How to Use Collagen Casing for Sausage Making

Collagen casings are a favorite among many sausage makers as they’re easy to work with and impart minimal flavor on the final product.

Sausage makers who lean on animal casings, however, may wonder how to use collagen casings in their recipes. They’re not all that different from natural casings, but they do have their own intricacies to be aware of. 

Let’s explore the world of collagen casings and how to use them for your sausages.

Introduction to Collagen Casings

Collagen is the most common protein in the animal kingdom. It’s found in skin and other connective tissue, refined via an involved chemical process, and made into casings for many different kinds of sausages.

Many sausage makers prefer using collagen casings as they’re:

  • Simple to work with
  • Durable
  • Mostly soft with a slight, pleasant chew

There are three main types of collagen casings:

  • Fresh – Softer than other styles of casings and perfect for use with fresh sausage mixtures.
  • Dried – Offering a lower moisture content, ideal for pepperoni, salami, and snack sticks.
  • Smoked – Casings that have hung out in the smoker for a while, featuring a noticeable fiery flavor that works well in smoked sausage recipes. 

Choosing the Right Collagen Casing

Collagen casings come in a wide variety of sizes and thickness options. To find the right fit for your sausages, input your recipe into our handy casing size calculator and follow its recommendations.

Preparing Collagen Casings Before Use

Collagen casings are essentially ready to use straight from the box—though there are a few tips to keep in mind if it’s your first time working with them.

Do Collagen Casings Need Soaking?

Nope! Regular collagen casings absolutely do not need to be soaked before use. In fact, soaking your casings will:

  • Make it harder to control your portions
  • Result in high give away

Inedible collagen casings, however, should be soaked before they’re stuffed. In such cases, use a 10–15% brine at 72-77℉ for 30 minutes to make them pliable and ready for filling.

How to Store Casings Properly

Casing boxes should remain sealed and stored between 40-70℉ until you’re ready to use them. Keep the box away from fire and any other sources of heat.

If you open your casings but don’t use the whole box in one go, tightly seal them back in their plastic bag and store them between 40-70℉ to retain proper moisture levels. 

Keep in mind that casings should be used within two years of delivery to yield the best results.

Stuffing Sausages with Collagen Casings

Stuffing collagen casings is a lot like stuffing any other kind of casing. Here’s what you need to know:

Equipment Needed for Stuffing

When it comes to collagen casings, you can use the same gear you use for stuffing other sausages, including:

  • A sausage stuffing machine
  • Sanitation products
  • Safety equipment

Beyond this, you’ll need all the machinery necessary to prepare your meat mixture. This can include cutters, mixers, extruders, and more. Once your meat is mixed up and your stuffing equipment is ready, you can get to filling your casings. 

Step-by-Step Sausage Stuffing Process

Collagen casings come ready to use straight from the box—including having a knot tied in one end. To begin stuffing:

  1. Lightly grease the stuffer's horn and slide the open end of the casings all the way over.
  1. Hold the casing with a medium-firm grip to prevent both slippage and tearing.
  1. Stuff meat into the casing until it reaches about two inches from the open end.
  1. Tie off the casing and repeat the process with the rest.

How to Prevent Casing Breakage

Keep your casings sealed until the very moment you intend to use them to maintain their moisture and pliability. Don’t grip the casing too firmly as you fill it, but don’t hold it too loosely to avoid it slipping off. 

Finally, don’t overstuff your sausages to the point where they’re about to burst.

Cooking Sausages in Collagen Casings

Collagen casings can stand up to a variety of cooking methods—which one you choose depends on your personal tastes and preferences.

Best Cooking Methods (Grilling, Frying, Smoking)

The three best ways to cook collagen-cased sausages include:

  • Grilling – The barbecue is a crowd favorite for texture and flavor.
  • Pan frying – Collagen’s resilient surface means your sausages aren’t as likely to tear in the pan as those with natural casings. 
  • Smoking – Collagen’s sturdy structure also makes it perfect for hanging in the smokehouse and infusing with fiery goodness.

How Cooking Affects Casing Texture

How you cook your collagen-cased sausages significantly affects their final texture. 

Grilling gives a crispy char and satisfying snap to the surface. Pan frying leads to a more even crust spread across the whole weiner. Smoking makes them dry and toothsome like chorizo, pepperoni, or salami.

Storing Leftover Collagen Casings

The sooner you use collagen casings, the better. They can, however, be stored for up to two years in their original packaging if tightly sealed and kept between 40-70℉.

If you find your casings are significantly dried out, smell odd, or have noticeable mold, discard them and get more from Oversea Casing.

Shop Oversea Casing for Reliable, High-Quality Collagen Casings

How to use collagen casings?

Simply stuff them and leave them to hang and smoke—or grill them up immediately. As long as you get high-quality, fresh casings, your sausages will turn out juicy and delicious. 

Selecting, grinding, and preparing your mixture is the hard part—where to get your casings is simple. Get both natural and collagen casings from Oversea Casings to make the most of your meat.

Sources: 

Harvard Health. Collagen. https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/collagen/. 

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. Comprehensive review on collagen extraction from food by-products and waste as a value-added material. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0141813024051791. 

Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. LAYOUT AND EQUIPMENT FOR A SMALL-SCALE SAUSAGE PRODUCTION PLANT. https://www.fao.org/4/x6556e/x6556e01.htm. 

University of Georgia. Basics of Sausage Making: Formulation, Processing & Safety. https://secure.caes.uga.edu/extension/publications/files/pdf/B%201437_1.PDF.