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I ran across a couple of recipes from the Philippines that add 1/4 tsp saltpeter to fresh sausage recipes.

Both of these then say to leave the mixed sausage meat out at room temperature to stand for an hour before stuffing the casings. I assume this is to allow the nitrate to change into nitrite in the warmth of the room prior to refrigeration or freezing.

Neither of these recipes is for smoked sausage, both go on to stuff then package and then refrigerate or freeze the sausage.

Is this a normal technique?

Does it provide better long term protection against botulism?

Would this be a warm climate technique?

-t

Im not sure if anyone can say for sure how long it takes nitrate to convert to nitrite but if I do drycure bacon with saltpetre I wouild leave in in the fridge at a max of 5 C for a min of 14 days.
As you say its for long term protection and fresh sausage doesnt need long term protection.

Jim

I'd do similar to Jim, but at a higher temp, around 8°C.

At EU levels ¼ teaspoon of saltpetre would be enough for 8kg of meat (approx). It could be for protection, or just for colour (in which case it would do for lots more than 8kg). If it's not for long term curing, if I used anything, I'd use nitrite instead.

Phil

Sounds like an older recipe. I like the old recipes, myself, but always reformulate/recalculate recipes that call for saltpetre to use a more appropriate modern cure at known safe levels. A better choice for fresh sausage, if anything, would be a cure containing sodium nitrite, such as Cure #1, Instacure #1, or one of the other cures or all-purpose salts containing sodium nitrite and not sodium nitrate. If you've purchased potassium nitrate for this reason, you can still use that in dry-cured sausages that you might make in the future, adjusting the amount to modern, safer levels. Just my opinion, of course.

I'm not planning to use either cure in this fresh sausage recipe, but I do have to find a source for nitrite here in Penang. I hate having to mail order everything, as shipping from anywhere to here is very expensive.

Can be difficult to locate things that seem simple outside of the country or back in the US.

Just one of the challenges of making sausages in Malaysia.

-t

Older recipes call for the addition of saltpetre in fresh sausage to keep the flesh from turning gray, often only mentioning color as a reason and not preservation.

I am a little suprised at the lack of attention on this one. Perhaps you all are completely blinded by rusk. The understanding of saltpetre needs some attention. It is not as bad as you all think. Its use in fresh sausages is simply amazing as it is in burgers as well. I am still developing new recipes using pork, beef, lamb, venison, mutton etc all containing tiny amounts of salt petre. The effects are staggering.

Greyham wrote:It is not as bad as you all think. Its use in fresh sausages is simply amazing as it is in burgers as well. I am still developing new recipes using pork, beef, lamb, venison, mutton etc all containing tiny amounts of salt petre. The effects are staggering.

You have my attention care to share

No can do.

Greyham wrote:No can do.

It was not the recipes I was after but your input on this

containing tiny amounts of salt petre. The effects are staggering.

as I do some myself

Greyham wrote:No can do.

Helpful as ever I see