Blog

Nothing goes with a cold beer on a hot day quite like summer sausage and a hunk of cheese. Some people (including quite a few here at LEM) even add cheese to their summer sausage. But whether you like cheese on the side or cheese in your sausage, stuffing sausage is a great way to use venison. For the curious among you, we’ll touch on the history of summer sausage before stepping through a how-to on sausage making and finally, we’ll include a few of our favorite recipes.Why is it called Summer S …

We gathered our LEM staff and asked that everybody submit their top Tips & Hints for when they make sausage at home. Here’s the top 11 Tips & Hints from inside LEM to make your job easier: You need to test the internal temperature of your sausage to make sure it has cooked all the way through, just as you would with other meats. When making sausage, make a shorter sausage of the same width, to use for testing the internal temperature of the meat instead of puncturing a larger one.Put a p …

There’s nothing like serving up a plate of sausages or burgers and knowing absolutely everything in that meat is something you wanted in the mix. That’s what we all aspire to, sure. There are, however, some finer points or questions where you might need some answers.That’s where we come in. Our company was founded on a simple goal, help simplify game processing for the average hunter, so let’s answer the most commonly debated questions around meat processing. When we’re finished you can cross th …

Meat Processing Best Practices - Do’s, don’ts, and whyFor all you hunters who know the right way is the only way, we’re with you. That’s probably why you’re thinking about processing your own game. And, if you’re looking for information about meat processing best practices, you’re in the right place. LEM makes some of the best equipment in the industry, but even great tools are only helpful if you have the know-how to put them to work.LEM exists to simplify game processing and make it easier for …

There’s a right way to do things, and there’s every other way. That’s what our Dad taught us and his Dad taught him. That’s why at LEM, we know the hunt doesn’t end when the buck hits the ground; it ends when we all sit down at the table.That may sound like it’s easier said than done, but we’re going to walk you through everything you need to start processing your own game at home. We’ll start with field dressing blades and take you all the way to seasoning and stuffing your own sausage. Who nee …

Extending the shelf-life of your game while enhancing flavor without sacrificing taste.There’s only one thing worse than losing good meat to spoilage: That’s losing good meat to spoilage that you hunted, processed, and prepared yourself. Just imagine going into the freezer for a package of bratwurst, only to find it dried-out, freezer-burned, and covered in ice crystals. Suddenly, your cookout is several pounds of sausage short of making dinner.That kind of loss is enough to frustrate even the m …

What Is Chronic Wasting Disease?Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a contagious neurological disease affecting deer, elk and moose. It causes a characteristic spongy degeneration of the brains of infected animals resulting in emaciation, abnormal behavior, loss of bodily functions and death.Example of Effects of Chronic Wasting Disease, Delaware Division of Fish and WildlifeWhat Wildlife Species Are Affected By CWD?Only four species of the deer family are known to be naturally susceptible to CWD: …

Here at LEM, we take our sausage casings seriously. From huge summer sausage all the way down to snack sticks, size doesn't matter to us. We've got all of the sausage casings you'll need for your next sausage adventure.But - first things first - how do you know what casing to use and what you’re actually going to make? Don’t just wing it - brush up on the types of sausage casings below, and the types of sausage you’ll make with them. Use this chart to select the correct casing for the type of sa …

What is Botulism and Why Should You Care?Are you canning your fresh vegetables? Curing your own meats? Whatever the reason as to why you might be in your kitchen preparing food- you will need to know about the life threatening disease called Botulism, what it is, and how to avoid it at all costs. Botulism is caused by the ingestion of a potent neurotoxin produced during growth of the C. botulinum bacteria. This neurotoxin is among the most toxic substances known; even microscopic amounts can cau …

Sausages were originally made by stuffing a meat mixture into the intestines of a pig, sheep or other animal. When sausage manufacturers wanted a faster, more reliable way of making a high quantity of sausage - and when the material became widely available a half century ago - they switched to collagen. A natural protein product, collagen comes from a layer of beef hide, removed and refined. The more refined the processing, the more tender the casing. Collagen casing sausages are easy to cook, a …