A brief history of sausage & sausage making

A brief history of sausage & sausage making

If you are worried about commercially-made sausage fearing not only fat content, but what odds and ends manufacturers dump into the mix you are rightfully so. But, if you make your own sausage at home, you can ensure only the best ingredients and spices are used, plus control the fat content. Do not make the mistake of thinking sausage is strictly a meat product. Many sausage recipes also include seafood and vegetarian sausage blends.

Sausage History

The word sausage comes from the Middle English sausige, which came from sal, Latin for salt. In France they are sausissons and in Germany, wurst. In practice for over a millenia sausage-making was originally a method used to preserve meats, especially lesser cuts.  It came to be at the same time animals were domesticated and, subsequently, surplus meat was able to be preserved.

It is believed that the Romans were among the first to preserve meat in sausage form. They learned over time that salt, smoking methods, and spices improved the process and the taste, and by the middle ages, sausage was being made all over the continent.

Sausage-making has become an art and there are more than 200 different varieties of sausage are made in the United States alone, and thousands more worldwide, varying by regional tastes and ingredient availability. Hot dogs are popular in the United States, sausage is the ultimate Finnish fast food, and seafood sausages are popular in Asia.

The definition of sausage is ground meat mixed with fat, salt and other seasonings, preservatives, and sometimes fillers. Some sausage mixtures are sold in bulk form, and others forced into casings to form links.

Sausage is available in fresh form, which needs to be cooked before consumption, and dry or cured form, which are already cooked.

Virtually any type of meat can be used in sausage, but most common is pork or pork blends. Variety truly is the spice of life, with spicy, hot sausages and bland sausages, and with flavorings running the gamut from garlic to nutmeg. 

Creative chefs are also making sausages from vegetable and seafood blends for those who eschew meats. There are also ways to lower the fat if you make your own at home using any of our chemical-free organic Home Farm Herbery Sausage Seasoning Blends.

At Home Farm Herbery we make tremendous sausage seasoning which is chemical free and easy to use. Try it today.