Pretreatment

Dry-salted natural casings must be desalinated before soaking. It is particularly important that the water used for this is cold. Cold water rinses away the existing salt. Warm water, on the other hand, would dissolve the salt immediately, causing it to become trapped in the casing. Subsequent soaking should therefore take place in hard salt water, not soft fresh water.

After removing the adhering salt, the intestines must be soaked in water at 35-37°C. This causes the connective tissue fibers of the intestine to expand. Its swelling capacity can be increased by adding a lactic acid preparation to the water. Particular attention should be paid to the soaking time and the size of the soaking container. Ready to use Sheep casings are also available commercially in a lactic acid-sorbitol solution.

Containers that are too small don't allow the casing enough room to become supple and slippery, and can also lead to knotting more easily. E2 boxes are particularly suitable for this purpose. Soaking also washes away salt deposits in the tissue. Insufficient soaking times can lead to salt rash during the drying and ripening of raw sausage. As a guideline, for dry-salted Natural casings 12 hours, for ready-to-fill at least 1 hour soaking time.

The intestine should absolutely be flocculated before being drawn up. This is the only way to ensure it swells optimally internally, achieving good elasticity and lubrication. Otherwise, it could remain rigid and rupture during filling.

Another important prerequisite for a successful filling process is the correct ratio of casing diameter to filling tube. If a holding device is used, the filling tube can be chosen to be slightly narrower. This allows the casing to slide off the tube more easily. Air and water are retained by the casing's restrictor.

Particular attention should be paid to the maintenance and cleaning of the bowel obstruction. Hot water makes the obstruction brittle and causes it to harden due to limescale deposits. If no bowel obstruction is used, the filling tube must be chosen to be slightly wider to prevent air and water from being drawn in beforehand.

The natural casing should withstand the filling pressure and maintain the filling during the processing and stably enclose storage in a solid form. It should also be easy to tie and close with clips.

The ready-to-fill sheep casings are placed in a solution that keeps them swollen and supple, and after a short rinse and soaking in warm water, they can be filled immediately.

If ready-to-fill casings are not needed immediately, they can be stored in brine in the refrigerator for one to three days without any problems. Casings left over after filling must first be rinsed in cold water. This cools them down and removes any remaining protein.

Natural casings can easily be re-salted and stored in closed containers, protected from light, at 6 to 8°C for six months to three years, depending on the type of natural casing. Ready-to-fill casings in brine can be stored for at least four weeks at a maximum temperature of 10°C.