Sausage Seasoning - make your own.

[Nay-nay]

We recently had a free range pig killed. We learnt from our last free range pig that the meat was extremely lean - which doesn't make the best pork products like bacon and ham - too rubbery. They also don't grow that big. So we decided we would get the whole lot made into sausages. This is a real treat for the house as I don't buy sausages as you just can't know for sure what is actually in them. The butcher is a personal friend and was very happy to accommodate my request of preservative free and that i wanted to supply the seasoning that went in them. This is what I came up with using this sausage recipe site as a guide. I made up my own mixes by swapping a couple things around and by multiplying recipe to put into 10kg of mince. If your are making your own mince at home with the TMX and don't have sausage machine you could use mix to make rissoles or a kofta style sausage.
Hungarian Raisin
• pork mince: 1kg.
• Coarse salt: 1 tablespoon
• Ground black pepper: 1/2 teaspoon
• sweet paprika: 1 tablespoon
• garlic powder: 1 tbsp
• Ground allspice: 1 teaspoon
• raisins: 130g
Whizz the whole spices to powder first then add raisins and powdered spices and whizz together. Remember to use cling wrap in between lid and jug so that powder doesn't fill kitchen (and lungs) 

Breakfast sausage
• pork mince: 500g.
• Coarse salt: 1/2 tablespoon
• sage: 1/2 teaspoon
• thyme: 1/3 teaspoon
• Ground nutmeg: 1/8 teaspoon
• Ground marjoram: 2/3 teaspoon
• ginger: 1/2 tsp
• Ground black pepper: 1/3 teaspoon

Spanish Chorizo
• pork mince: 1 kg.
• Coarse salt: 1 tablespoon
• Garlic powder: 2 tbsp
• Ground nutmeg: 1 teaspoon
• Brown sugar: 2 tablespoon
• Smoked paprika : 1 tablespoon
• sweet paprika: 1tbsp
• chilli flakes: 1 tablespoon

Your butcher may add water to mix and also want to add some kind of binder. Ideally Tapioca flour would be good but I could only find tapioca that had 220 in it at the supermarket which would have defeated the purpose of having preservative free. So we had "No Egg" as the binder. It has potato flour and tapioca flour in it. These sausages taste so wonderful and I think for me it is mainly because I know exactly where it came from. 

[Very Happy Jan]

You are so clever Nay-Nay. Thank you so much for sharing these recipes. I have been contemplating our own sausages as the contents of bought ones scare me.

[Nay-nay]

I know - when I eat a sausage I want to know there is just minced meat in there!! The last lot of beef sausages I had made up from one of our cows, I used honey and tamari to flavour one lot and I cooked up a Italian pasta sauce to put through another lot. - worked out good. Ideally sausages need a little of the fat through them so they aren't too dry but the amount that some budget sausages have in them is ridiculous - they are swimming in fat when you are trying to cook them. 

[CreamPuff63]

You are so clever Nay-Nay.

...and lucky as well to live on a farm  it must be fantastic to be able to produce all your own food

[Nay-nay]

Yes I think so! But always want to do more so we are self sufficient which drives hubby a bit crazy.   

[judydawn]

Great recipes thanks Nay-nay, I too am very wary of bought sausages but why is it that men love them so much 

[Nay-nay]

 ......No I'll leave that.....

[Very Happy Jan]

ROFL

[CreamPuff63]

good girl nay nay, I had to show some restraint as well...was very tempted 

[judydawn]

  OK, that was a question without thought 

[Frozzie]

ooo i have been wanting to make my own sausages..beef ones but its the casings i dont like either artificial and what the hell is in that or pork intestines yeeekkk...or some other animals!! what do you use nay nay or your butcher..  my local butcher that only does pork sausages such as chipolata actually thats it lol and merguez so its quite boring..miss nice beef sausages that are from a good butcher..anyway my butcher said he would make them for me no problem if I just told him what spice mix is in them..i know it can vary but what is the base mix..and the percentage of beef to spice etc or rest of filling??  I so want beef sausages and did buy books but never got around to it and got a bit put off by all that is necessary to make them yourself!

[Frozzie]

oh and do you think you could easily test out flavours in a skinless type sausage before asking for them to be made by the butcher in larger amounts??

[achookwoman]

Nay nay,  thanks for these recipes.   They look good.   I've made sausages in the past,  and Frozzie I always cook a little of the mix to see that the flavor is right,  before putting them in the skins.  You can make skinless ones.  I'm  now inspired to have another go.   Thanks.

[Frozzie]

ive spent the last hour checking out differnt sites..re-inspired to give this a go and do something to make a whole lot of tasty beef sausages ready for bbq season...

chookie how do you cook it up..just like mince or in a skinless sausage form??

[achookwoman]

Frozzie, just make a small patty.  It is the amount of salt that is difficult to judge.   just have a go.   I usually make them with a friend and our partners help with the testing.