Summer Sausage with dried cranberries

[SWicky]

Does anyone have a recipe for summer sausage using high temp cheddar and DRIED CRANBERRIES? I’m looking to make 25 lbs worth and would like to know how much HT cheese to add and how much dried cranberries to add. Any suggestions/ideas would be great!

[mdseaside]

When I add cheese to my summer sausage I add 2 lbs. of cheese for 25 lbs. of ground meat. I put the cheese in a food processer and pulse it a few times to cut it down in small batches. I add fresh jalepenos .I seed and devein them till I have about 12 oz. and also cut them down in the food processor. So I would think somewhere around 12 to 14 ounces would be a good amount to start with. And I think I would maybe rehydrate them depending on how dry they are, and cut them down a bit. Hope this helps.

[Deepwoodsbutcher]

SWicky 10% on high temp is a good rule of thumb. If you are looking for cranberries and cheese in every bite, you could aim for about the same amount. I would usually do this type of ingredient by eye, just mixing in until it looks right to me.

[SWicky]

mdseaside do you recommend using fresh cranberries or dehydrated? I see you suggest rehydrating them so I’m assuming you are suggesting dehydrated?

[mdseaside]

I would use dried cranberries with maybe about the same chew of soft raisons.

[Departing Contestant]

you defiantly want to rehydrate the cranberries. there is a school of thought that they will rehydrate in the cooking/smoking process but I would rather be safe going in

[jfyoung45]

I made 3 batches using frozen Saskatoon berries. First batch with 10% of meat weight in berries. Feedback was to increase berries. Tried 15% then 20% and all were happy with the 20%. Great tasting.

[SWicky]

jfyoung45, so you are saying I should add 5lbs cranberries for 25 lbs of meat (20%)?

[bocephus]

Departing Contestant What happened to the countdown?

[Departing Contestant]

bocephus oh well c**p…old age … 37

[Departing Contestant]

Departing Contestant c r a p …36

[jfyoung45]

SWicky No, I am saying with fully hydrated saskatoons I tried 3 different batches and my family and friends liked the 20% best…so I suggest you make smaller batches and find out what you and yours like best. Let us know. Cheers

[deweymeats]

Reading this makes me want to try this Summer Sausage but seems the cranberry question has not really been answered. Dried? Dehydrated? Raisins like? I will use the quantity to my liking by sighting. Thanks

[SWicky]

I made a 25lbs batch of Summer Sausage using dried cranberries. I did soak in H20 for a bit but don’t think it was necessary because it didn’t seem to take on much of the H20. They were similar to soft raisins like mdseaside suggested. Turned out great. Only regret was not adding enough. This batch I made for a friend. I will be doing more in the future of my own.

[kyle]

SWicky what I do is I use Craisins, I chop them up into smaller pieces, and also add hi temp cheddar and wild rice. I put them in summer sausage and brats. I never measure out how much of each, I just add more until it looks right to me. Its a favorite among my family and friends

[SWicky]

kyle, I’m from MN and pick my own wild rice. How do you prepare it for summer sausage? Cooked? Partially cooked, etc.? I thought about making a batch of wild rice/blueberry or cranberry.

[kyle]

SWicky I fully cook it, rinse it good and try to get as much of the water out as I can. Let it cool good (I make mine the day before and cool it in the fridge) so it does not warm the meat as you mix it in

[kyle]

SWicky where in MN are you, I live in WI up by Superior

[bocephus]

SWicky I add wild rice to brats, they were a favorite of my dad’s. I get the wild rice from MN, I grew up there.

[SWicky]

kyle I actually live in Sw mn but have gone north to pick with a few friends who pick every year. The natural wild rice is incredible Vs the cultivated stuff. That’s why I want to interpret that into some summer sausage or brats with some MN harvested wild blueberries.