Elk summer sausage, now with Sure Gel; USPS news flash

[Big Game]

73% Arizona elk, 27% fatback. This was the first time I used Sure Gel and it seemed to help. The recipe was mine, plus hot pepper cheese. Looks great and tastes even better. Once I package it up, I will take around town as Christmas presents.

Here is - not - a news flash. Two weeks ago, I sent a batch off from L. A. to Knoxville, TN, USPS priority mail (estimated 3 days), it ended up taking 9 days. Frozen, with styrofoam shipping box and ice packs. It was all room temp when arrived, but it was for my mother in law and she insisted on eating it.

When I got an email from USPS telling me it had been delivered, I replied very nicely telling them it took way too long. I assumed no one would actually read it. But I quickly got a real person who responded, said “I am so sorry to hear that. With the unimaginable and unprecedented package volumes this year, we are averaging a 10 day delay despite forcing employees to work 16 or more hour days.” That’s terrible, I definitely feel for them. But I do wish they had told me that before I shipped with them…

Merry Christmas to you all. John

[PapaSop]

Big Game
Looks great. Since trying the Sure Gel I’ll never do a smoked sausage without it.

My brother had the same issue with USPS. He manages a local cheese shop and had to quit shipping with them for the same reason. It’s unfortunate.

[johnsbrewhouse]

I just sent a package to my sister in Pendleton, OR only 304 miles, two day priority via USPS, just got there today. It took six days, I could have driven there and back in one day or spend two and went and saw Joe Hell at the butcher shop in Walla Walla.

[Big Game]

I sent another one by FedEx ground from L.A. to Maryland on Monday. They estimated 5 days, and it was delivered in 5 days, ice packs frozen solid and meat cold. I am seeing lots of news that FedEx and UPS are refusing to take some packages and USPS cannot do that, so it may not be a fair comparison. But it got there as promised.

[Big Game]

Back to summer sausage, I get small holes in the sausage, which you can easily see in the photo. Doesn’t bother me, but is that typical?

[twilliams]

Big Game if you dont pack them tight enough yes. It helps if you keep the casing right at the exit of the horn and keep good pressure on it while stuffing

[glen]

Also could be some of your fat (soft fat) had a different melting point and melted into the meat

[Big Game]

Thank you. I was actually a bit short on fatback so I chucked in some bacon, maybe that was part of it.