This is a combination recipe that I have settled on between a Penrose Hot Sausage Recipe recreation by John Venning and the Utopenci recipe.
During the years I have added all the ingredients to a batch and have left some out on another batch and have yet to be let down.
Ingredients
• __- 1/2 cup water
• __- 2 cups white vinegar
• __- 1/2 tbs Chipotle chili powder
• __- 1 tbs red pepper flakes
• __- 1 tsp minced Garlic, I use fresh, but both work
• __- 1 tbs dried minced onion, I use fresh, but both work
• __- 1 tsp Paprika, smoked works very well too
• __- 1/2 tsp white pepper
• __- 1 tbs salt
• 1 tbs mustard seed
• 20 whole peppercorns
• Bay leaf
• __- Lg pinch all spice
• __- 28 oz pkg Hillshire Farms 'lil Smokies, or other precooked link sausage, cut in two. (MUST be precooked!) Kielbasa sliced about 1/2 inch thick works also. Hot dogs just don’t work.
• __- Or, use to pickle Boiled Eggs!
Steps
- 1* On medium-high heat, combine the water, salt, vinegar, and spices.
- 2* Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes in a well ventilated area.
- NOTE: when you’re simmering the brine, make sure you have a ventilator fan running or a window and door open, the vinegar and Cayenne pepper boiling is kinda’ hard on a the eyes! Almost like mace…
- 3* Place precooked sausage into a 1 qt sterile jar. Fill jar but don’t pack tightly.
- 4* Pour the hot vinegar mixture in with the sausage, If there isn’t enough, add some vinegar. Secure the lid.
- 5* Let cool, then place in the fridge, keep refrigerated.
- 6* Ready to eat in 7 to 14 days.
- When opened for the first time, there will be a layer of fat on top and the underside of the lid, remove if you want too.