This easy, homemade pickled sausage makes a delicious snack. Friends and family are always asking for this recipe. You can grab your favorite sausage and I will show you how to pickle it. Whether it’s cooked or uncooked, I have directions for both.
If your sausage is uncooked, bake the sausage in a preheated 350°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches: 160°F for beef and pork sausage or 165°F for chicken and turkey sausage.
Alternatively, you can cook the sausage in a pot of simmering water for about 10 to 15 minutes, until fully cooked.
Let the sausage cool for 5 to 10 minutes and then slice it. Continue with instructions for pickling.
Pickling Instructions:
Fill a sterilized 1 quart jar with the bay leaves and garlic.
Pack the sausage slices into the jar, making sure to leave 1 ½” of space at the top.
Add the red pepper flakes, pickling salt, vinegars and water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, remove from heat and ladle the brine into the jar over the sausages, leaving 1” of space at the top. Make sure the sausages are fully covered with the brine. If they aren’t fully covered, top up with a little more vinegar.
Seal the jar with the lid immediately. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
Transfer to the fridge and wait for at least 1 to 2 days before eating. You want the sausages to have some time to soak up the flavor from the brine.
Serve!
Notes
Jar size. You can also use two pint jars instead of a quart jar. If you do, just add one crushed garlic and one bay leaf to each.
Jar sterilization. To sterilize the jars simply process them in boiling water for at least 10 minutes and let dry on a clean surface.
Pickling time. After 1 to 2 days it will taste great, but I personally think the sausage reaches its best flavor after soaking in the brine for 4 days.
Serving suggestions. You can eat the pickled sausage on its own as a snack or serve it with crackers, in salads, rice, sandwiches, casseroles, pasta etc.
Storage:
The sausages should be stored in the fridge and consumed within 1 to 2 weeks.
Make sure the sausages are covered with the brine at all times.
Use a clean fork to remove the sausages from the jar.
If you see signs of them going bad such as mold, slime, discoloration or odor, discard them.
For longer storage, properly sealed jars can be stored for 1 to 2 months in a cool pantry or cupboard. You would need to process them for 15 minutes in a water bath and make sure that they sealed correctly.
Slice size. You can either slice the sausages into ½” slices or roughly 3” pieces depending on how you like to eat your pickled sausage. I prefer the small slices because it’s easier to serve to guests that way, they’re the perfect size for crackers and they soak up the vinegar quicker.
Grease. After slicing the freshly cooked sausage, I like to soak up some of the grease with paper towel, otherwise it will end up in solid form at the top of the jar when the brine cools. If you do end up with some grease, just skim it off.