Natural Casings

Natural casings are the classic choice for sausage makers who want authentic snap, a clean bite, and that traditional “old-world” look. Because they’re naturally breathable and flexible, they’re excellent for everything from fresh links (breakfast sausage, brats, Italian sausage) to Italian-style salami and other dry-cured products where controlled drying and a natural-looking finish matter. Use hog casings for standard links, sheep casings for thinner snack-size sticks, and step up to beef middles or beef bungs when you’re making larger-diameter Italian salami styles that benefit from a bigger, more traditional profile. Once they’re prepped (rinse and soak), natural casings are straightforward to stuff and tie, and they deliver the texture, appearance, and eating experience that collagen can’t quite replicate.

Barrels & Pails
As you can see, we stock a lot of casings. If you need true bulk quantities, we can ship many of our natural casings in pails or barrels—perfect for high-volume production and fewer reorders.

Strong Casing Odor
Natural casings are packed fresh in salt and vacuum sealed, and they typically ship at ambient temperature. If your casings have a strong odor, that doesn’t mean they’re spoiled. When casings warm up, they can smell stronger than they do when refrigerated.

To reduce odor:

1. Rinse thoroughly under cool running water.

2. Soak and rinse again in a water bath with a few teaspoons of baking soda.

3. If the smell is still stronger than you’d like, make a fresh water bath and add a few teaspoons of distilled vinegar, then rinse once more.

This quick rinse/soak routine usually removes most (or all) of the odor and leaves the casings ready to use.