Speaker Notes
Slide 1
Curing and Sausage Making
Safe Food Principles
Retail Meat & Poultry Processing
Training Modules
Slide 2
Produced under a Cooperative Agreement from the
United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety
and Inspection Service (FSIS)
Developed by:
Minnesota Department of Agriculture,
Dairy and Food Inspection Division
Hennepin County Environmental Health
Minnesota Department of Health
University of Minnesota Extension Service
September 2004
The Curing and Sausage Making module
looks at the hazards associated with
curing and making sausage. It focuses
on safe food handling practices and
principles to consider so a safe and tasty
product is produced.
This module was developed by the
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
with expertise and resources from the
Hennepin County Environmental Health,
Minnesota Department of Health and the
University of Minnesota Extension
Service. The Retail Meat and Poultry
Processing Training Modules were
produced under a cooperative
agreement with the United States
Department of Agriculture Food Safety
Inspection Service. Food safety
regulators, trainers and representatives
from the food industry provided input on
the final product at prior training sessions
showcasing the Retail Meat and Poultry
Processing Training Modules.
Note: Rules and regulations cited may
be specific to the Minnesota Food Code.
These may differ for you, if you adhere to
other standards and regulations.
09/04
Curing and Sausage page 1
Slide 3
Pretest
Administer Pretest: Before we start the
Curing and Sausage Making training,
let’s see how much you already know. I’ll
be giving you a test before the training
and the same test after the training. The
results will show what you already know
and what you have learned during the
presentation.
Note: Make two copies of the Curing and
Sausage Making pretest/posttest for
each student. Copy on different colored
paper to separate the pretest and the
posttest. Ask participants to circle the
word pretest. Pretest/posttest is found on
the CD (Curing and Sausage Making
folder) and in the Curing and Sausage
Making Activity section of this guide.
Slide 4
Topics
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
History
Sausage definition
Types of sausage
Role of ingredients
Function of cure
Cure rates
Casing label
requirements
• HACCP Plan
Slide 5
• Critical control
points
• Steps in processing
• Cooking
temperatures
• Cooling guidelines
• Packaging
• Labeling
requirement
• Storage and display
• Jerky
Learning Objectives
1. List 3 types of sausage.
2. Name 4 main ingredients and their purpose.
3. Explain the function of cure and acceptable
cure rates.
4. Identify the critical control points of a
HACCP plan in sausage making.
5. Recite the cooling requirements for
sausage.
6. List 4 items that are required on a sausage
label.
09/04
Review topics in slide. Question: Any
thing else that you hoped would be
covered in this session today?
After this training you should be able to:
1. List 3 types of sausage.
2. Name 4 main ingredients and their
purpose.
3. Explain the function of cure and
acceptable cure rates.
4. Identify the critical control points of
a HACCP Plan in sausage
making.
5. Recite the cooling requirements
for sausage.
6. List 4 items that are required on a
sausage label.
Curing and Sausage page 2
Slide 6
Sausage History
• Sausage production is one of the earliest
forms of food preservation
• The word sausage is derived from the
Latin word “Salsus” which means salted
meat
The production of sausage has a long
history. It is one of the earliest forms of
food preservation. The word sausage is
derived from the Latin word “Salsus”
which means salted meat. According to
the Meat Processing, North American
Division, today, U.S. meat processors
produce 500 million pounds of cooked
sausage each year.
Reference:
Meat Processing, North American
Division, Best Practices for Cooked
Sausage: Controlling the Process for
Safety and Quality #588, November
2003.
Slide 7
Role of Salt
• Salt plays a more limited role in sausage
preservation today
• Present day salt levels provide less of a
preservative effect than the higher levels
of the past
• Most sausage recipes contain 1-3% salt
• Salt levels are usually adjusted for taste
Slide 8
Sausage Definition:
A mixture of ground or chopped meats
combined with spices and other
ingredients and usually formed or shaped
in casings of various sizes
09/04
Because of lack of refrigeration, salt was
used in amounts needed to preserve
sausage to a level safe at room
temperature. Today, sausage
formulas/recipes call for 1-3% salt. This
is not at preservation levels but added
for flavor.
