to hope one of you can tell me what the hell is wrong with these sausages?

[lukeiamyourmother]

I've always mildly disliked those gourmet sausages - sweet chilli/apple/tomato and mozzerella/catnip and chive because the skin on them is ridiculous. I can never bite through it and then find it so hard to chew, it takes away from the filling for me.

Anyway, I made a casserole with said sausages last night and usually use the cheap-o ones. Sweet chilli were in the reduced aisle so we used those.

Dished it up. DP starts eating, then shouted 'EURGH! This sausage is BLEEDING!' I looked over and as he pierced it, it was squirting liquid everywhere. Loads of it. Think a hose or squirty breast milk. I pierced mine and it did the same. He said it must be made of a semi permeable membrane which lets water in but not out to stay moist and as I'd casseroled it, it had sucked up loads of water.

How nasty is that??? What the hell IS this stuff? Im NBU to think this is just un-natural, right?

Were they Tescos ones? I find they all do that.

Asda ones are fine.

Yep. Tescos. Its put me right off. I know sausages aren't the best quality stuff but jeez!

We had some from tesco recently - I think pork, apple and cider? something like that, and they just fell to bits in the pan - they weren't cheapo ones, and they were crap. It was the first time we'd had tesco sausages and won't be getting them again. They were just nasty. Morrisons are nice, and Aldi do some nice "fancy" ones with different things in that cook beautifully.

.... at Mozarella and CATNIP...

I only like M&S normal sausages, or Richmond or Edwards Pork & Leek. I must look for catnip ones....

2nd the asda ones are lovely and much better!

sausages should be made of testicles and eyeballs

not sweet chilli/ apples/vegetables/tomatoes/CHEESE!

stick to cheap proper sausages

Try sausages from the butcher's, they are often cheaper than "gourmet" ones from the supermarket, and usually a lot nicer.

Oh and thanks OP, I now really, REALLY fancy sausages for my lunch. I blame you for the failure of my diet. :o

Recommendations, please bejeezus...

I like a cheap sausage myself. Nice plump bouncy ones. The skin on these were like tights and seeing it 'bleed' was just grim.

Butchers Choice/ Walls/Summat elsewhichicantrememberwillcometomeinaminute

I used to love Bowyers but I haven't seen them for YEARS now?

I have an absolute passion for sausages and can tell you in boring detail about the relative quality of my surrounding butchers' sausages. I travel far and wide for my sausages.

Anyway - one day nice butcher and elderly customer were discussing chipolatas versus standard, and the butcher said he was more of a chipolata man himself (yes, I was smirking) because the skin was different. He reckons the quality of the skin makes a huge difference to taste - and all this time I'd been assuming one sausage skin was much like another (OK, now the innuendo is too much for me).

So yes, that was what was wrong. Shitey skins.

Cant eat them anymore. Im not keen on arseholes and eyelids tbh!

I get my sausages from the butcher or Aldi
This is the only acceptable way of sourcing sausages.

Never buy a sausage with less than 80% meat is my sausage buying tip.

The Black Farmer and Debbie & Andrew's are my favourites.

Waitrose do decent ones too

Sausages make me want to vomit.

Chicken arses in thin skin.

Don't ever buy a banger though.

By law a sausage needs to contain 32% meat to be called a sausage

But bangers can have as little as 3% meat product by law.

Tescos finest?
Nice fillings, stupidly hard skin!
Local butchers are much better.

However, the Tescos ones are often on offer and can be split and turned into 2 meatballs per sausage.
Throw in cream and mustard and serve with pasta.
See Nigel Slaters Simple Suppers - yummy.

The best sausages we have had lately have been Sainsburys own label Irish Recipe ones. They are really nice, not full of gristle, and are good grilled or in a casserole.

I thought you had to poke holes in sausage skins anyway?

I mean I've not eaten meat in 20 years, but I remember being taught to do that, lol

We love Tesco pork and apple. However this is because we cook them and then put them in flasks to take with us on our days out. Somehow the steaming effect of the flasks softens them and makes them absolutely yummy!

I prick sausages too [phnar phnar] I can't stand flavoured sausages, I like bog standard ones. But I think we get nicer here in NI, at least thats what my relatives in England say when they come home demanding frys

Just so you all know, I am CRYING with laughter!

No no no. I never prick. I like it to bust open and get caramelised on the burst ends. Tescos finest dont really do that. Because of the rubber skin and all.

a rubber skin on sausages? maybe they just like to make sure they're, um, safe sausages?