Let me start with the Bratwurst which is translated “Frying Sausage” and would include any of the fresh sausages we put on the grill. I know we refer to Bratwurst or Brats to the fresh German style sausages we became familiar with, ground or chopped meat, usually includes pork, seasoned with salt and spices, stuffed into 1 inch diameter hog casings and linked about 6 inches long as our standard. Many companies broaden their assortment by adding whatever they can think of and/or their customers will buy. So you can find beer brats, jalapeno brats, even brats with cherries in them.

For a nice variety of the basic “Bratwurst” let’s go to Franken region in the northern part of Bavaria which I consider the German Bratwurst mecca, there the Bratwurst is make from pork or veal or a combination thereof, some even include beef.
I introduced these local specialties on my Bavaria4U pages in the “Bratwurst Mecca Franken” post.
Many other local type Bratwurst are served here and in the surrounding regions in restaurants and always at the local beer festivals.

There are many other examples of fresh sausages.

Here we can include all types of Italian sausages, fresh Polish Kielbasa and all the other like a Hungarian style Brat and the country style brats which used to be a favorite here in Michigan back in the 70’s. The fresh Mexican Chorizo and many other ethnic types like the Swedish Potatis Korv, English Bangers also belong here, I would also add the Cevapcici which is home to the Balkans or the whole area which used to be Yugoslavia.

Included in this category is the ever popular Breakfast Links or Sausage and also the Sausage patties made out of bulk pork sausage or sausage rolls or chubs.

As fresh sausages will not have a long shelf life many manufacturers will pre-cook their product to extend the “Best before” dates or they also can be frozen.

If you would like to start to make your own, there is a very low cost way to try it, it is the Sausage patties mentioned above or you could roll it in the form of the Cevapcici. Basic meat to use would be pork but you could use any type of meat from Turkey to Chicken, Buffalo, Alligator and if you are a hunter, part of the deer you were lucky enough to bag. Just to mention some of the meats will be very lean and dry out if you overcook them, that is why we add pork trimmings when we make deer sausage.
For those of you that like it spicier you could try our Jalapeno Cheese Patties.

Once you tried your hand in “Wurst making” (for Luncheon Meats you can try our Wurst Base Recipe) and you like it, it is time to decide if you want to invest into the equipment and go into it deeper or even try sausage making afternoons with your friends.

There are three post about this subject on this blog about the “WHY“, “Making Wurst” and “Why waste my time to make sausage”

Here are links to some of the equipment we use and will get the job done.