Sausage is a mixture of ground or
chopped meats combined with spices
and other ingredients and usually formed
or shaped in casings of various sizes.
Curing and Sausage page 3
Slide 9
Primary Sausage Types
• Fresh Sausages
• Cooked Sausages
• Fermented Sausages
• Meat Loaves and Jellied Products
Slide 10
Fresh Sausages
• Raw/uncooked meat product
• Does not contain the “curing” ingredient
nitrite or nitrate
• Examples are: fresh pork sausage, fresh
bratwurst, and fresh Italian sausage
09/04
There are four main types of sausage:
1. Fresh sausage—no cure added for
preservation, product not cooked.
2. Cooked sausage—fully cooked and
ready-to-eat.
3. Fermented sausage—fermented to
increase shelf life of product “tangy
summer” sausage is an example of a
fermented sausage.
4. Meat loaves and jellied products—
meat chunks are added to the
product.
Activity: Food Safety Hazard Quiz (See
Activities for Curing and Sausage
Making). There are food safety hazards
associated with sausage products.
Controlling for these hazards throughout
the entire process is needed for a high
quality and safe product. (Distribute
copies of the Food Safety Hazard
Matching Quiz to each student. Allow 35 minutes to complete it. Discuss and
review answers.)
Support Material:
ƒ Foodborne Microorganism Chart
Fresh sausage is just what its name
says. It is made from raw/uncooked
ground meat. It may be flavored with
added spices but no ‘curing’ agents—
nitrite or nitrate—have been added.
Examples are fresh pork sausage, fresh
bratwurst and fresh Italian sausage.
These products need to be cooked
before eating. Question: Can you think
of any other examples of a fresh
sausage product?
Curing and Sausage page 4
Slide 11
Cooked Sausage
• Fully cooked ready-to-eat sausages
• Most are also smoked but may be water or
steam cooked as well
• May be eaten without reheating
• Examples include: wieners, smoked
sausages, bologna, cooked bratwurst
Slide 12
Fermented Sausages
• Have a characteristic “tangy” flavor
• Produced through fermentation by lactic acid
producing bacteria or the direct addition of
encapsulated acids
• These sausages can be shelf-stable with the
proper amount of drying and acidification
• Semi-dry: summer sausage and snack sticks
• Dry: pepperoni, hard salami
Slide 13
Meat loaves and
Jellied Products
• Loaves: Mixtures of chopped
meat that are usually “formed” and
cooked in pans or metal molds
• Examples: pickle and pimento
loaf and honey loaf
• Jellied products: consist of a
cooked mixture of meat chunks
placed in gelatin
• Examples: jellied roast beef and
head cheese
09/04
Head Cheese
Cooked sausage is a fully cooked readyto-eat sausage. Product needs to be
refrigerated. It does not need to be
reheated to 165°F unless you are going
to hold it hot. Wieners, smoked
sausages, bologna and cooked bratwurst
are examples. Question: Are there
other sausage products you make or
stock that are cooked?
Fermented sausages are known for
there ‘tangy’ flavor. This type of sausage
has gone through a fermentation process
by lactic acid producing bacteria or
adding encapsulated acids. If properly
acidified and dried, fermented sausages
can be shelf-stable. Semi-dry and dry
are two types of fermented sausages.
Summer sausage and snack sticks are
semi-dry. Pepperoni and hard salami fall
under the dry category.
Meat loaves are mixtures of chopped
meat that are usually “formed” and
cooked in pans or metal molds for
shaping. Here’s a picture of a pepper
loaf. Pickle and pimento loaf and honey
loaf are other examples of meat loaves.
A cooked mixture of meat chunks placed
in gelatin is called a jellied product.
Examples include jellied roast beef and
head cheese.
