NEVER freeze the sausage casings! This will have the effect of breaking them down when rehydrated and then they fall apart. Mine sit in a container with about half a cup of Kosher salt mixed in, and around them. They don't need a FS storeage. Its stored in the fridge at all times, when you're not using some. I pull out the tangled wad of casings from the container and seperate out what I need, the rest get put back in the container. Yes, a little bit of water can be added, but not to soak the casings, but to allow the salt to stick to everything, kind of like a slush. If I have too much casing that is soaking prior to stuffing, I just pass it through my fingers to remove the excess water and put the rest back into the container with a little added kosher salt. Some of my cases were as old as 6+ years before being used up, and I saw no difference in these compared to some I just bought. The FS isn't needed for the casings as the small amount of water and all that salt will help to preserve them. You can use the FS for both fresh or smoked sausages of all kinds. I made some pepperoni last year using the long dry process curing. It requires the other type of nitrate, and the sausages were just stuffed and dried in air for about a month. I prefer to buy whole spices and grind them when needed. That means whole peppercorns, coriander, mustard seed, etc. The reason I use dried onions and garlic along with fresh is because the dried don't add any water to the meats. I also use dried green and red pepper flakes as they are quite cheap and work just as good as fresh, again without added water. When storing the whole spices, pour them in pint or quart Ball jars and use a lid, along with the adaptor that comes with teh FS. This adaptor can allow you to pull a vacuum on the jar and seal it under vacuum all in one step. Avoid light when storing herbs and spices. Even for that, if its an herb (leaf based), most will lose flavor very fast, so buy fresh dried herbs when making the sausages. One kind I plan to make is a beef, with dried tomato powder and lots of basil. I might add garlic too. Some spices and herbs can keep a little longer well if stored in FS bags and frozen or refrigerated. Here, I don't bother, as I make so much, I usually run out of the spices before I run out of sausage that I make.

LindaLou, I always make my own sausage now, Elery and I have also smoked our own bacon, made pastrami and smoked those ducks! I like italian sausage more than I like breakfast sausage, but here's the recipe I use when making breakfast sausage. The spices can be adjusted to taste, I mix the seasonings in with the meat, cook a tiny bit and then adjust to add more of whatever seasonings I like. It's usually a bit more sage and a bit less red pepper. 2 teaspoons dried sage 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 pinch ground cloves 2 pounds ground pork (or use turkey or chicken) Mix all ingredients and cook! I have one that takes apples too, the kids really like it although it's a bit sweet for my taste. It's from, I think, Better Homes and Gardens. I like it better as a sandwich with some honey mustard than I do as a breakfast meat. Apple-Turkey Breakfast Sausage. 1/2 pound ground raw turkey 2 tablespoons soft bread crumbs 1/2 cup shredded apple 1/4 teaspoon dried sage, crushed 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon paprika Dash ground nutmeg Nonstick spray coating In a large bowl, combine turkey, bread crumbs, apple, sage, pepper, salt, paprika, and nutmeg; mix well. Shape mixture into four 1/2-inch-thick patties. Spray the unheated rack of broiler pan with nonstick spray coating. Arrange patties on rack. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat about 10 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in side of patty registers 165 degrees F, turning once. (Or, spray a large skillet with nonstick spray coating. Cook sausage over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until no pink remains.) Makes 4 servings. Annie

Do you want Boudin, Andouille or Chaurice? Check out the attached link for the best info on recipes and links to other Cajun or Creole sites. Here is a link that might be useful: The Gumbo Pages

A friend gave us 2 wild turkey breasts. I don't really know how to cook wild game, so I froze them. Does anyone have a recipe? Do I need to marinate them in something to take the "wild" taste out? I would really like to try them, but I need someone's input on the best way to cook them. Thank you!