Beaver Summer Sausage..

My buddy came to house yesterday and we mxed up batch beaver summer sausage. Let it rest in cold over night. I got it in the smoker first thing this morning. This is the first batch beaver sausage I've ever made. I have used the same seasoning packet to do venison and goose. So flavor wise pretty much know how it's going to taste. Is usually very subtle difference in taste of the sausages with different meats I've used so far. Most the time I notice difference more in the texture. When I do venison I do one coarse grind . Mix in my seasoning then do second grind smaller plate. I did that same way first time I made goose sausage. I didn't like the texture of the goose sausage. Seemed ground to fine almost like cheap hotdogs. So the beaver meat having a feel similar to the goose. I ran it all threw coarse plate. Mixed in seasoning then ran it back threw same coarse plate more to mix than grind.
I think got it pretty dang close to what I wanted.
Ran it 6 hours in smoker hottest temp 120. Brought sticks in house put them in oven set 300. Ran internal temp up to 165 then dumped them in tub ice water.
Seem to be another meat that turns out great with the summer sausage seasoning mix we're using.
If you look at two sticks in center. You can see the cheddar and pepper jack cheese we added to those two sticks. We added cheese in last batch venison we did. That didn't get any complaints from anyone tried it. So we mixed some in couple the beaver give it a try.







Mac

Looks great.

knife looks good too

... I could go for some right now Mac! ... you got it figured out

Danny
Jesse got me that knife for Christmas.. He got one bit smaller for himself as daily carry last summer. Liked it it so much got me this one. Is made by outfit called Titan think is in IL. Is a Damascus blade and kinda pretty. Not sure how much I will carry it other than in woods hunting. Little bigger than I actually like for daily carry. But I could probably get used to it. Just need me more room on my batman utility belt.





MC

Looks great Mac! I’ve done two batches venison summer sausage this winter. Going to do some duck/goose next week. What’s your preferred seasoning? I like the LEM Backwoods Jalapeño Summer , also Walton’s original summer sausage mix. Using a stuffer or your grinder as stuffer? I finally bought a sausage stuffer so I could stuff casings without the loud noise of the grinder, also made it so much easier. Especially working by yourself. Good looking stuff, thanks for sharing!

John

100 0/0 agree with large plate giving nicer texture.I didn’t ever see an update on your canned summer sausage how did that turn out?

JoMiBru
We've been using a Garlic summer sausage mix my brother first tried.. We order it from company here in Antigo WI called Home Butchering Supply. Can buy just about everything guy would need run full blown butcher business. We've just been ordering seasoning that sounds like something we like or others have tried.
I have used all kinds different things over years mixed some myself.. Did lot jerky with just the different High Country Seasoning can get most any where. Now that we found things we like from these supply places. We just use the mix packs don't mix our own.
We may still tweak it some but nice not to mess around measuring lots different stuff.
I was using the stuffer on the grinder for while. Used a pastry gun for years do sticks and ground type jerky. Wife got me little 5lb stuffer couple years back. Is only way to go won't go back. Way more control with hand stuffer than working the grinder.
I also get some seasoning I like from another WI company called PS Seasoning. They have some different items that other company don't.
There so many places can get seasonings unless you got your own recipe already dialed in. Easier just to explore the selection.
There is usually a reason the companies that sell spice mixes. Will have some them listed as a best seller. Most are good and the ones everyone likes.

Mac

Looks good.

Mad
I still got my one piece test sausage in jar.. Haven't opened I yet.
Not sure just what Im waiting for? Should maybe age like fine wine..
Did you get any your beaver mixed up into anything yet??
Maybe we could do a swap critique each others product ..lol



Mac

I canned 6 pints and it’s awesome.Came out a bit more tender than venison and I can’t tell the difference from deer meat.