Curing and Sausage page 5
Slide 14
Sausage Ingredients:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Slide 15
Meat
Salt
Spices
Cure
Reducing Agents
Binders and Extenders
Water
Casings
Meat
Use only fresh
meat in good
condition and
from an
approved
source.
• Maintain all meats at a temperature of
41°F or less during storage and production
prior to cooking.
09/04
Common sausage ingredients include—
meat, salt, spices, cure, reducing agents,
binders and extenders, water and
casings. Each ingredient plays a role in
the type of sausage produced. In the
next few slides we will look at each of
these ingredients.
Activity: It’s All About Sausage! (See
Activities for Sausage Making Section).
It’s All About Sausage! Is a matching
quiz of the ingredients used in sausage
making and the role they play. This
activity can be used to introduce the
topic on ingredients or can be used at
the end to assess understanding.
Meat is the main ingredient in sausage.
Use only fresh quality meat. Question:
What will happen if you bury ‘old’ meat in
sausage? (Answer: off-flavors, spread
of bacteria, and spoilage problems.)
Check raw materials upon receiving to
make sure they meet requirements and
specifications. Use raw materials on a
first in, first out basis. Keep meat cold,
41°F or less during storage and
throughout the production process.
Question: How do you know the meat
is 41°F or colder? (Answer: Use a
thermometer.)
Thawing frozen raw meat needs to be
done under refrigerated conditions of
41°F or cooler. Check product during
thawing for product drip and
temperature. Separating raw product in
preparation from finished cooked product
is important to prevent potential
contamination.
Curing and Sausage page 6
Slide 16
Salt
• Salt is a necessary ingredient for flavor
• It aids in preserving some sausages
• It is essential for extracting the “soluble”
meat protein that is responsible for binding
the sausage together when the sausage is
heated
• Most sausages contain 1-3 % salt
Slide 17
Spices
• All spices and seasoning should be fresh
to achieve maximum and consistent
flavors
• Store seasonings at 55°F or below in air
tight containers to maintain freshness
Slide 18
Meat Curing Ingredients
• Nitrates and nitrites are the common
“curing” ingredients used in the production
of sausage
• Nitrite is the compound that distinguishes
fresh products from cured products
• Nitrate is converted to nitrite during the
fermentation and cooking process
Slide 19
Function of Cure
• provides protection against the
growth of botulism
• extends shelf life
• stabilizes the flavor of the cured
meat
• used to achieve the characteristic
flavor and color
09/04
Salt is a standard in a sausage recipe.
ƒ Salt is a necessary ingredient for
flavor
ƒ It aids in preserving some sausages
ƒ It is essential for extracting the
“soluble” meat protein that is
responsible for binding the sausage
together when the sausage is heated
ƒ Most sausages contain 1-3 % salt
For best flavor and consistency, use
fresh spices and seasonings. If using
pre-packaged spices, check use-by
dates. Store spices and seasoning
mixes at 55°F or below in airtight
containers. This maintains freshness
and prevents insects from hatching out.
ƒ Nitrates and nitrites are the common
“curing” ingredients used in the
production of sausage.
ƒ Nitrite is the compound that
distinguishes fresh products from
cured products.
ƒ Nitrate is converted to nitrite during
the fermentation and cooking process.
Cure has several functions. It provides
protection against the growth of
clostridium botulinum—the bacterium
that causes the foodborne illness called
botulinum. It extends the shelf life of the
product. It also helps to stabilize the
flavor of the cured meat. Cure is also
used to achieve the characteristic flavor
and color of the sausage product.
Curing and Sausage page 7
Slide 20
Cure: Caution !!
• Too much: can be toxic to humans!
• Too little: can result in the growth of
harmful bacteria!
• Federal regulations:
• maximum of 2.75 ounces of sodium or
potassium nitrate per 100 pounds of chopped
meat, or
• 0.25 ounces of sodium or potassium nitrite
per 100 pounds of chopped meat
Slide 21
Cure Rates are Critical!
