Brand new member with an important question.

[cnl390]

Over the weekend we made about 130 links of venison and pork (some store bought & some feral), 50/50 using a venison sausage spice mix from a local meat market/game processor.
The links hung in our smokehouse with a small fan from around 10:30 pm to 10:00 am with an outside temperature of around 45 degrees F. We then smoked using oak bark for approximately 24-30 hours. The sausage looks great and smells great. But here comes the problem & my question.
I just found out yesterday the spice mix we got from the meat processor, although it is the same mix that is used for their venison sausage both fresh and dry. The mix that is sold to the public does not contain any curing salt.
So here is the question...
Is all of our sausage ruined? I have read that the worst thing you can do is to smoke sausage without a curing agent.
Thanks

[NCPaul]

What was the temperature inside the smokehouse? I'm not optimistic at this point. I wish you had found our forum sooner.

[cnl390]

I don't know, but I would think it ranged from the 50'-60's

[Oddwookiee]

For me, that's a whole lot of dog food right there. 45F outside air temp is above minimum safe temp, add in smoking in a house for 12 hours with a fire raising the temperature a little more and personally I'd toss the lot of it and not take the risk. You've created the perfect environment to incubate bacteria.

However- if the meat was ABSOLUTELY STERILE- I'm talking vinegar wipedown on the carcass, not a single speck of any damn thing on the carcass whatsoever, perfect head or spinal shot (or heart blown completely out by a minimum of a .308), no dirt on the ankles, and gotten into a cooler straight from the field and hung below 35F, it's up in the air. The temperature is really in the low end of middle of the danger zone, but you *might* be able to squeak by if you're lucky. The salt in the mix will help, as will the smoke, but it's your call. You could get lucky and the sausage is perfectly fine, or you could give the whole family botulism.

Safest bet- Fido eats like a king for a couple weeks, and lesson learned.

[cnl390]

SInce it is still in the fresh stage, is there any amount of coooking, boiling, etc. that would render it edible?

[Oddwookiee]

Me as a person, if I was confident in the sanitation from killing to smoking, I'd just eat it quickly. I would cook it thoroughly and use it up or freeze it after cooking. I also have the constitution of a cast-iron skillet, though. Me as a professional, if one of my customers had told me that, I'd have to recommend they pitch it out to be absolutely sure.

If you want to save it, take on and slice it in half length wise and get right into it and smell it- you're looking for anything sour, acidic smelling, a wine-like smell, absolutely anything that doesn't smell like meat or spice. Look for any sort of off color in the mix as well, pockets of gas that have expanded, a mushy, squishy or unusually soft texture, anything that looks out of place. If that one checks out ok, then take another one and fry it up to done, then do the same test to it. If it smells at all, toss it all. Your nose is the surest rough indicator you have. If it passes both tests, then I would eat it myself. I can't recommend you save it, or say that it's safe, but it's not like it was hanging in somebody's garage in the summer for a weekend.

[cnl390]

I really, really appreciate your replies and knowledge.
I spoke with a guy that has worked at the meat market/deer processing where I bought the spices for 30 years and he told me that they never put cure in their smoked fresh sausage because most people do not like nitrates. He said as long as the internal temperature goes over 150 degrees when cooked it is good to go.
I am glad I found this forum with guys like you that can answer questions that dummies like me have.
I am thinking about starting to make some small batches of designer sausages for get togethers and the like. So I will be here a lot.
Thanks again

[Oddwookiee]

Short answer: he's wrong, and lucky to have not killed anyone.

[crustyo44]

cln390,
Please take Oddwookiee's advise, feed it to the dogs. A few years ago we had several deaths here in Australia with people eating commercial salamis where somebody forgot to add nitrate.The same rule with smoked sausages applies with nitrite. Better be safe than sorry, aim for a long life!!!!!!!!!
Jan.

[NCPaul]

The botulism toxin that is produced by the bacteria has no odor or taste and is not destroyed by normal cooking temperatures. Other bacteria could be present that might not kill you but would make you terribly ill. I wouldn't take the chance, sorry. If the sausages were smoked at a high temperature (225F) for an hour or so they may have been OK, but these were not.

[vagreys]

I think you're getting a resounding 'No! Be safe. Toss it.

[wheels]

...and one from me here.

It's one thing, making a sausage and cooking/smoking it at high temperatures immediately.

But, without nitrite and then leaving it in unsafe temperatures before smoking at lower temperatures, is a recipe for disaster.

Phil

[yotmon]

I think you need to take certain aspects into account. Do you know what the salt content is in the finished sausage. There are a lot of recipes out there that don't use nitrites/nitrates but rely on the salt - usually a minimum of 2%. Also, 45 degrees F. is cool but what was the air like - was it thundery/humid or dry and breezy, this should also be looked at rather than just the figure on the temperature guage. Looking around the world there are certain countries that produce great cured products such as parts of Italy/France/Spain etc. But they have the correct environment to make these products which we try to emulate by using artificial fermentation chambers etc.
I think Oddwokkie is right to bring up the quality of meat used. I take it that the Venison was wild deer and not farmed, plus the pork came from 'feral' pigs. I assume both were shot and dressed out in the field without the advantages that a registered abattoir would bring - ie clean environment and meat inspectors etc. The meat from a 'gut shot' deer or pig would quickly deteriorate compared to an animal sent for slaughter.
As I started to write this i was of the opinion that I would try them, but the more I write the more I'm talking myself out of it It's your call I'm afraid..............