Mad
Did you grind that beaver before canned it? Or just cut it in chunks like stew meat? That's how I done my venison my whole life. After smoking the beaver like a pork butt. I could see where can beaver would be every bit as good as venison.
I don't really expect canning the piece of venison summer sausage to change the texture to much? May change the flavor some as the liquid I canned it in was sugar, vinegar and water.. So that may change it??
My sister has winter camp fire party in next couple weeks. I will be taking bunch different things to that. Maybe take that jar open it there. No better critics than than family.


Mac

price of meat i believe there is a market.... wonder what the legality would be selling at a farmers market???

how do they yeild... say a 30 lb beaver how many lb meat could ya expect.....

I have had similar thoughts. There are special provisions at our state Dept of Agriculture for small producers to butcher and sell their own farm animals. I have wondered whether free range furbearers could fit in to those regs?

here in michigan, we can sell any and all parts of furbearer

[quote=Macthediver]Mad
Did you grind that beaver before canned it? Or just cut it in chunks like stew meat? That's how I done my venison my whole life. After smoking the beaver like a pork butt. I could see where can beaver would be every bit as good as venison.
I don't really expect canning the piece of venison summer sausage to change the texture to much? May change the flavor some as the liquid I canned it in was sugar, vinegar and water.. So that may change it??
My sister has winter camp fire party in next couple weeks. I will be taking bunch different things to that. Maybe take that jar open it there. No better critics than than family.




I just trimmed fat and put in jar.Didn’t even cut it up for the most part.1 teaspoon better than bouillon and 1/2 teaspoon salt.Used pint jars.

Without putting in much time I get about 10 percent meat from total beaver weight.It’s very time consuming trimming for use but I’m kinda picky.

I know of a fish market that could sell millions of pounds of fish fillets but by putting breading on fillet it took an act of god to be able to legally sell it.But it seems like things are loosening up a little on homemade foods.

I would have to agree with Mad. I'm pretty fussy too and I only boned out the quarters and pulled the back straps. So in the overall that's not as much as one would think.

As for selling any furbear parts. I have no idea what kind of pain that might turn into. I know any thing with Game animal or game fish, bird label. State gives us a little paper rule book as guide. When there is a question like could you sell beaver. Warden brings out book the size of LA phone book to read you.the rules.

Mac

Its legal to sell fur bearer meat here. Slim pickins though. I have mentioned to a LOT of drivers and operators I work with that I trap and am willing to sell carcasses. The white guys who want a few expect them to be gifted and the black guys think I am insulting them. Used to have an old man that would come here and pick up coon carcasses then peddle them. I was fine with that. We both made a little. He died and I can not develop my own market so just quit trying. Like I said some people are truly offended. I could haul a freezer full down to AR or something but then who knows what all regulations would be involved? State and federal. My money is hard to get and I dont want to pay fines with it.

Well I got to working on packing up my sausage for the freezer. Was going to just slice few half pound packs so be easy to grab go with. Then pack rest as half pound sticks slice when use it. Got to going on it and like the way it was working out. So I sliced the whole batch and packed it up that way.

So I give you beaver sausage in 8oz deli cut party pack. LOL The packages on left have cheddar cheese in the sausage. The ones on right have pepper jack cheese added in. The plain summer sausage which most of it is in the middle.

Land owners where I trapped the beavers. They're are going think I bought this at meat market. Told them I would drop some off for them to try when got it made. They say presentation is part of the perception of food quality. This sausage already tastes great far as I'm concerned. Now I got it pack up kinda pretty too. Hard part was sitting there with knife cutting it so nice 🙂
I may have eaten just few defective slices...



Mac

Somebody’s got to do quality control.

It is legal to sell furbearer body parts in Oregon too...by the Oregon Fish & Wildlife Dept. But they're not the governing body that regulates sales of meats in our state. That is the Oregon Dept of Agriculture.

Farmer's Markets almost always require their vendors to have all the proper licenses and permits required to sell meats. You most likely are also required to have a minimum 1 million $$$ product liability policy in effect too.

I cringe at the idea of hearing my insurance agent contact the underwriters to see if I can buy a policy for selling wild rodent meat to the public. Mostly I cringe at what they might want to charge for said policy.