WD Daily Chat - Talk about anything You Like

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Wed Dec 18, 2013 11:53

Hello to everyone,
We all have our favorite sausages that we always make on a consistent basis. So I have a bit of a confession to make. My favorite at the moment that everyone in the family asks for is a maple breakfast sausage I make. I have to confess, it's using a pre-mix from PS Seasonings. It's there 274-C seasoning. Dang, that stuff is super good, and I do tweak it by adding a tablespoon of ground red pepper. Now I am not in any way a person who purchases pre-mix sausage seasonings. Invariably there always seems to either be to much of one spice, or not enough of another, which always seems to make the product fall short of expectations. So I'd rather buy some fresh spice from Penzey's store in my town and go from there.
But I was wondering how hard it would be to clone that maple pre-mix? It seems the main ingredient is a dried maple granule. I haven't really been able to find a reasonably priced source for these granules.

Once I find that source, I think I'd have half the problem licked.

Post by **Butterbean** » Wed Dec 18, 2013 12:33

Why do you need the dried maple granule?

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Wed Dec 18, 2013 12:59

Well the flavor for one, is more intense than using pure maple syrup. It's the same principle as with spices. Take garlic for instance, When I purchase granulated garlic at my local Penzey's, I never use it 1 for 1 against fresh garlic. If a recipe called for a 1/4 cup of chopped garlic, I wouldn't use a 1/4 C. of granulated or minced garlic.

Generally if using dried spices, its always less than fresh spices, as the dried is more concentrate. Why do you use dried spices in making sausage rather than all fresh spices?

Also, maple syrup has to be factored in against your ice water when calculating the liquid portion of a recipe.

I've used both, pure maple syrup as well as Mapleine in recipes, and the maple taste and smell isn't close in these two products as compared to the granules.

Nope, I'm sold on these granules they use in this mix. I think they're just bursting with flavor and aroma. I've had more people asking me for this sausage than when I made it with the maple syrup and/or Mapleine. The proof is in the pudding as they say!

el Ducko · Post by **el Ducko** » Wed Dec 18, 2013 15:24

Rick wrote:It seems the main ingredient is a dried maple granule. I haven't really been able to find a reasonably priced source for these granules.
Once I find that source, I think I'd have half the problem licked.

Google, anyone? (Here are the first few...)
http://www.amazon.com/Maple-Syrup-Granu ... B000UYIQFC
http://www.spiceandtea.com/maple-syrup- ... -p-63.html
http://www.starwest-botanicals.com/orga ... nules.html
http://www.abesmarket.com/frontier-bulk ... ckage.html

Hmmm... Consulting fee, 1 dozen sausages. Receiver surcharge, 1/2 dozen sausages. International tax-avoidance tax, 3/4 dozen sausages. Packaging fee, 1 dozen sausages. Handling, 1 dozen. That comes to... WooHoo! WooHoo! ...a whole buncha delicious, delightful, delectable, maple-enlightened-and-heightened... (sound of drooling in background...)

Duk

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Wed Dec 18, 2013 15:54

Duk, I appreciate the effort there. Boy, that stuff is pricey. I just looked at my package of mix, and it's 2.38 lbs. and enough to do 25#. I'll bet 2 lbs. of that mix is the maple granules, and the mix sells for $13. So about $6.50 per lb. would get me in the ballpark of making my own. I'll put ya on my list when I'm shipping out sausage!

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Wed Dec 18, 2013 16:21

Rick , don't forget the salt content in the mix.

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Wed Dec 18, 2013 16:58

Ross, that's true, and if I figured 7 oz. of salt, and 6 oz. for spice and the rest roughly. That leaves about 25 oz., approximately 1 1/2 #. Still pretty expensive. Well it's something I'll have to investigate further. Like a bulldog, sink my teeth into something and it's hard to let it go!

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Fri Jan 03, 2014 09:24

Hey Fred! Your sixth photo is just drivin' me nuts! Wow, that looks soooo good. Have you had any friends or neighbors taste it yet? What do they think? Are you going to make some more of that incredible-lookin' stuff?

And Ross... did you use any honey or molasses to rub into the ham?
I like to roll the stuff in cracked black pepper.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Sun Jan 05, 2014 03:14

Shucks Ross, your local weather report says more cold! However... there is a solution. Just invite El DuckO over to your place to supply plenty of hot air!

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Sun Jan 05, 2014 03:22

We are due to get freezing rain to rain to more cold to snow this week. It is crazy weather.

crustyo44 · Post by **crustyo44** » Sun Jan 05, 2014 07:38

My wife would change with you guys any day, she loves the cold weather and rain, she a Pom.
We lived through 46C- 115F yesterday, hot but bearable inside with the airconditioning full blast, cold beer and plenty of smoked Csabai. I do this again anyday.
To top it off, the Aussies demolished the Poms and taught them how to play cricket.
Cheers,
Jan.

sawhorseray · Post by **sawhorseray** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 14:12

RICK I hear you about the PS Seasonings pre-mix, they seem to produce some really fine stuff. I've never used the maple but I've tried to clone their 260-B Italian sausage mix a number of times and always come up short. My last batch of Italian sausage that I seasoned myself I thought was fairly close until the reviews came back from friends and family, "it's good, but not quite the same as usual". I can take a hint, so when I ordered another ten packs of hog casings I also ordered another ten packs of their Italian sausage mix, got $5 shipping that way. While I love being involved in the alchemy, the flavor of the finished product is the most important thing. I won't even try PS's maple mix for fear of liking it, tho the maple-apple combo I produced a couple weeks back is pretty darned good.

Jan 115° means air conditioning, beer, and TV. It was like that where I live for a couple of weeks last summer, we had to have the dog back inside right around noon every day. RAY

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 14:41

Sawhorse,

Yes, you should NOT try the PS maple sausage seasoning! Do not order any as it wasn't meant for you!

Now should you accidentally get a bag mixed in with your next order from them, don't blame me should you start pulling your hair out trying to duplicate it! Why do you think I'm trying to locate a low priced source for maple granules???

sawhorseray · Post by **sawhorseray** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 15:03

I can't "accidentally" get any in my next order, my wife just had a six-pack of Mapleine delivered to my door. I'm pretty happy with this recipe for breakfast sausage.

http://www.wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?t=6905

Of course by the time you've bought the apples and cider along with the maple sugar and other ingredients and done all the dehydrating and reducing you'll be out WAY more time and money. All part of the fun!

RAY

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 15:18

Sawhorse,
Mapleine, I know it well. I've played with this also.

As you mentioned, PS did have a promotional a short time ago for $5 shipping which was a great deal, as generally shipping comes to more than the purchased product.

I took advantage of that promotional and ordered enough maple breakfast sausage seasoning for 250# of sausage. If that tells you anything!