Is It Cheaper to Make Your Own Sausage Right at Home?

Who doesn’t love to enjoy the meaty, salty, well-seasoned, and juicy sausage?  Of course, everyone does. It provides a great complement to our breakfast. However, price matters! 

Here comes the most vital question remaining, everyone’s tip of the tongue – is it cheaper to make your own sausage?  

The clear-cut answer is A BIG YES! Where you need to spend $4.82 on store-bought sausage, homemade will cost around $2.41. With little knowledge about the ingredients and equipment, you can make butcher-shop-quality sausage at home. You can use pork, beef, or chicken – all will be comparatively cheaper.

Alright then, let’s know how to nourish your inner butcher. And learn the grinding, seasoning, and casing methods. 

Is It Cheaper To Make Your Own Sausage?

Before answering that, it would be great to know – How much does it cost to make sausages?

So, let’s know about the ingredients and equipment to make sausage. For this, you will need meat, spices and a grinder. Suppose we are going to use pork shoulder. It will cost

$1.89 for a pound. 

Then, it may take $.32 for hog casings and $.20 for spics. To sum up, the entire cost may go around 2.41 bucks. 

And from this set-up, you can make 6 sausages. The same thing will cost you $4.82 if you buy it in the store.

Even if you compare the two scenarios, sausage is a budget-friendly snack. But why is sausage so cheap? 

This is because of the price of meat.

In first-world countries, the price of meat is quite low. Even if you prefer to invest more in ingredients and kits for sausage, the investment margin does not hit high. It also helps you to tune the taste. 

However, if you invite your friends, you can also try other meats like beef, sheep, etc (for religious purposes), which also come cheaper comparatively.  

Many buy a meat grinder to grind the meat. However, a manual hand grinder can do the job if you’re not making the sausage for business purposes. Moreover, there is already ground meat available. 

So, in overall consideration, making your sausage is way cheaper than buying it from the store. 

Are Sausages Really Expensive?

Frankly speaking, it’s a pricey snack, If you buy it from the store. You have to spend around $4.82 here. Whereas making your own will cost around $2.41.

But, what are the factors that create this difference? Well, several factors play a significant role here. From meat to equipments, you have to take everything in the count.

Moreover, shop maintenance, packaging, and delivery also play a big part.

Let’s talk more about the reasons that make sausages cheaper or expensive.

What Makes Sausages Cheaper Or Expensive

The total cost of sausage depends upon the type of – meat, spice, and other ingredients. Additionally, seasoning, casing, and equipment also contribute to cost making.  

• Meat

Pork meat is a cheaper option than beef meat. Anyone who wants to cut costs should go for the pork meat. But, not everyone likes it; also, there are some religious issues. So, while setting the budget, think about this. 

• Seasoning

This stage of sausage making refers to adding spices and herbs to the sausages. Pork meat has a neutral flavor which takes up spices well. But, beef meat has a strong flavor which requires more spices to adjust the taste. So, you may need to spend more cash on beef seasoning. 

• Casing

It is basically an envelope that covers up the filling of a sausage. You can use natural casings from the animal intestine (beef, pork, sheep) and artificial casings.

Here is a comparison table that may help you know what is for what: 

You will need 2 feet of a casing for 1lb of meat. The expenses will fluctuate with the above factors.

• Equipment

So, you want to start your own sausage business?  Or, it is just for yourself. Here is the list of equipment that will help you make small and large batches of sausage.

Make Tasty Yet Cheaper Sausages At Home

Sausage making at home is a fun task. And the best part is you can enjoy the same salty, spicy sausage with minimal equipment. If you have no experience before, don’t worry. 

Below, we share a simple and super easy recipe for homemade sausage. Following these 6 steps, you will be able to make good sausage. 

• Starts with processing the casings. You have to rinse it, flush it out, and lastly, soak it. 
• Now, cut the meat and fat into ice cubes shape. Leave it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. However, you can use ground meat. 
• After that, season the meat with spices and other ingredients. Here, you can do a small portion first, taste it and modify the seasoning if required. 
• You can stuff the sausages only just using your hands. You need to press the meat from the open end of the funnel tube. Keep a 3-inch gap to tie the knot securely. 
• However, you can take the help of a sausage stuffing attachment named horn. It goes well with the hand food grinder or electric mixer. 
• Again, freeze the stuff for two hours. That’s it!  You are all ready to fry, roast, or grill the sausage. Keep the temperature 160°F while cooking to get the maximum texture. 

Using The Sausage Casing Correctly

Sausage casing not only maintains the shape but sometimes also adds flavor. But, how to use casing correctly, many asked. Here is how you need to proceed:

• Casing usually comes with salt-packed, so you need to wash them gently in the water. 
• Then, leave them in cold water for 30 min for soaking. 
• Wash again with fresh tap water. 
• Lastly, take one casing at a time, and pass cold water through it to get rid of the rest salts. Do the same for each one. 

If you want to make the casing transparent and soft, add some vinegar now. You are probably thinking about where to buy the authentic casing?  How much do sausage casings cost? Alright, you can get fresh, all-natural hog casing at an affordable price here. 

Homemade Sausages Vs. The Bought Ones

So, Is homemade sausage better than store-bought?

Well, In the case of homemade sausage: the flavoring, seasoning, and casings are all in your hand. You can experiment with it.

From the above discussion, we know that it also saves your money. You can enjoy this healthier fresh meat with zero gluten and preservative than the store-bought counterpart. 

The only benefit of having store-bought is that it is already prepared. You don’t need to assemble all the ingredients and equipment. 

FAQ’s:

• Is it better to use a meat grinder?

The meat grinder is a versatile device. You can grind other stuff like onion, garlic, peppers, and much more apart from meat. You need to grind twice for the sausage to get the perfect, small, smooth pieces. It adds value not only in terms of taste but also helps in stuffing for small batches. So, yes, having a meat grinder will be a good decision. 

• Are homemade sausages healthier?

Yes, homemade sausages are cheaper, healthier, and more protein-enriched. Also, they are processed-free, gluten-free, and high-quality sausages.

• Can I start my own sausage business?

Sausage-making business is undoubtedly a profitable one. It offers you unlimited potential to earn at least $100,000 if you can make it. But before getting started, you will need expertise and a license from FDA and USDA. 

Final Thoughts

Sausages are one of the most popular meaty snacks. Resisting the sizzling, perfectly seasoned, and smoked sausage is tough. But, the question arises which one will be more beneficial -store-bought or homemade? Is it cheaper to make your own sausage?  

Considering ingredients to equipment, making your sausage at home is a cost-effective option. Also, it lets you customize the flavor.

So, what are you waiting for? Do experiments and enjoy these super meaty, juicy snacks.