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Hello, I started making my own sausages a couple of months ago and am pleased with the results so far, the only problem I'm having is sourcing decent quality hog casings, I've tried five suppliers so far with only one ( Bay seller ) being satisfactory but he only sells in very small quantities, if anyone can recommend a supplier where I can purchase good quality casings it would be much appreciated.

Hi archiecat. Welcome to the forums!

Where are you located? I get mine from the butchers. Every butcher I've asked has been able to sell me as many as I've desired.

Franco sells them here - http://www.sausagemaking.org/acatalog/Casings.html
And I've also tried the Hog casings from here - http://www.weschenfelder.co.uk/sausage- ... skins.html

I've had luck recently with Syracuse Casing Co in New York.

archiecat wrote:Hello, I started making my own sausages a couple of months ago and am pleased with the results so far, the only problem I'm having is sourcing decent quality hog casings, I've tried five suppliers so far with only one ( Bay seller ) being satisfactory but he only sells in very small quantities, if anyone can recommend a supplier where I can purchase good quality casings it would be much appreciated.

Hi archiecat, welcome.

You don't say where you are based on your post. We're a world wide forum, so if you add a location to your details it'll help people give appropriate replies.

What was the problem with the casings from the five suppliers that you tried?

Phil

Hi, many thanks for the replies, I live in Ayrshire Scotland.
I'll try to edit my heading thingy.
I feel a bit dodgy asking a butcher for casings as I buy all my meat etc from supermarkets, I know shame on me!

Either of the two links posted should get you good casings. If they're not: complain.

I'm still concerned about the 5 lots you tried without success though. What was the issue?

Phil

I can recommend these guys, although iv'e never used them for mail order, always called round to collect.

http://www.sausage-casings.co.uk/home.html

wheels wrote:Either of the two links posted should get you good casings. If they're not: complain.

I'm still concerned about the 5 lots you tried without success though. What was the issue?

Hi Phil, It was 4 suppliers that I was disappointed with, the guy on Ebay supplied a good product that I was very pleased with.
I do understand that hog casings are natural product and as such cannot be totally consistent, however the the ones that that I received from other suppliers have resulted in sausages skins as tough as old boots or so fragile that they burst on filling, and I take a lot of care when I "stuff" my sausages.

Just remember to keep them wet at all times. I transfer mine from a bowl of water to the nozzle, and dampen them regularly if I'm making more than 1Kg. They can dry out pretty fast, which leads to a lot of splitting [& swearing].

I always soak hogs (pigs) casings overnight and make sure that I get plenty of water inside them. Warm(ish) water for the last half hour or so also helps...

...but for really tender skins, it's sheep's casings all the way.

Phil

Many thanks for all the replies and advice.
I will try out the suppliers recomended in the posts.
Right, off to make some Cumberland sausage, my favourite so far!

Hi mate
I get all my stuff from a supplier in airdrie and find him very good to deal with.
Try him tongmaster.co.uk you won't be disappointed