Bear sausage question?

[russm86]

So this question is in regards to bear sausage and trichinosis. From what I have heard and read on this site and on the internet, not all trichinosis can be killed by deep freeze for any length of time and the only way to kill it all is to cook it to somewhere between 150 and 160 degrees F. When having it made into sausage would it actually reach these temperatures? From what I read, smoking and curing will not kill it but I'm not exactly sure how the whole process of sausage works whether it actually gets cooked at some point or is just dehydrated? I would probably be looking at some pepperoni and maybe some kind of garlic or farmers sausage or something. Is this stuff actually cooked enough or at all? Or is it uncooked and something to consider / be concerned about?

[Steeleco]

If you cure your sausage in the oven slowly over a few hours and get the internal temp up to 165* for 5 min you'll be fine. Just last week I made a 12lb kit of salami in 2 big chubs. Once the tubes were filled I put them in the oven set to 200*F and slowly get them to just over 100*F then about 1.5 hours into it, I raised the oven to 250 and watched the meat temp till they got to 165*F 5 min later quenched them in cold water for easy pealing of the skins.

Naturally your mix where the skins are eaten don't need a quench, just let them air cool and try not to eat it all in one day !!!

[russm86]

Is this a similar process to what a commercial butcher would use when making sausages or pepperoni? If so I shouldn't have to worry then correct? I wasn't planning on making my own.

[Shooter]

Ask your butcher to explain his process, and voice your concerns. They should be able to put you at ease or send you shopping for a new butcher

[russm86]

OK. I will do that. Thanks. Any one recommend any sausage makers in Kamloops?

[twanger]

Not sure if Jorgen over at Gary's Sausage will do a bear or not, give him a try 250 376 0832. If not another might be Keely's Chop N Block 250 828 1015.
Twanger

[Steeleco]

Sorry I thought you were making your own, you should LOL The advice to call any prospective makers is good advice.

[winchester284]

Drop your sausages into a boiling pot of water. They will drop to the bottom of the pot. As soon as they start to float (about 3-5 minutes) you know that the internal temperature of the sausage has reached at least 150 degrees. Take them out and your safe.

Boiling water has a temperature of 212 degrees.

We process all our farmers sausage this way and have never had any issues.

[russm86]

Winchester284, do you do this with all the sausage you get back from the "butcher" before you freeze it or do you just take a few at a time out of the freezer and do this when your thinking about having some?

[Steeleco]

With all due respect, me thinks your being a little paranoid!!! If your to have a pro make up a batch, I'm 100% sure your not going to have any issues with any bugs. They can't afford to make customers sick, it's bad for business LOL

I trust Tric is a concern for many, but many of us here have made plenty of home made sausage for many years, I don't recall the last time I heard of anyone having issue with tric.

[russm86]

Hey Steeleco, thats the answer I was kinda looking for, lol. I was more curious as to if anyone has had any issues with it and I kinda supsected the same thing as you mentioned with the professional business doing it. Also, as you kinda mentioned with the sick customers thing, I would think if it wasn't cooked they wouldn't want to process it in fear of contaminating their commercial products which, if not cooked after, would also make people sick. I just remembered reading this one artical and I really have very little idea of how sausage and stuff is made and whether it was cooked or just smoked/cured so it kinda just made me more curious than anything. I would suspect that if it were a problem it would have been brought up a lot more. But I think it must be cooked somewhat somehow most of it cause it doesnt look like just raw ground meat in the tubes, aside from maybe your breakfast sausage kinda thing, it looks darkened and more cooked to me than raw.

[Ron.C]

I know one cutter/processor who won't do bear pepeproni anymore because his chosen method of processing pepperoni does not get the product to a high enough internal temp to guarantee any Tric is killed.

But he will do fresh sausage, as well as cut bear meat "steaks/burger etc." as it is up to the individual consuming these products to cook to an appropriate temperature.

[winchester284]

I make my own sausage, so this is the way I finish it off before I freeze it. It's just a safety measure in case they didn't reach 150-160 degree while they were being smoked. I'm suggesting if you are concerned about the butcher made sausage then drop it in a boiling pot for a few minutes before you eat it. It will not only ensure that any bacteria in it is killed, but the process also melts the fat in the sausage making it very juicy when you eat it!