Monday, March 19, 2018

Casing "Knife" for Smoked Sausage.

Dave Oates took his home-made sausage samples to Kiwanis today and then provided folks here at Brookdale a chance to enjoy them after playing Bingo. This is the Sausage Grinder that was in the Flowerday family for a number of years. Elaine sold it to Dave a few years ago and she wrote a little story of its history. Today she gave him a little "Casing knife" that her Dad had made and used with the following "story".
    "My Father made a special "scraper" from a small green tree limb. It was about 7 inches long and one end "shaped and sharpened" to resemble a knife. The hog casings would have been thoroughly washed, then slipped over a broom handle to provide a solid base for using the "Knife" to scrape away any waste material. A Lard-press would be used to stuff the sausage into the casings. They would be "tied-off" at certain lengths and taken to the Smokehouse.  The sausages were hung above a "Fire-Pit" in the center of the small building and apple wood kindled to
smoke but not flame. The pit would soon be filled with live "coals" which fully cooked the sausage and give it the delicious smoked flavor".
    Dave was very appreciative of receiving the casing scraping knife to be reunited with the old Flowerday sausage grinder. He and the staff here passed out samples of over a dozen varieties of sausage and cheese along with crackers. There was a good-sized crowd of residents . Many, like us, even took along home some for later.

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