• Most cures are added in the form of
commercial premixes
• Use the cure premixes according to
labeled directions only
• Any use other than according to labeled
directions will produce an unsafe and
illegal product
Slide 22
Addition of Cure Ingredients
• Today we use injection, tumbling and
direct mixing of cure ingredients
• Tumbling forces the cure into the muscle
under vacuum
• Other methods include:
• Dry rubbing
• Artery pumping
• Soaking in brine containing cure
09/04
ƒ Nitrate is converted to nitrite during
the fermentation/cooking process.
ƒ Too much: can be toxic to humans!
ƒ Too little: can result in the growth of
harmful bacteria!
ƒ Federal regulations:
ƒ maximum of 2.75 ounces of sodium
or potassium nitrate per 100
pounds of chopped meat, or
ƒ 0.25 ounces of sodium or
potassium nitrite per 100 pounds
of chopped meat
Most sausage makers used commercial
pre-mixes. In your recipe make sure you
include pre-mix name and pre-mix code
number. Update recipe if you change
brands. Following manufacturer
directions is critical to the process. Not
following the manufacturer’s directions
will produce an unsafe and illegal
product. Precise measuring by a digital
scale needs to be part of the plan.
Once we have the correct amount of
cure, we need to add it to the meat. A
variety of methods commonly used in
sausage making are: injecting the cure
with a syringe, using a tumbler to force
the cure in the muscle or soaking in brine
containing the cure. Question: What
method do you use to add cure?
Curing and Sausage page 8
Slide 23
Curing Accelerators
• Speed up the curing process, reduce the
holding time
• Examples are ascorbic acid (vitamin C) or
sodium erythorbate (isoascorbic acid)
• Must be used according to labeled
directions
Slide 24
Binders and Extenders
Binders • Help to improve flavor and retain natural
juices.
Extenders • Can reduce the cost of sausage
formulation.
• Examples: nonfat dry milk, cereal flours,
and soy protein products
Slide 25
Water
• Added to rehydrate the nonfat dry milk and
to replace the expected moisture loss
during smoking and cooking
• Up to 10 percent by weight of water may
be added to most sausages
• No water is added to sausages that will be
dried
09/04
Regulations allow the use of 7/8 ounce
per 100 lbs of meat for curing
accelerators to speed up the curing
process and reduce the amount of
holding time. Ascorbic acid or (Vitamin
C) or sodium erythorbate (isoascorbic
acid) are often used as a curing
accelerator. Follow manufacturer
directions on label.
Binders and extenders are commonly
found in a sausage formula. A binder
improves flavor and retains natural
juices. An extender can reduce
production costs by adding an ingredient
to replace some of the meat that is
needed. Nonfat dry milk, cereal flours
and soy protein products are often used.
Milk, soy and wheat are common food
allergens. You must list these on the
ingredient list of the label.
Support Material:
ƒ Allergen Facts: Food
ƒ Allergies and Food Ingredients
ƒ Added to rehydrate the nonfat dry milk
and to replace the expected moisture
loss during smoking and cooking.
ƒ Up to 10 percent by weight of water
may be added to most sausages.
ƒ No water is added to sausages that
will be dried.
Its Standard of Identity regulates the
amount of water added to the product.
Curing and Sausage page 9
Slide 26
Casings
• Casings are either natural or synthetic
• Natural casings are from sheep, hog, or
cattle intestines or manufactured from
collagen (an animal protein)
• Synthetic casings are usually made from
cellulose
Slide 27
Casing Label Requirements
• Beginning Sept. 5, 2001 FSIS regulations
require sausage manufacturers to label the
source of natural sausage casings if they are
derived from a different type of meat or poultry
than the meat or poultry encased in the
sausage.
• Sausage products encased in regenerated
collagen casings will have to have a statement
on the label disclosing the use of regenerated
collagen. (The processing of regenerated
collagen casings renders the detection of the
species proteins impossible).
Slide 28
Product Identity and Standards
• Processor must be familiar with the
Standard of Identity for the products
produced.
• Federal regulations are very specific in
limiting the fat content, the amount of
water added, the presence of extenders
and variety meats in sausages.
