One of my stock winter dinners centers around Gerhard's Gourmet
Chicken-Apple-Chardonnay Sausages. I saute a couple of Granny Smith
apples in a little butter, with a T of brown sugar and a dash of
allspice. When they're on their way and starting to carmelize, I toss
in the sausage, sliced diagonally into 3/4 chunks and warm through.
Have been making this for ages, served with fresh brussel sprouts &
Yukon Gold mashed potatoes. DH loves it.

My question...have noticed recently that although the sausage is still
delicious, the casings have been really tough - almost to the point of
being inedible. When I started cooking this concoction, it wasn't an
issue. Any of you know if there's some new weirdness sausage makers are
using for casings? Don't think the issue is overcooking - the sausage
comes fully cooked and just needs a gentle warm up. If I tried these
on the grill, I think I'd have to use bolt cutters to get into them.
Can't locate a website for Gerhards & am wondering if they've been
bought out & someone's messed with a good thing...ideas anyone?

Nancy T

ntantiques wrote:
> One of my stock winter dinners centers around Gerhard's Gourmet
> Chicken-Apple-Chardonnay Sausages. I saute a couple of Granny Smith
> apples in a little butter, with a T of brown sugar and a dash of
> allspice. When they're on their way and starting to carmelize, I toss
> in the sausage, sliced diagonally into 3/4 chunks and warm through.
> Have been making this for ages, served with fresh brussel sprouts &
> Yukon Gold mashed potatoes. DH loves it.
>
> My question...have noticed recently that although the sausage is still
> delicious, the casings have been really tough - almost to the point of
> being inedible. When I started cooking this concoction, it wasn't an
> issue. Any of you know if there's some new weirdness sausage makers are
> using for casings? Don't think the issue is overcooking - the sausage
> comes fully cooked and just needs a gentle warm up. If I tried these
> on the grill, I think I'd have to use bolt cutters to get into them.
> Can't locate a website for Gerhards & am wondering if they've been
> bought out & someone's messed with a good thing...ideas anyone?
>
> Nancy T
>

Sounds like they switched from hog casings to those "space casings".

If you like their product and there isn't an alternate then give them a
call and asked what happened.

Look for a local shop. Without a doubt the next best thing to making it
yourself is to buy sausage from a mom & pop shop.

ntantiques wrote:
>
> My question...have noticed recently that although the sausage
> is still delicious, the casings have been really tough - almost
> to the point of being inedible. When I started cooking this
> concoction, it wasn't an issue. Any of you know if there's some
> new weirdness sausage makers are using for casings?

They probably switched to artificial casings:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/madcow/banger61402.cfm

Think you & Mark are on the right track - Thanks for the info. Boy, I
hate it when a manufacturer fools with a good thing. I'll have to
check out the meat guy at the Farmer's Market in Eugene when it reopens
in the spring. I hear Alice Waters buys meat from him for Chez Panisse,
so am guessing he's a reliable sausage maker.
Nancy T

ntantiques wrote:
> Think you & Mark are on the right track - Thanks for the info. Boy, I
> hate it when a manufacturer fools with a good thing. I'll have to
> check out the meat guy at the Farmer's Market in Eugene when it reopens
> in the spring. I hear Alice Waters buys meat from him for Chez Panisse,
> so am guessing he's a reliable sausage maker.
> Nancy T
>

We have three good souces of sausage close by. One is a third generation
mom & pop Polish butcher shop, the other is similar but German and then
there is an Italian market that has a real meat department. The mom &
pop places are little shops and in addition to other styles they both
make excellent kielbasi. They have a 30 day ordering cut off before
Christmas & Easter because of the volume they do. It is intersting
either when someone stops by and they try it or I give them a ring to
hear the reaction because since they became used to the megamart stuff
they have gotten forgotten how good real sausage tastes.