Processing of natural casings

For the treatment of natural casings of all animal species, the principle applies that they must be salted within 24 hours at the latest. This means that they have to be degreased, slimy, bundled and salted within this time. This principle applies to both summer and winter time.

During processing, the sausage maker notices whether the casings have been processed on time or too late in the manner described. Even with the greatest care and when all aids are used, the casing that has not been processed within the specified period never gets the appearance, strength and durability of the freshly processed casing.

It is important that the intestines are completely cleaned of intestinal fat, as it becomes rancid very easily. This abnormal taste is first transferred to the intestine and, when it is reused as a sausage casing, to the sausage product.. If the natural casings are improperly degreased, this can result in an entire production batch becoming a faulty product. What this means in terms of calculation does not need to be described in more detail.

The greasing of natural casings, especially cattle casings, has to be done very carefully, which unfortunately is not always the case, because many casings are more or less damaged during greasing. Such casings are the horror of sausages makers, because they burst easily in the thin, weak places when filling or boiling or allow fat to boil out and thus cause great damage.

Cattle casings are to be turned and smeared without a long time interval after fattening. After mucus, the casings should be thoroughly cooled in cold water, rubbed vigorously with salt and then placed in a container covered with a lid and weighed down.

Salting restricts the living conditions of the putrefactive bacteria and removes most of its water content from the intestinal wall. The brine should completely cover the inserted intestines. The salted intestines are ready the day after salting and can be packed in storage barrels after dry salting again.

The small intestines of pigs and sheep, usually referred to briefly as pig intestines or sheep intestines, are processed in the same way. After degreasing, these intestines are placed in cold water for about 48 hours, which must be renewed after half the time. On the third day, the intestines are made mucoused.

After mucus, the small intestines of the pig (fried sausage intestines) and the small intestines of the sheep (Saitlings) are to be briefly cooled in cold water and then salted in the form described for cattle intestines.

In the case of pork ruffles, appendix, stomachs and fatty ends, as well as mutton caps, it is particularly important to ensure that they are always placed in the brine during the warm season, because these very fatty intestines easily turn rancid and yellow.