Sausage is a delicious staple in many cuisines around the world. From breakfast links to Italian sausage for pasta, it adds great flavor to meals. However, commercially made sausages tend to be very high in sodium due to salt and preservatives added during processing. Too much sodium is unhealthy for your heart and blood pressure.
If you love sausage but want to reduce the salt content, there are some easy methods you can try at home. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore different techniques to effectively remove salt from sausage so you can continue enjoying it as part of a healthy diet.
Why Removing Salt from Sausage is Important
Here are some key reasons for desalting sausage
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High sodium intake is associated with increased hypertension risk The American Heart Association recommends limiting sodium to under 2,300mg per day Most sausages far exceed this.
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Salt aggravates underlying health conditions like kidney disease, liver disease, and heart failure. Individuals with these conditions require strict low-sodium diets.
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Some people are simply more sensitive to salt and find commercially made sausages unpalatably salty.
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Babies and young children should avoid excess salt as it puts strain on their developing kidneys. Desalting sausage makes it safer for kids.
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Dogs too should not have overly salty human foods. Removing salt from sausage helps customize it for canine consumption.
Effective Ways to Remove Salt from Sausage
Here are some simple, proven methods to reduce the sodium content of sausage:
Boiling in Water
Boiling sausage in fresh water helps draw out the salt into the surrounding liquid. Here is the process:
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Place raw sausage links, removed from casings if using bulk sausage, in a pot.
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Cover with water until submerged. Use at least 4-5 cups water per pound of sausage.
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Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
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Drain the water and repeat the process using fresh water to further desalt. Discard the salty water.
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Cook sausage as desired after boiling. The salt level will be significantly reduced.
Boiling leaches out salts and makes sausage up to 70% less salty, perfect for low sodium diets.
Cooking in Milk
Milk has a mild taste that won’t overpower the sausage flavor. To use this method:
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Submerge sausage links or patties in milk in a skillet or pot.
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Heat over medium flame until just simmering, about 10 minutes.
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Turn sausages intermittently so all sides are immersed.
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The milk will draw out much of the added salt, making the sausage less salty.
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Remove sausage from milk and cook as desired. Discard the milk after single use.
Soaking in Vinegar Water
The acetic acid in vinegar is excellent at extracting salt from meats through an ion exchange process. Follow these steps:
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Make a vinegar solution by mixing 1 cup white vinegar with 4 cups water.
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Add sausage links and soak for 1-2 hours. For patties, 30 minutes is sufficient.
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Rinse well with fresh water and pat dry. The acetic acid will eliminate excess salt.
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Cook sausage through your preferred method. The vinegar soak reduces saltiness substantially.
Pressure Cooking
Pressurized steam penetrates deep into the meat to drive out salt rapidly. Here is how to pressure cook sausage:
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Add 1 cup water and sausage links to the pressure cooker pot.
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Pressure cook for 10 minutes at high pressure (10-12 psi).
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Use natural release to allow pressure to drop slowly, about 15 minutes.
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The pressurized steam draws out embedded salt extremely effectively in just one cooking cycle.
Brining and Rinsing
This two-step process first balances out flavors, then removes the brine.
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Make a simple brine by mixing 1 quart water with 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp salt.
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Add sausage links and soak 30 minutes up to 2 hours.
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Remove sausage and rinse very well under running water.
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Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels before cooking.
Cooking Unseasoned Sausage
The most guaranteed way to control salt content is to prepare entirely unseasoned sausage. Here is how:
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Make fresh sausage using ground pork and your choice of herbs and spices, excluding any salt.
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Shape into patties or links.
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Cook the unsalted sausage in a nonstick pan until browned and cooked through.
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Season after cooking with just a sprinkle of salt to taste.
With complete control over salt addition, unseasoned sausage lets you customize it to your dietary needs.
Tips for Low-Sodium Sausage
Here are some additional tips for reducing sodium in sausage:
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Opt for fresh, unprocessed sausage over cured or smoked varieties.
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Compare nutrition labels and choose low-sodium or sodium-free sausage when possible.
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Limit processed meat products like hot dogs and cold cuts that contain lots of preservatives and salt.
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Avoid sausages pickled in brine like pepperoni and salami which are extremely high in sodium.
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Season sausage with fresh herbs, black pepper, spices, vinegar, mustard, or hot sauce instead of salt.
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Cook sausage with plenty of low-sodium vegetables like onions, peppers, tomatoes etc to balance flavors.
Healthy Low-Sodium Sausage Recipes
Once you’ve desalted your sausage, try these tasty recipes to enjoy it as part of a healthy diet:
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Breakfast sausage patties – Desalted pork sausage patties, an egg, and sauteed vegetables make a nutritious breakfast.
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Sausage and cabbage stir fry – Strips of desalted sausage, shredded cabbage, carrots, soy sauce, and sesame oil for an easy weeknight dinner.
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Sausage tortellini soup – Boil desalted Italian sausage and chopped tomatoes in broth with cheese tortellini for a comforting soup.
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Sausage stuffed peppers – Mix desalted sausage with rice, veggies, herbs and stuff into bell peppers for a family meal.
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Sausage casserole – Layer desalted sausage, potatoes, onions, beans and cheese for a hearty casserole.
With some simple preparation, you can eliminate excess salt from sausage and incorporate it into healthy recipes the whole family will love. Say goodbye to worrying about high sodium and enjoy sausage more often.
FAQs
How much salt is removed by boiling sausage in water?
Boiling sausage in fresh water can eliminate up to 70% of the sodium, making it significantly less salty. The exact amount will depend on the original salt content.
Does soaking sausage in milk affect the taste?
Milk has a very mild taste that does not overpower sausage flavors. The milk soak draws out saltiness without altering distinct notes like smokiness, spices, etc.
Can you freeze sausage after desalting?
Yes, desalted sausage can be frozen for 4-6 months. Ensure sausage is cooled completely before freezing for best results. Defrost before cooking.
Is unsweetened yogurt a good salt-remover for sausage?
Yes, yogurt contains lactic acid that helps extract salt from sausage. Soak patties or links in yogurt for 30 mins up to 2 hours before cooking.
How much salt should you add to unseasoned homemade sausage?
For homemade sausage, limit added salt to 1/2 to 1 tsp per pound of meat. Sprinkle in some salt after cooking to suit your taste.
Can you use salt-removers like Sal-B-Gon on sausage?
Yes, commercial salt removers containing glycine can be used. Soak sausage 15-30 mins to reduce sodium before thorough rinsing.
With some clever desalting tricks, you can control the salt content in sausage and make it a healthy, versatile addition to your low-sodium diet.