sausage ???

if ur maken fresh sausage like brats and breakfast i dont recomend the cure as this will cook the meat in the fridge.as far as how long it stays good 2 to 3 days it what they tell ya i have left it in there a week with no problem
freezing ur fresh sausage does not effect the taste. just be sure to package it good vacum packer or the bulk bags. pork tends to get strong after 6 months in the freezer so keep this in mind when making batches. as far as books i have a couple but dont have the names handy i will try and get them to ya.

hope this helps
later
tim

the 2 books i have are Great sausage recipies
and meat curing by ryan kutas. it has recipies and alot of other good info. the next is charcuterie by ruhlman, polcyn, keller

later
tim

Curing is used for two reasons - to prevent Botchalism when cold smoking, and to impart that "Hammy" flavor to meats.

Botchalism is an anerobic spore that thrives in a low-oxygen environment like you would find in a cold-smoker. Even a tiny bit of Sodium Nitrate/Nitrite (Curing Salt) is usually enough to kill this nasty little bug and I would not cold smoke without it.

Legend has it that the Romans started digging holes in the sand off of the beach in Normandy to preserve their meat and called this the Corning Process (AKA Corned Beef). The Sea Salts in the ground contained natural trace amounts of Sodium Nitrate which cured their meat.

For general Sausage making I do not cure. Keep in mind that you should keep about a 25% fat to meat ratio in your basic grind sausage. Pork fat has a high melting point and a good mouthfeel and will always make a great sausage. Even when using another protein like Venison I use 25% pork fat. If you have ever had a dry, crumbly sausage with all the fat rendered out, they probably did not use pork fat. Pork Butt has a natural ratio of 75% meat to 25% fat and that is what I use.

To start out with a simple breakfast sausage recipe, grind your pork butt with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning, Then mix by hand with a little ice water until it becomes "sticky". Water & Salt dissolves some of the proteins in the meat and will give you the right texture. Test for seasoning by making a small patty and cooking in a skillet. Later add more seasoning and mix until you like it, then get a large piece of plastic wrap and roll about one pound each in a tube and twist the ends until it is in a round tube shape. Freeze it and cut off patty's when you need them.

Hope that helped!

This is one of the best resources I have ever seen on sausage making. He is a true oldworld master.

http://home.pacbell.net/lpoli/

I would also suggest any book by Bruce Aidells. This is his most current book:
http://www.amazon.com/Bruce-Ai...id=1237158304&sr=1-3

As stated by prior post, "Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing" by Rytek Kutas is the best "first" book on the subject. Read the entire front part before you do anything. Great overview on the why's and whatfores.Jamey