New sausage machine!

[Rosendula]

Well, not really. I've been considering getting a mincer for quite a while but couldn't persuade myself to part with the money for one. However, I got reading an old book (A Self-Sufficient Larder by Mike Fox) and it got me all fidgety and wanting to do stuff. I then took the beef joint (which we bought from OH's friend whose Dad's a butcher) out of the freezer for Sunday lunch and it's massive! Although there a 5 of us, we asked for one to feed 4, based on the fact that OH's friend is a large person and looks like he has much larger portions than us . So that was that. I had to buy a mincer.

The one I got is hand cranked and dishwasher safe. The only disappointment was that it didn't have a sausage stuffing attachment thingy. So I made one! I got my little plastic funnel out and cut the wide part down until it fit the mincer. I haven't tried it yet as I've no meat thawed, and no sausage skins.

So can someone please tell me the best place to buy sausage skins? I've seen them on eBay and assume they are packed in salt or something. I know I could ask the butcher, but I'm not sure if they would come preserved or fresh. Are they freezable? Or do I just preserve them in salt in which case do I just pack them in it in a tub? Any advice for a complete novice would be welcome

[MuddyWitch]

Hubby (Butcher's son) says:

"If you know a decent local butcher, who makes his own sausages, he feels sure he'd be willing to sell you some 'runners'. You won't need nearly as many as a butcher so this is your best bet

They usually arrive at the butcher's frozen in a solid block & the butcher will plunge them into a bucket of brine to defrost for use. So keeping them in brine or salt would be ok for a day or two, but if you refreeze, they'll be inclined to break up. You can freeze the sausages you make though."

Hope this helps

MW