Can You Use Jerky Seasoning For Summer Sausage? [And Vice Versa]

Many people who love to make their own homemade jerky and sausage love to experiment with different seasonings. You may be wondering: can you use jerky seasoning for summer sausage and vice versa?

Here’s what I found after researching how to make summer sausage. 

can you use jerky seasoning for summer sausage

Can You Use Jerky Seasoning for Summer Sausage?

You can use seasoning or marinade that is designed for summer sausage, snack sticks, or any type of sausage to season your jerky or vice versa. Adding these ingredients or spices can give your sausages a little bit of flavor, and they will also help to keep the meat moist and delicious.

It’s important to note that if you do choose to use these ingredients, you’ll need to cook the sausage for longer than usual so that they can properly absorb all of the flavors.

The main thing to pay attention to is how much to use. Using too much will cause the jerky to have a stronger flavor than what you’re used to. So, you’ll want to slowly add the ingredients slowly, until you get that perfect flavor.

Both jerky and summer sausage are popular meats to cook during the outdoor grilling season. Jerky seasoning is interchangeable with other meats.

The next time you cook jerky on your Pit Boss, store the leftover seasoning to use for your next batch of summer sausage or vice versa.

This article will answer some of the most common questions about cooking both types of meat such as;

  • What’s the difference between summer sausage and jerky?
  • How do you season beef jerky?
  • How do you season summer sausage?
  • Common spices used for summer sausage
  • Types of sausages used to make summer sausage

After reading this article, you’ll have a better understanding of intermingling seasonings and so much more!

So let’s take the mystery out of these two types of meat.

What Is Summer Sausage?

Summer sausage is an American-type semi-fermented sausage consisting of consist pork, beef, or venison. Like jerky, when properly cooked, it can be stored without refrigeration.

Making it a popular item to give in gift baskets along with jams and cheeses.

The sausages are typically smoked over low heat so the meat stays moist and flavorful, then heated before serving. After it has been cooked, the meat will have a pink or deep red color. It can be eaten raw or cooked, but most people often eat it uncooked on sandwiches or with crackers.

They can be eaten raw or cooked, and they’re perfect for the summer months.

How Is Jerky Seasoned?

There are a number of different seasonings that can be used for jerky, and they all have their own special flavor profiles.

Some common spices to use for making jerky include chili powders, garlic powder, dried thyme, cumin, coriander, pepper, red pepper flakes, etc.

You can even purchase pre-made jerky seasoning rubs at your local grocery store or online.

These include teriyaki, chicken and apple, southwestern, Asian, and others. Some people like to use just one type of seasoning that is their favorite for all edibles. Others like to change it up depending on what they’re cooking which jerky recipe they’re using.

One thing to keep in mind when seasoning your jerky is that you don’t need too much because the meat itself has a lot of flavor. This means you’ll want to use it carefully so that your jerky doesn’t become too salty or spicy by using too much of the seasoning.

Once the jerky meat has been seasoned, you will marinade it in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours or overnight before cooking.

How Is Summer Sausage Seasoned?

Some of the most common seasonings to flavor summer sausage are; garlic, black pepper, mustard seed, ginger, coriander, etc.

There are many different types of summer sausage. Some of the most popular varieties that use different seasonings are:

Types of Sausages

Oven Jerky– Using Jerky seasoning with mass quantities of spices. The seasoning used for this can either be your preference or one that you purchase.

Oven Venison sausage– This kind of sausage is seasoned in a way that gives it a more exotic taste because it has been infused with ginger, pepper, and garlic for about 30 minutes in a pan.

Hot Italian summer sausage– These kinds of sausages have a combination of several seasonings to give them a spicy flavor such as red pepper flakes, oregano, and garlic powder.

Cherry summer sausage– This particular kind of sausage is flavored with real cherries to give it a fruity taste. It can be combined with other seasonings to make the flavor stronger.

Spicy Italian summer sausage– The spices used for this type include basil, oregano, thyme, and garlic powder which give them their exotic taste.

Popular Spices for Summer Sausage

If you’re making homemade sausage, you can use any of your favorite spices to add flavor. However, below are the most common spices used for sausages.

Paprika– This is a very common ingredient that has been used in many types of sausages over the years because it gives them a spicy flavor.

Onion powder– This is another one of the most common ingredients to use for summer sausage because it helps them taste like your everyday hot dog or bratwurst. It can also be combined with other spices such as garlic salt, parsley flakes, and celery seed to get even more amazing flavors into your sausages.

Celery seed– Both the whole or ground varieties are commonly used as a homemade sausage spice. It tastes a lot like celery and has a strong earthy character with a bitter flavor, that is more prevalent in the ground form.

So, it might be best to add just a little bit at first and then adjust accordingly for your next batch. This spice also goes well with polish sausages and sauerkraut.

Fennel Seeds: This spice is part of the carrot family and has a sweet and licorice-like taste. Spices that enhance the flavor of fennel seeds are cumin, chervil, anise, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, and cloves.

All parts of the fennel plant are edible, including the seeds.

Garlic salt– This is a useful ingredient because it helps to boost the flavor of your sausages and can also be combined with other spices such as onion powder, parsley flakes, and celery seed.

It’s important not to use too much of this seasoning. Since it has quite a strong taste which might overwhelm the sausage.

Parsley flakes– These are an excellent addition to any type of summer sausage because they give it a fresher taste and can also be combined with other ingredients such as celery seed, garlic salt, and onion powder for extra flavor.

Be sure to check out this summer sausage recipe from Allrecipes.

Jerky Seasoning Vs. Summer Sausage Seasoning

Unless you purchase a premade jerky kit such as; Hi-Country Jerky Seasoning, there’s no difference between the two types of seasonings.

The only difference between jerky and sausage seasoning is the ratio of ingredients used for the different types of meat. Both jerky and summer sausage will need to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.

For instance, if you’re making venison jerky and pork sausage, you’ll likely use different seasonings because it’s more challenging to flavor game meat, so you don’t end up with a gamey meat taste.

Other than that, there’s no difference between the two types of seasonings. If you’ve purchased a premade jerky kit, it will have a higher amount of sodium than a homemade marinade.

This is because sodium acts as a preservative that keeps the jerky from spoiling quickly.

It’s also why so many people prefer to make their own jerky seasoning, especially, if they want to cut back on their salt intake.

Can I Use Jerky Seasoning for Snack Sticks?

Jerky seasoning is a great way to season snack sticks. Like anything, you’ll have to use it sparingly. Because it is high in sodium if added in high amounts, will make the snack sticks too salty.

The sodium will make the snack sticks moist and increase the shelf life.

Final Word

Jerky seasoning adds a unique flavor to your summer sausage, snack sticks, or any other type of sausage meat and vice versa.

When you’re preparing homemade summer sausage, the fun part is experimenting with different seasonings. The next time you make homemade jerky, use it to marinade sausage.

Who knows, you may just surprise yourself with what you create from intermingling seasonings between meats.

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