Tricks for removing sausage casing?

Question

I often find myself making a sauce or a garnish for pasta using sausage meat that I am really just using more as a cured/seasoned ground meat - I remove the casing, then break up the sausage in a skillet until it returns to the formless chuck from whence it came.

Lately however, I've had huge amounts of trouble with the de-casing - it shreds, sticks to the meat, and just is a pain in general to remove.

I realize that this technique is easier with uncooked sausage than with pre-cooked, but does anybody have any overall tricks or tips for an easy way to de-case the sausages without broiling or cooking them first?

I wonder if blanching might work, like you'd do for a tomato. — zanlok, Feb 02 '11 at 01:12
I'd worry about the sausage getting cooked if I went with that, any experience? — Matt Enright, Feb 02 '11 at 21:03
Quite often companies use artificial casings for their sausage rather than lamb or pork casings. If the casings are real I don't think that you would having this problem. — Adam S, Feb 03 '11 at 02:45

score 19 · Answer 1 · answered Feb 02 '11 at 02:06

19

I usually just slice down the whole length with the tip of a sharp knife, and peel the casing back in one piece.

answered Feb 02 '11 at 02:06

Sharif Ewees

191
2

that's how I do it, too ... before cooking the sausages. – Joe Feb 02 '11 at 02:11
@Joe Why would you cook the sausage? – user1271772 Feb 25 '21 at 20:59

score 6 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 08 '13 at 19:28

6

Take the sausage when it is still frozen, run a few seconds under hot water, take the end and start sliding casing down. Perfect sausage and ready to go. If the sausage is thawed out it will break. Works and sausage is so much easier to eat.

answered Nov 08 '13 at 19:28

Frances H.

61
1
1

You can also make sausage patties after casing is removed and thawed out. Fran – Frances H. Nov 08 '13 at 19:32

score 2 · Answer 3 · answered Dec 08 '14 at 18:55

2

Running it under hot water for a few seconds an then start at one end with a small cut and pull the rest off. works for me every time

answered Dec 08 '14 at 18:55

Carmine De Luca

29
2

This is nearly identical to an answer given a year earlier. – Sobachatina Jun 21 '18 at 14:46

score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Feb 02 '11 at 13:57

Kitchen Scissors work best for me. I do the same thing when making my version of Chili. Instead of using ground beef , I go and get the spicy Italian Sausage and take it out of the casing.

Or as the other guy said, a paring knife should do the trick.

score 1 · Answer 5 · answered Sep 11 '17 at 12:49

I freeze the sausage then peel it with a vegetable peeler. Some of the sausage is wasted but not as much as when you peel it after it is cooked. lots of the meat is wasted if you peel it after cooking - a lot of meat sticks to the casing and is very difficult to seperate.

score 0 · Answer 6 · edited May 17 '21 at 18:39

0

I have been buying some kielbasa that is notoriously hard to peel. What works best is freezing the links for about 15 - 20 minutes, then peeling the casing off cold.

edited May 17 '21 at 18:39

Anastasia Zendaya

3,581
8
25

answered May 15 '21 at 21:48

Tony Novak

1

score 0 · Answer 7 · answered Apr 18 '17 at 15:54

0

I saw a video where a guy wrapped the sausage in a wet paper towel for several minutes, then sliced the casing open lengthwise, then peeled it off. Looked like a snap1

answered Apr 18 '17 at 15:54

Peter

11

score 0 · Answer 8 · answered Jun 21 '18 at 13:40

0

I wondered if it would be easier with the sausage frozen so I bought frozen sausages and it was an absolute doddle! Just peeled the skin off like a banana, brilliant!

answered Jun 21 '18 at 13:40

Shirl

11

Please do not repeat [earlier](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/84296/34961) [answers](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/38284/34961) – Jun 21 '18 at 14:53

Tricks for removing sausage casing?

8 Answers8