09/04
ƒ Casings are either natural or
synthetic.
ƒ Natural casings are from sheep, hog,
or cattle intestines or manufactured
from collagen (an animal protein).
ƒ Synthetic casings are usually made
from cellulose.
There must be concern for potential
allergen exposure with different casing
types, as well as, religious and ethnic
preferences.
Allergen and Kosher label requirements
must be met.
ƒ Beginning Sept. 5, 2001 FSIS
regulations require sausage
manufacturers to label the source of
natural sausage casings if they are
derived from a different type of meat
or poultry than the meat or poultry
encased in the sausage.
ƒ Sausage products encased in
regenerated collagen casings will
have to have a statement on the label
disclosing the use of regenerated
collagen. (The processing of
regenerated collagen casings renders
the detection of the species proteins
impossible).
Each sausage product should comply
with Standard of Identity for meat
processors.
ƒ Variety meats include organ meats,
glands and other meats that are not
part of a dressed carcass. This may
include liver, kidneys, brains, heart,
tongue, tripe, feet, tail, and cheek
meat. Liver and heart may be frozen
as well as fresh. Tongue may be
fresh, pickled, corned and smoked.
Tripe is the lining of a cow’s stomach.
Pig’s feet, or trotters, are available
fresh, pickled and smoked.
Curing and Sausage page 10
Slide 29
HACCP Plan
• A proper HACCP plan should be followed
for the safe production of meat products.
• A HACCP plan provides a careful analysis
of the hazards and describes critical
control points in the process to control
these hazards.
Slide 30
Steps in Processing
• Particle Size Reduction:
• Grind; Chop; Mince; Shred; Chunk
• Mixing:
•
•
•
•
•
•
• Mixers; Massager; Tumblers: Chopper: Emulsifier
Stuffing
Linking/Tying
Fermenting (optional)
Smoking/Cooking
Chilling
Peeling/Packaging
Slide 31
Cooking (CCP)
• All meat products must be cooked to the
required temperature to kill pathogens
• 158°F is considered adequate for pork and
beef
• 160°F is considered adequate for poultry
• Internal cook temperature and cook times
must be carefully monitored and recorded
Smoked or cured products require a
HACCP Plan for safe production of
products. A HACCP (Hazard Analysis
Critical Control Points) Plan identifies all
of the hazards in the sausage making
process. Let’s look at each HACCP step
for sausage making.
Step 1 is to conduct a hazard analysis –
looking at different factors that could
affect the safety of your product. The
purpose of HACCP is to identify food
safety hazards – not quality factors.
Hazards are categorized as chemical,
physical or biological hazards; only those
that are reasonably likely to occur are to
be considered. The hazard analysis
must look at all of the processes for
making sausage.
Once the hazards are identified, you
must identify critical control points.
These are steps or procedures in the
process where those identified hazards
can be prevented, eliminated, or reduced
to acceptable levels. Cooking in a
cooked sausage product is a critical
control point. The cook or smoking step
is critical to kill disease-causing
organisms in cooked sausage.
The next step is to establish critical
limits. These are a maximum or
minimum value to which the hazard must
be controlled at the critical control point.
158°F is considered adequate for pork
and beef and 160°F is considered
adequate for poultry. Corrective actions
are taken when the monitoring shows
that a food safety hazard is out of control
at a critical control point.
After the critical limit values are
established, you must determine how
09/04
Curing and Sausage page 11
that value will be monitored and how
often it will be monitored. Temperature
records should follow a lot or sub-lot all
the way through production. FSIS
regulations require temperature to be
monitored and recorded. Record
keeping procedures are important in
making and keeping a HACCP system
effective. Temperature logs and batch
records are examples of records that
demonstrate that the plan is being
followed. Verification procedures help
make the HACCP plan work correctly.
Documentation throughout the sausage
making process is needed to document
batch identification so it can be traced
throughout the production chain.
USDA’s FSIS defines a production lot as
being from “full sanitation to full
sanitation”.
