How to Remove Sausage Casing

The Skinny:

What are sausage casings? Sausage casings are used to hold and shape the filling inside so that it can be cooked. There are Natural Sausage Casings and synthetic varieties, and most of them are edible. While most sausage lovers will cook a sausage in its casing, there are times when the casings can be removed. Removing a sausage casing gives you access to the deliciousness inside, allowing you to use the filling for other recipe ideas.

Removing Sausage Casing

Sausage Casings hold and shape the meat and spices inside to keep it all contained. Johnsonville casings come in natural and synthetic varieties, all of which are edible. Basically, decasing a sausage gives you access to the meaty goodness inside, allowing you to use the ground meat for other recipe ideas.

Sausage Casings

How to Remove Sausage Casing: Uncooked Sausage

The easiest way to remove a sausage casing is to remove it while the sausage is uncooked. Casings can be removed easily with a simple knife. 

Cut sausage end to end with the tip of a knife. The cut should be shallow enough to pierce the casing—don’t cut all the way through the sausage.

Flip sausage over, cut side down.

Grab the split casing on one end with your thumb and forefinger and pull back the casing.

Use the newly freed ground sausage or store for later.

To make the process even easier, put the uncooked sausage in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes before slicing. This will help prevent the filling from sticking to the casing.

How to Remove Sausage Casing: Par-Boiled Sausage

You can still remove a sausage casing after it’s started to cook. More care is needed here, but it’s still an easy process.

Simmer Sausage in hot water for 2-3 minutes

Remove sausage from hot water and rinse under cold water to stop it from cooking further.

Dry the sausages with a paper towel.

Use a knife to put a shallow cut into the entire length of the sausage.

Gently peel back the casing.

Finish cooking the skinless sausages.

While some sausage lovers swear by the satisfying snap of a freshly cooked sausage that comes from the casing, no one can deny a sausage’s fantastic flavor. Learning how to remove a sausage casing isn’t about taking something away from a sausage, it’s about finding new and creative ways to add sausage to other culinary creations.