Outlaw Pickled Sausage

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Pickled Sausage are a classic and delicious bar room snack. Their meaty texture, combined with the sharp, sour taste of vinegar and spices, put these tasty treats in class all their own. Combine that with the "Signature Snap" of the sausage casing and you have an unbeatable show stopper your friends and family will be happy to share.

Ingredients:
1   Gallon Glass Jar or 4 Quart Glass Jars. (Thoroughly cleaned and sanitized)
4   lbs. of Regular Smoked Sausage or Smoked Jalapeno Sausage   “Please see the note below on what to look for when choosing the sausage.”
8   Cups of White Vinegar (5% Acidity)
2   Tbs. of Sea Salt
4   Tbs. White Granulated Sugar
20 Drops of Red Food Coloring
3   Whole Dried Bay Leaves
3   tsp. of Minced Dry Garlic
2   Tbs. of Crushed Red Pepper with Jalapeno Sausage (If making it spicy using regular sausage, use 4 TBS.) 

Brine: (For making Regular or Jalapeno Pickled Sausage)
8   Cups White Vinegar (5% Acidity)
4   Tbs. Sugar
2   Tbs. Sea Salt
20 Drops Red Food Color
3   Bay Leaves
3   tsp. Minced Dry Garlic
2   Tbs. of Crushed Red Pepper with Jalapeno Sausage (If making it spicy using regular sausage, use 4 TBS.) 
Directions for Brine:
In a large pot, add all ingredients for the brine. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and let the brine mixture simmer for about 5 minutes. Set aside and let it cool to room temperature.

Directions for Assembly: (See the hint below on "Drying Your Sausage".)
If using link sausage, cut into pieces about 3 to 4 inches long. Place sausage in the jar(s). (Don’t over pack, but the jar should be as full as possible without mashing the sausage.) Pour the cooled brine mixture (do not strain) into the jar making sure to completely cover the sausage. Gently bump the bottom of the jar on the counter or use a wooden spoon to tap the sides of the jar in order to dislodge any trapped air inside. Top off the jar with more brine if necessary making sure the sausages are completely covered. If for some reason you should run a little short on brine, just add some straight vinegar to top off the jar. Seal the jar tightly and allow to rest “without opening” for at least 10 days. Many people recommend keeping the pickled sausage in the refrigerated after opening. That’s perfectly fine and would surely add an extra layer of protection, however, if properly preserved, the sausage should last for several weeks or even months without refrigeration.

Here are a couple of facts about home pickling preservation safety:
Though extremely rare, Botulism (Clostridium botulinum) is the most concerning bacteria or contaminant when it comes to any home food preservation, especially meat products.
For Botulism to grow it has 3 basic requirements:
1. No Oxygen
2. Temperatures above 39 Degrees F.
3. Where the PH value is greater than 4.6
What does this mean to you?
There is no oxygen inside of the canned jar brine which could breed botulism.
If unrefrigerated, the temperature inside the jar will be above 39 degrees so this could allow for the breeding of botulism.
But the recipe calls for 5% acidic vinegar, which has a PH of 2.4 - which prevents botulism from growing.
 This is why it is important to make sure your sausage are completely submersed in the vinegar brine. This is also why I do not add water (as some recipes do)  when making the brine. This would dilute the vinegar and lower the acidity.
Of course, as with any home preserved food, it should be checked regularly for any signs of mold, discoloration or off taste or smell. 

Choosing the Sausage
Almost any type of “Fully Cooked” sausage can be used. It can be cured, smoked, boiled or baked. Beef, Pork, Polish, Jalapeno, Kielbasa, Bratwurst, Little Smokies, or even Hot Dogs can be used, but if you’re looking to get the best “Original Bar Style” pickled sausage possible, I strongly recommend you follow the suggestions below. My personal favorite is Hillshire Farms Original or Hot smoked sausage, but you can use the brand of your choice. There are however, a couple of very important suggestions to consider. First, is to make sure you use a sausage “with a casing”. Sausage without a casing may turn out too soft or mushy, plus one of the signature signs of a good pickled sausage is the “snap” when you bite into it. Second, it is also highly advisable to purchase a product which uses Sodium Nitrite in the processing as a preservative. This will greatly reduce the chance of spoilage and help extend the shelf life of your product.
I know many people have reservations about preservatives, but don’t believe all the hype you read on the internet. Most are completely safe and necessary for insuring the foods we eat are safe and maintain a reasonable shelf life. Sodium Nitrite (also known as curing salt) is a naturally occurring chemical compound. Manufactures have been using it for years. It’s safe, natural and it's not difficult to find products incorporating it. To be honest, I would never consider or recommend anyone to do a “Quick Pickling Method” of meat without the use of preservatives. If you don’t want any preservatives in your sausage that’s your choice, but believe me, the risk of bacterial contamination is far greater than any health hazards associated with Sodium Nitrite. Most all commercially packaged meats (as well as other products), from bologna to salami from ham to pepperoni and hotdogs to corndogs, use Sodium Nitrite in their products. Both of these, the Casing and the Sodium Nitrite will be listed in the “Ingredients List” on the package if they are included in the product. 

Drying the Sausage

One of the true test for a pickled sausage is the texture. The sausage should be firm, not mushy and the casing must have that all important little "snap" when you bite into it. Most prepackaged sausage is made very moist and ground fine so to make for a good breakfast sausage or sausage dog. In order to make our moist store bought sausage perfect for pickling, we need to slowly remove most of the moisture. This is simple to but does a little bit of time.
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.
Lay your whole links of sausage on a rack inside sheet pan.
Using the tip of a small knife or toothpick, puncture the sausage about halfway through every 2 inches or so.
Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 2 to 3 hours.
The thing to watch for here is not internal temperature, but internal texture.
As the sausage heats up, you will notice moisture bubbling from the punture holes. Watch for this moist to slow down almost to stopping.
Feeling the sausage for firmness. Check the firmness of the sausage when you place it in the oven and periodically as it cooks. You don't need it to be hard, but it should feel much firmer than when you started. Once the sausage is firm and moisture has most ceased escaping, remove the sausage from the oven and let it cool completely to room temperature.
You can now cut your sausage links into individual serving size and place in your jar.