Activity: Name That Temperature (See
Activities for Curing and Sausage
Making Section) This activity reviews all
of the required temperatures throughout
the flow of the sausage making process.
Reference: FSIS: Appendix A:
Compliance Guidelines for Lethality
Slide 32
Cooling
• FSIS Compliance Guidelines recommend
that cooked meat products be cooled to
below 80°F in less than 1.5 hours and
below 40°F in less than 5 hours
USDA Cooling Curve:
FSIS Compliance Guidelines
recommend that cooked meat products
be cooled to below 80°F in less than 1.5
hours and below 40°F in less than 5
hours. Sausage products must be
cooled properly after cooking. Put in
covered container or package as soon
as possible after the product is cooled.
Reference: FSIS Appendix B:
Compliance Guidelines for Cooling HeatTreated Meat and Poultry Products,
Stabilization
09/04
Curing and Sausage page 12
Slide 33
Packaging
• Care must be taken to prevent cross
contamination of cooked meats prior to
packaging
• Specific procedures must be followed if
cooked meat products are vacuum
packaged
09/04
ƒ Care must be taken to prevent cross
contamination of cooked meats prior
to packaging. Keep food covered or
packaged at all times to significantly
reduce the possibilities of being
contaminated by other foods or the
environment.
ƒ Specific procedures must be followed
if cooked meat products are vacuum
packaged. When packaging ready-toeat sausages limit bare hand contact.
Use utensils, tissues or gloves.
ƒ As you are preparing to package the
product—cutting, slicing and
preparing foods—temperature is
again a consideration. Extended
periods of time out of refrigerated
storage could allow for bacteria to
grow. Only take out a limited quantity
of foods at a time and return them to
the cooler or place in a retail display
case immediately. If the packaging
operation gets interrupted for any
reason, put the products back into the
cooler until you resume the operation.
ƒ Always be sure the vacuum packaged
products are re-chilled to 41°F or less.
Leave plenty of space for the cold air
to circulate around the packages; if
stacked too tightly, food might not cool
quickly enough.
Another of the primary controls is the
limitation on the kinds of products that
can be vacuum packaged at retail.
Remember the only foods that can be
vacuum packaged at retail are raw meat
and poultry, hard and semi soft cheeses,
and any cooked or smoked meats (only if
they are cured). Foods that CAN NOT
be vacuum packaged at retail include
cooked turkey (like turkey lunch meats),
cooked roast beef or pork (like products
for slicing, prime rib, or shredded beef or
pork), cooked sausages that do not
contain cure (bratwurst), soft cheese
such as brie, cheese spreads, sandwich
Curing and Sausage page 13
spreads, salads, cooked or raw
vegetables, or any raw or cooked fish
that is not frozen.
Support Materials:
ƒ Food Products that can or cannot be
ROP
Slide 34
Packaging
• When packaging
ready-to-eat foods,
limit bare hand
contact
• Utensils, tissues or
gloves must be
used
Slide 35
Labeling
All prepackaged meat products must be
properly labeled to include the following:
¾ Product name
¾ Ingredient statement containing a complete list
of ingredients.
¾ Handling/perishability statement- “Keep
Refrigerated” or “Keep Frozen” must be
provided on all products that are not shelf stable.
Safe handling instructions must be provided on
prepackaged raw meats.
¾ Statement of net weight
¾ Name and address of the manufacturer/
distributor
09/04
When preparing foods for packaging and
when placing the foods in the ROP
vacuum packaging bags, employees
must not touch the food with their bare
hands. A utensil, tissues or single use
gloves must be used. While single use
gloves can provide a barrier to
transferring bacteria onto foods, they
must be used properly. Hands must be
properly washed before putting gloves
on and when they are removed. Gloves
must be changed frequently, especially
after any interruption in the process
when the gloves may have become
contaminated.
