Casing question

[Bill The Grill Guy]

Whats the difference in using Collegan cassings and "natural/hog" casings. I can find the collegan cassings local. Not sure about the hog casings.

Thanks.

 

[Nick Prochilo]

Texture. I used collegan once and didn't care for the texture of the finished product. I use natural now and like it much better. The natural are more work also, they have to be rinsed and soaked before using, but well worth the effort.

 

[oompappy]

The big grocery stores around here sell small packs of natural casings in the meat case. Usually near the bricks of lard, chicken feet, etc.
Check the supermarkets in your area.

 

[wittdog]

I'm a big fan of the natural casings..collegen have there uses...but for fresh sausage I like the natural...you should be able to get them at a grocery store like pappy said..or check with a butcher..or online.

 

[bigwheel]

Haven't used a whole lot of collogan but have used some. Some of the differences I have noted twixt the two are as follows: Collagan is more expensive..convenient and easy to use. Doesn't require soaking or washing. You dont have to keep it cold. It has an indefinite shelf life at room temps. In comparison to guts collagan is more uniform in diameter and easier to maintain some semblence of portion control. A strand of filled casing will weigh real close to another of the same length. As compared with guts collagan is not the least bit stretchy and has a memory function which makes it harder (but not impossible by any means if you dont overstuff it) to form it into links. It has a tendency to want to return to its original shape. Texture wise..I havent noticed much difference. I have sampled some sausage which I woulda swore was guts but was actually collogan. Collagan does not play well with tapered stuffing tubes. On my stuffer tube for example..which is tapered.. I cant load much collagan on there because when it hits the expanded part of the tube it's refusal to stretch stops it from loading past that point. If I was going to be using collogan very often I would spring for a straight walled stuffing tube. Think the best thing to do might be to try both guts and collogan and see which you like best. Might find it prudent to reserve one or the other for certain specific applications..such as using collagan on typical long sausages such as Polish or Andouille...while reserving guts for sausages which are usually expected to come in specific sized individual links. Guts much mo easier to twist up into links.

bigwheel

Whats the difference in using Collegan cassings and "natural/hog" casings. I can find the collegan cassings local. Not sure about the hog casings.

Thanks.

 

[Nick Prochilo]

I found it impossible to link the collegan!

 

[wittdog]

I found it impossible to link the collegan!

you need to tie them off......

 

[Nick Prochilo]

I found it impossible to link the collegan!

you need to tie them off......

I know that now! :?

 

[Pigs On The Wing BBQ]

I prefur 19mm collegan for breakfast and natural for every thing else.