| Nothing satisfies the cook's soul like fresh food | | | | attachments; but they can be purchased separately |
| prepared with one's own hands. And if you're a | | | | for about $15 apiece if metal or $8 if they are plastic. |
| meat-loving cook (like me), then homemade sausage is | | | | Casings are easily procured from an internet store or |
| near nirvana! | | | | local butcher. You can choose from natural, collagen, or |
| Preparing your own sausage is empowering and just | | | | fibrous casing depending on your personal taste and/or |
| plain fun. Not only will you save a bundle (about 30 | | | | the needs of your recipe. Often, natural casings are |
| cents/ lb. on bulk sausage and up to 2 dollars/lb. on | | | | sold by the "hank" a quantity that stuffs 100 to 125 |
| links), but you'll impress and delight your family and | | | | pounds of meat and costs around $50. If this is a bit |
| friends. You have the power! By tailoring the final | | | | ambitious for you, be sure to look for a "home pack" |
| product to your own tastes, you can finally have the | | | | which is basically any package that will stuff 20-25 lbs. |
| sausage you want to eat as opposed to just the | | | | maximum and run about $20. If that's still too much, |
| sausage that's available at the store. The possibilities | | | | don't worry-extra casings can keep in a brine in the |
| are limitless! | | | | fridge for a year or more. Collagen casings are slightly |
| A few essentials will get you on your way; a meat | | | | cheaper and easier to handle, but are generally |
| grinder, a sausage stuffer attachment, and casings. | | | | considered inferior to natural. |
| Grinders can be manual or electric, plastic or metal, and | | | | Once you've done some research and gathered your |
| run from $25 dollars to $300. An inexpensive manual | | | | equipment, the real fun begins; you get to choose a |
| grinder suits most hobby sausage makers just fine, but | | | | recipe! Some easy recipes for beginners include Italian, |
| consider electric if you plan on processing large (over | | | | breakfast links, franks, and chorizo. For any sausage |
| 20 lbs.) quantities of meat. The more expensive a | | | | recipe, make certain you use the freshest meat, fat, |
| grinder is, the more likely it is to include sausage | | | | and spices available for the tastiest results. |