How to Poach Sausage – Temperature and Timing
You’ve just stuffed your homemade sausage and now you’re wondering how to poach sausage properly. In this guide, I’ll show you the right temperature, how long to poach it and which equipment works well.
Important: This is about the initial poaching during sausage making. You can of course reheat finished sausages in hot water later, but that’s a different process.
Why should I poach sausage?
Poaching cooks raw sausages in hot water. There are three good reasons to do it:
Shelf life: Raw sausages should be eaten the same day. Poaching extends their shelf life considerably. It’s particularly useful for poultry sausage for hygiene reasons. Afterward, the sausages can be frozen or fried.
Even cooking: Unlike direct grilling, hot water cooks the sausage evenly from all sides. At no more than 80 °C (176 °F), the sausage mixture stays juicy without unevenly cooked spots.
Firmness for slicing: In cooked sausages such as Lyoner, