More About ….. Natural Casings
What are the Special Qualities of Natural Casings?
- Natural Casings readily permit deep smoke penetration.
- Natural Casings have excellent characteristics of elasticity and tensile strength, to allow for high efficiency production and expansion during filling.
- Natural Casings protect the fine flavour of sausage, without contributing any conflicting flavouring of their own.
- Natural Casing Sausage has that special “snap” and tender “bite” that’s like no other man made product, and is highly demanded by today’s knowledgeable consumers.
- Sausage in Natural Casings stays tender and juicy.
What are “tubed” casings and what is the benefit of using “tubed” casings?
Each strand of tubed casings is shirred on a tube to allow one-step loading of the casing directly on the sausage filling horn. This speeds up production. Tubed casings are somewhat more expensive than regular casings.
Hog Casings are used for fresh, cooked and processed sausage, and are sold in “bundles” or “hanks” of 100 yards each.
Hog Shorts are 1 to 2 meter lengths and are commonly available in size 32/35.
Sheep Casings are the highest quality small diameter casings used for the finest in sausages such as Bockwurst, Frankfurters and Pork Sausage. These casings combine tenderness with sufficient strength to withstand the filling, cooking, and smoking operations.
Colour varies according to country of origin; colour ranges from white to gray, but this variation does not indicate quality, strength, capability of smoke penetration, etc.
Sheep casings are graded, with “A” quality given to casings with no holes or weaknesses, recommended for fine emulsion sausage (wieners, frankfurters). Sheep casings of “B” quality are of acceptable strength and quality for coarse ground emulsions, i.e. pork sausage. All sheep casings are sold tubed for easier processing.
Beef Bung Caps are used for Capicolla, Veal Sausage, Large Bologna, Lachsschinken, Headcheese and Cooked Salami and are sold by the piece, with 5 pieces per bundle.
Beef Rounds get their name for their characteristic “ring” or “round” shape. Beef Rounds are used for Ring Bologna, Ring Liver Sausage, Mettwurst, Polish Sausage, Blood Sausage, Kishka and Holsteiner. Available in bundles of 30 yards.
Beef Middles can be used for Leona Style Sausage, all other types of Bologna, Dry and Semi-dry Cervelates, Dry and Cooked Salami and Veal Sausage. Beef middles are measured in sets or bundles of 20 yards. Beef middles can be sewn so they have a uniform diameter and uniform length with or without a hanger (stitching loop).