Petals, Pickles & Bangers

Sausage-making never tasted so good! Join the editors of The Old Farmer’s Almanac as we share how easy it is to make sausage, pickles, and more. Having trouble viewing this email? [View this email on the web.]( Don't Miss these Back to Basics Recipes As the old Danish proverb goes, “Everything has an end, except a sausage, which has two.” And there’s no end in sight for all the ways you can make your own at home easily, with The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Dear Home Cook, Home sausage-making is enjoying a revival. It’s as easy as making meat loaf, and anyone can do it with minimal equipment. If you don’t want to stuff your sausage mixture into casings, you can make patties or rolls. Either way, once you learn the basics of making fresh sausage, you can personalize these recipes and create your own. But before you can start stuffing casings or making patties or rolls, you’ll need the right equipment. A meat grinder or heavy-duty food processor with coarse and fine grinding disks is necessary. For making links, you’ll want a sausage stuffer or funnel attachment for pushing the mixture into the casings. Finally, if you want to use casings, you’ll want to get natural or other types at sausage-supply houses, meatpacking companies, ethnic groceries, or butchers. To make the sausage, first rinse, flush out, and soak the natural casings in water for 30 minutes. Next, cut the meat and fat into 1-inch cubes and freeze for 30 minutes to make it easier to grind. Grind the meat and fat together using the proper disk for your meat. Next, add seasonings and other ingredients, knead by hand, and grind the entire mixture a second time. Fry a small portion, taste, and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Note: Cured sausages (such as pepperoni and salami) require the addition of sodium nitrite or nitrate, which must be handled with caution. If you attempt one of these, use a commercial premixed cure at the levels they recommend. To stuff the casings, gather one over the end of a funnel and tie a knot on the free end. Feed the mixture through the funnel, gently pushing it into the casing to fill it evenly. Inspect your sausage and prick any air bubbles with a pin. For every 3 or so inches you push through, twist the casing to create links. Cover and refrigerate the sausage for at least 2 hours and use within 3 days or freeze. When you cook, you can pan-fry, poach, roast, or grill until golden, making sure the internal temperature reaches 160°F on a meat thermometer. If you want two full pages of sausage recipes, including Luganega, Garlic-Mustard Beef Sausage, Chicken Sausage with Chardonnay and Apples, and Southwestern Turkey Sausage, learn more with The Old Farmer's Almanac 2019 edition. How to Make Perfect Pickles While you’re mastering sausage-making, you’ve probably learned that pickling is another culinary art that’s having a comeback. Pickling is an age-old method of preserving food, sure, but it’s also a technique to alter the flavor of familiar vegetables and fruit with herbs and spices and enjoy them in new and delicious ways. If you’re perfecting your pickling craft, we have a few pointers for getting perfect pickles. Most important, use the most uniform and unspoiled produce, and as soon as possible after it’s harvested. With regard to ingredients, use pickling salt, because iodized salt makes the brine cloudy and may change the appearance of the pickles. You’ll also want to use distilled white or cider vinegar with 5 percent acidity. If you want a light color, use distilled white. For the best flavor and nutritional value, eat processed pickled produce within a year. Glass canning jars will last many years and can be reused, but for safety, never reuse canning jar lids. If you want to learn how to make pickled vegetables and fruit, you can, in the The Old Farmer’s Almanac 2019 edition. You’ll get step-by-step instructions for making Crispy Pickled Asparagus, Swedish Pickled Beets, Pickled Corn Relish, and more! Plating Your Petals Don’t stop at handmade sausages and pickling. Venture no further than your garden to find colorful petaled accoutrements to your dishes. Edible flowers have figured in ancient culinary traditions for centuries; however, over time, the practice of and interest in using flowers as food fell out of favor. Rosalind Creasy, author of The Edible Flower Garden, attributes the shift to a misguided (but prevalent) belief that flowers are so beautiful that “only the eyes should feast on them.” Today, the other “ayes” have it: Edible flowers look great both on the plate and in the garden. As you plan your vegetable plots and ornamental beds, consider marigolds, carnations, and daylilies for their unique flavor properties when added to salads and stir-fried dishes. But not every part of the flower is edible. Learn more with The Old Farmer's Almanac. Only The Old Farmer’s Almanac can offer you such a great combination of resources and tools—and packed with the guidance, folklore, trivia, and insightful and practical advice that readers have come to love in the Almanac. Sincerely, Janice Stillman Editor The Old Farmer’s Almanac Our 5 new and exciting clubs are designed especially for you—packed with all of the periodicals and calendars that we publish—rich in history, lore, tradition, tips and humor! Take a look at these special clubs and treat yourself to more of what interests you! Choose your favorite club today! Or "get it all" with [The Old Farmer's Almanac 1792 Society](. 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