Casing (sausage)
Encyclopedia
Casing, sausage casing, or sausage skin is the material that encloses the filling of a sausage
. Casings are divided into two categories, natural and artificial. Artificial casings, such as collagen
, cellulose
, plastic
, and lately extruded casings, are relative newcomers to the field, mainly born out of market demand during the technological advances of the early 20th century.
today, around 4000 BC. Reference to a cooked meat product stuffed in a goat stomach like a sausage was known in Babylon
and described as a recipe in the world’s oldest cooking book 3,750 years ago (Yale Babylonian collection, New Haven Connecticut, USA).
The Chinese sausage
làcháng, which consists of goat and lamb meat, was first mentioned in 589 BC. The Greek poet Homer
mentioned a kind of blood sausage
in his Odyssey (book 20, poem 25); Epicharmus (ca. 550 BC - ca. 460 BC) wrote a comedy entitled The Sausage. Numerous books report that sausages were already popular among the ancient Greeks and Romans.
, a layer of the intestine
that consists mainly of naturally occurring collagen. This should not be confused with collagen casings, which are artificially processed from collagen derived from the skins of cattle. Natural casings are derived from the intestinal tract of farmed animals, are edible and bear a close resemblance to the original intestine after processing. The outer fat and the inner mucosa lining are removed during processing.
Natural casings are traditional products that have been used in the production of meat specialties for centuries and have remained virtually unchanged in function and appearance and composition. Salt and water are all that is used for cleaning and preservation. Natural casings are the only casings that can be used in organic
sausage production.
A large variety of sausage is produced world-wide using intestines of pigs, sheep, goats, cattle and sometimes horses. Although the intestines were previously flushed, scraped and cleaned by hand, more recently, machinery has been used for large scale production.
Due to their non-uniform appearance, sausages stuffed in natural casings are clearly distinguishable from mass-produced products and are therefore acceptable as a higher quality, premium product. However, newer machinery has enabled sausage producers to develop mass production scales of efficiencies in their processing plants. Processors of natural casings have developed long-stranded casings with uniformity and strength to support this new technology, as well as new tubing (Shirring) systems that speed up the stuffing process. This has revolutionized the sausage manufacturing world and kept natural casings preferred by some manufacturers and consumers.
The collagen for artificial casings is processed extensively and, as a raw material, it is similar to bread dough prior to final production. It is then extruded through a die to the desired diameter, dried and shirred into short sticks up to 41 cm long that contain as much as 50m of casing. In a newer process, a form of dough is coextruded with the meat blend, and a coating is formed by treating the outside with a calcium solution to set the coating.
The latest generation of collagen casings are usually more tender than natural casings but do not exhibit the “snap” or “bite” of natural casing sausages. The biggest volume of collagen casings are edible, but a special form of thicker collagen casings is used for salami
s and large caliber sausages where the casing is usually peeled off the sausage by the consumer. Collagen casings are permeable to smoke and moisture, are less expensive to use, give better weight and size control, and are easier to run when compared to natural casings.
for easier use and can be treated with dye to make "red hots". The casing is peeled off after cooking, resulting in "skinless" franks. Cellulose fibers are combined with wood pulp to make large diameter fibrous casings for bologna, cotto salami, smoked ham and other products sliced for sandwiches. This type is also permeable to smoke and water vapor. They can be flat or shirred, depending on application, and can be pretreated with smoke, caramel color, or other surface treatments.
Sausage
A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
. Casings are divided into two categories, natural and artificial. Artificial casings, such as collagen
Collagen
Collagen is a group of naturally occurring proteins found in animals, especially in the flesh and connective tissues of mammals. It is the main component of connective tissue, and is the most abundant protein in mammals, making up about 25% to 35% of the whole-body protein content...
, cellulose
Cellulose
Cellulose is an organic compound with the formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to over ten thousand β linked D-glucose units....
, plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
, and lately extruded casings, are relative newcomers to the field, mainly born out of market demand during the technological advances of the early 20th century.
History
It is often assumed that sausages were invented by the Sumerians in the region that is IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
today, around 4000 BC. Reference to a cooked meat product stuffed in a goat stomach like a sausage was known in Babylon
Babylon
Babylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
and described as a recipe in the world’s oldest cooking book 3,750 years ago (Yale Babylonian collection, New Haven Connecticut, USA).