Support Materials:
• Hand Sanitizers and Gloves,
Minnesota Food Code Fact Sheet
• Bare Hand Contact Fact Sheet
• Hand Washing, Minnesota Food
Code Fact Sheet
All prepackaged meat products must
be properly labeled to include the
following:
ƒ Product name.
ƒ Ingredient statement containing a
complete list of ingredients.
ƒ Handling/perishability statement”Keep Refrigerated” or “Keep Frozen”
must be provided on all products that
are not shelf stable. Safe handling
instructions must be provided on
prepackaged raw meats.
ƒ Statement of net weight.
ƒ Name and address of the
manufacturer/ distributor.
Curing and Sausage page 14
Slide 36
Storage and Display
• All meat products must be held at a
temperature of 41°F or below while in
storage or display
• Raw meats must be stored below and
away from cooked meats
Slide 37
Jerky
• Meat cut into thin strips and then dried to
preserve it
• It can be flavored or treated during the
drying process to improve flavor or
nutritional content
Slide 38
Jerky
• Made from beef, venison, moose, elk,
antelope and other game animals
• Trim all of the fat and membrane that you
can as you cut up the meat
• Cut the meat into thin strips across the
grain of the meat
• The thinner the strips are, the
quicker it will dry
Slide 39
Drying Jerky
1. Lay out strips on a sheet in a single layer
2. Lay the meat slices on a grill or grate that
allows air to reach all parts of the slice
3. Store in a cool dry area in a sealed
container after it is well cooled
09/04
ƒ All meat products must be held at a
temperature of 41°F or below while in
storage or display.
ƒ Raw meats must be stored below and
away from cooked meats.
Jerky doesn’t fall into the sausage
category. Many retail and small meat
processors make jerky. Jerky
processing requires special procedures
for a safe product.
ƒ Meat cut into thin strips and then dried
to preserve it
ƒ It can be flavored or treated during the
drying process to improve flavor or
nutritional content
ƒ Jerky is usually made from beef,
venison, moose, elk, antelope and
other game animals.
ƒ Trim all of the fat and membrane that
you can as you cut up the meat.
ƒ Cut the meat into thin strips across
the grain of the meat.
ƒ The thinner the strips are, the quicker
it will dry.
ƒ To dry jerky lay out strips on a sheet
in a single layer.
ƒ Lay the meat slices on a grill or grate
that allows air to reach all parts of the
slice.
ƒ After jerky is cooled, store in a cool
dry area, in a sealed container. Jerky
must be stored in a sealed container
to prevent it from taking on moisture
from the air. It will rehydrate if in
contact with moisture.
ƒ Refrigerate at retail level.
Curing and Sausage page 15
Slide 40
Jerky
• Jerky meat with cure can be cold smoked
or dried at lower temperatures
• Jerky meat without cure must be cooked
or processed at temperatures greater than
160 ºF
Slide 41
Summary
Properly prepared sausage and
meat products:
add to consumer convenience
• enhance color and flavor
• upgrade the value of raw materials
• increase the shelf life
• add to the safety of the product
•
Slide 42
Wrap-Up
• Do you have any questions?
• What information was new?
• How will you apply what you
learned today?
• Posttest
09/04
ƒ Jerky meat with cure can be cold
smoked or dried at lower
temperatures.
ƒ Jerky meat without cure must be
cooked or processed at temperatures
greater than 160ºF.
To summarize:
ƒ Properly prepared sausage and meat
products:
ƒ add to consumer convenience
ƒ enhance color and flavor
ƒ upgrade the value of raw materials
ƒ increase the shelf life
ƒ add to the safety of the product
Are there any questions?? (Answer
questions.) I have a couple of questions
for you:
1. What information was new today?
2. How will you apply what you learned
today?
Administer Posttest: Now it’s time to take
the posttest. Let’s see what you have
learned during the presentation. Note:
Distribute a copy of the Curing and
Sausage Making pretest/posttest to each
student. Ask participants to circle the
word posttest. Pretest/posttest is found
on the CD (Curing and Sausage Making
folder) and in the Curing and Sausage
Making Activity section.
Curing and Sausage page 16