Sausage smoking time question

[halfcocked]

Ground the meat yesterday and seasoned (no cure). Its sitting in the fridge. I intend to add cure and stuff today but would prefer to hold the smoke until next week (maybe Friday) when the two slabs of bacon, belly (curing now) will be ready for the smoke as well. How long could I keep it in the fridge and still be safe. (I did not add cure to the whole batch because I will make patties and fresh sausage from about 10# of it and freeze today.) Advice appreciated.

 

[IamMadMan]

Ground the meat yesterday and seasoned (no cure). Its sitting in the fridge. I intend to add cure and stuff today but would prefer to hold the smoke until next week (maybe Friday) when the two slabs of bacon, belly (curing now) will be ready for the smoke as well. How long could I keep it in the fridge and still be safe. (I did not add cure to the whole batch because I will make patties and fresh sausage from about 10# of it and freeze today.) Advice appreciated.

If you add the cure to the ground meat before stuffing you will be alright until friday. But adding the cure should be done right away if you intend to hold for the week.


Be sure to weigh the cure so that you do not have too much or too little. If you are stuffing later in the week, prior to friday, you may have to add some ice water to the meat in the sausage stuffer to improve viscosity of the slurry.

 

[halfcocked]

Thanks for that info IMM.