

One of the guys that was in on making the sausage is a country boy. His family have been farmers and have been making sausage for over 100 years.  He took the sausage and has been eating it for a couple of days now.

 

[daveomak]

I am going to tell your all the answers I received.

The sausage guru told me to use it as dog food.

The guy at the meat market/sausage maker told me that they do not put any cure in their smoked fresh sausage.  He said he was 100% sure that it was OK, and if it is cooked to 150 degrees internal temperature it kills everything.

Thanks

cnl, morning..... I'm a little late here.....   first off, your meat market guy is leading you astray....   fresh smoked to 150 is fine as long as it gets to 150 within 4 hours...  Second, 150 does not kill botulism spores that may have developed during your 36 hour danger zone smoke...  It takes about 240 deg to kill the spores....   pressure canner temps.....   

Your friend got lucky, very lucky....  deliberately eating sausage that has been in the danger zone for that long, just because he has done it before, does not make for safe sausage..... All it takes is one contaminated link and call the doctor or mortuary....  

Some folks do get lucky.... $30 worth of meat to gamble with a possible life threatening infection.....  

 ...

Not something anyone should do knowingly....   Just my opinion .....    Dave