Prepping cloth casings for stuffing

[jac1]

Re: I am going to use cloth casings for a batch of summer sausage , my question is should the cloth be wet or dry when stuffing them.What's your next Meat Project?

[Mean Dean]

I use cloth/textile casings a lot. I’ve done both - wet and dry. I’ve found no difference in taste or smoke ability either way. I’m stuffing dry now. There is usually enough moisture in the meat that they are slightly damp after stuffing. Not as much drying time in the smoker initially, before adding smoke. I do get a more pronounced smoke flavor with the cloth/textile casings vs. the fibrous casings. Slightly more expensive that fibrous casings, but I like the finished product better. Never had any complaints. Unfortunately there aren’t many sizes or suppliers of these casings. Walton’s carries the larger size, which I use for Lebanon Bologna.

[jac1]

Thanks, I wasn’t sure if it would draw too much moisture out of the meat if I stuffed them .