Sausage Casings

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Sausage Casings FAQ

Answers to common questions about casing types, sizes, quantities, and preparation.

Should I use natural or collagen sausage casings?

Choose natural casings for the traditional snap and look of bratwurst, Italian sausage, and hot dogs. Choose collagen for uniform size and easier handling. Natural hog, sheep, and beef casings are packed in salt, need rinsing and soaking, and vary slightly in diameter. Strand collagen casings are stuffed dry, make identical links every time, and are a popular choice for snack sticks and breakfast sausage. Compare natural sausage casings and collagen casings.

What size sausage casing do I need?

Choose the casing diameter that matches the sausage you're making:

Snack sticks: 16–21mm collagen or 20–22mm sheep
Breakfast links: 22mm collagen or 22–24mm sheep
Hot dogs: 24–26mm sheep or 26mm smoked collagen
Bratwurst and Italian sausage: 29–35mm hog
Polish sausage and kielbasa: 35–38mm hog
Pepperoni: 38mm fibrous
Summer sausage: 61mm fibrous
Salami: 76mm fibrous

See our guide to choosing the right sausage casing for more sizes and uses.

How much sausage casing do I need?

Plan on about 2–2.5 feet of hog casing per pound of meat for 29–35mm links. A Natural Hog Casings Home Pack makes 20–30 lbs. of sausage, and a Natural Sheep Casings Home Pack makes about 15 lbs. A full hank of hog casing (about 100 yards) stuffs roughly 90–135 lbs., depending on diameter. Our 19mm and 22mm collagen strand packs stuff about 30 lbs. each. Buy a little extra, since some casing is lost to tears and trimmed ends.

Are sausage casings edible?

Natural, strand collagen, and vegetarian casings are edible and are eaten with the sausage. Cellulose, fibrous, and plastic casings are not edible and must be peeled off before eating. Large-diameter collagen casings for cooked and dried sausage, such as our 60mm size, are also non-edible. Cellulose casings are used for skinless hot dogs and breakfast links, while fibrous casings hold summer sausage, salami, and bologna.

What are sausage casings made of?

Sausage casings, also called sausage skins, are made from animal or manufactured materials. Natural casings are the cleaned intestines of hogs, sheep, or cattle. Collagen casings are made from the collagen in cattle hides. Cellulose casings are made from plant cellulose, and fibrous casings are cellulose reinforced with plant fiber for strength. Vegetarian casings are made from water, vegetable glycerin, starches, and sugar. Learn more in what is sausage casing made of?

How do I prepare and store sausage casings?

Preparation depends on the casing type. Rinse and flush natural casings, then soak them in cool water in the refrigerator for about 2 hours, or overnight for casings over 42mm. Soak fibrous casings in warm water (about 100°F) for 30 minutes. Stuff strand collagen and cellulose casings dry, with no soaking. Store natural casings packed in salt in the refrigerator, and never freeze them. Strand collagen also needs refrigeration, while fibrous and cellulose casings are shelf-stable. Read more in Sausage Casings 101.

Sausage Casings for Fresh, Smoked & Cured Sausage

Choose from the widest variety of sausage casings available anywhere — from homemade batches to professional production. Our selection includes natural hog, sheep, and beef casings, as well as collagen, cellulose, fibrous, plastic, and plant-based alternatives.

Shopping for a specific recipe? We've grouped casings by what you're making: snack stick and beef stick casings, summer sausage casings, and hot dog casings — each sized and selected for that style of sausage.

Each casing is chosen for its quality, consistency, and ease of use — ideal for everything from bratwurst and salami to snack sticks and smoked links. Available in a range of sizes and styles, including pre-tied and protein-lined formats, there's a match for every recipe.

Start your next sausage project with the right tools — only at The Sausage Maker.

Need more information?

Unsure which casing suits your recipe? Contact us today, and we'll match you to the right product.

To learn more, read Sausage Casings 101 on our blog.

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Top notch experience and easy five stars

My experience with The Sausage Maker was absolutely flawless. The ordering process was simple, clear, and incredibly easy from beginning to end. Their website was straightforward to navigate, the product information was helpful, and checkout was quick and trouble free. Everything about the transaction felt professional and well organized.

The order was processed efficiently, communication was excellent, and everything arrived exactly as expected. The product itself is very good quality and clearly made with care. It performed exactly as it should, and I could not be happier with my purchase.

From the ease of ordering to the quality of the product and the overall customer experience, The Sausage Maker was top notch across the board. It is refreshing to deal with a company that makes the entire process so smooth and delivers a product that lives up to expectations. I will absolutely order from them again and would confidently recommend them to anyone interested in sausage making or home meat processing. A well-deserved five stars!

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Sausage Casings FAQ

Should I use natural or collagen sausage casings?

What size sausage casing do I need?

How much sausage casing do I need?

Are sausage casings edible?

What are sausage casings made of?

How do I prepare and store sausage casings?

Sausage Casings for Fresh, Smoked & Cured Sausage

Need more information?

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Why shop with us?

customers

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Let customers speak for us

Everything
Measured

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Cheese