The Chinese sausage
Chinese sausage
Chinese sausage is a generic term referring to the many different types of sausages originating in China. It is commonly known by its Cantonese name "Lap Cheong" or "Lap Chong" .-Varieties:...
làcháng, which consists of goat and lamb meat, was first mentioned in 589 BC. The Greek poet Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
mentioned a kind of blood sausage
Blood sausage
Black pudding, blood pudding or blood sausage is a type of sausage made by cooking blood or dried blood with a filler until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled. The dish exists in various cultures from Asia to Europe...
in his Odyssey (book 20, poem 25); Epicharmus (ca. 550 BC - ca. 460 BC) wrote a comedy entitled The Sausage. Numerous books report that sausages were already popular among the ancient Greeks and Romans.
Production
Natural sausage casings (“casings”) are made from the sub-mucosaSubmucosa
In the gastrointestinal tract, the submucosa is the layer of dense irregular connective tissue or loose connective tissue that supports the mucosa, as well as joins the mucosa to the bulk of underlying smooth muscle .-Contents:Blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and nerves will run through...
, a layer of the intestine
Intestine
In human anatomy, the intestine is the segment of the alimentary canal extending from the pyloric sphincter of the stomach to the anus and, in humans and other mammals, consists of two segments, the small intestine and the large intestine...
that consists mainly of naturally occurring collagen. This should not be confused with collagen casings, which are artificially processed from collagen derived from the skins of cattle. Natural casings are derived from the intestinal tract of farmed animals, are edible and bear a close resemblance to the original intestine after processing. The outer fat and the inner mucosa lining are removed during processing.
Natural casings are traditional products that have been used in the production of meat specialties for centuries and have remained virtually unchanged in function and appearance and composition. Salt and water are all that is used for cleaning and preservation. Natural casings are the only casings that can be used in organic
Organic food
Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.For the...
sausage production.
A large variety of sausage is produced world-wide using intestines of pigs, sheep, goats, cattle and sometimes horses. Although the intestines were previously flushed, scraped and cleaned by hand, more recently, machinery has been used for large scale production.
Advantages
Natural casings breathe, allowing smoking and cooking flavors to permeate the casing and infuse the meat, giving the sausage a rich, even flavor throughout. Natural casings have unique natural curves and sheen, with rounded ends where the sausage is linked giving the sausage visual appeal.Due to their non-uniform appearance, sausages stuffed in natural casings are clearly distinguishable from mass-produced products and are therefore acceptable as a higher quality, premium product. However, newer machinery has enabled sausage producers to develop mass production scales of efficiencies in their processing plants. Processors of natural casings have developed long-stranded casings with uniformity and strength to support this new technology, as well as new tubing (Shirring) systems that speed up the stuffing process. This has revolutionized the sausage manufacturing world and kept natural casings preferred by some manufacturers and consumers.
Artificial casings
Artificial casings are made of collagen, cellulose, or even plastic and may not be edible. Artificial casings from animal collagen can be edible, depending on the origin of the raw material.Collagen
Collagen casings are mainly produced from the collagen in beef or pig hides, and the bones and tendons. It can also be derived from poultry and fish. They have been made for more than 50 years and their share of the market has been increasing. Usually the cost to produce sausages in collagen is significantly lower than making sausages in gut because of higher production speeds and lower labor requirements.The collagen for artificial casings is processed extensively and, as a raw material, it is similar to bread dough prior to final production. It is then extruded through a die to the desired diameter, dried and shirred into short sticks up to 41 cm long that contain as much as 50m of casing. In a newer process, a form of dough is coextruded with the meat blend, and a coating is formed by treating the outside with a calcium solution to set the coating.
The latest generation of collagen casings are usually more tender than natural casings but do not exhibit the “snap” or “bite” of natural casing sausages. The biggest volume of collagen casings are edible, but a special form of thicker collagen casings is used for salami
Salami
Salami is cured sausage, fermented and air-dried meat, originating from one of a variety of animals. Historically, salami has been popular among Southern European peasants because it can be stored at room temperature for periods of up to 10 years, supplementing a possibly meager or inconsistent...
s and large caliber sausages where the casing is usually peeled off the sausage by the consumer. Collagen casings are permeable to smoke and moisture, are less expensive to use, give better weight and size control, and are easier to run when compared to natural casings.
Cellulose
Cellulose, usually from cotton linters, is similarly processed into a paste and extruded into clear, tough casings for making wieners and franks. They also are shirredShirred
Shirred eggs are eggs cooked in a manner that results in a firm white but soft or runny yolk. The name comes from the dish in which the eggs are cooked....
for easier use and can be treated with dye to make "red hots". The casing is peeled off after cooking, resulting in "skinless" franks. Cellulose fibers are combined with wood pulp to make large diameter fibrous casings for bologna, cotto salami, smoked ham and other products sliced for sandwiches. This type is also permeable to smoke and water vapor. They can be flat or shirred, depending on application, and can be pretreated with smoke, caramel color, or other surface treatments.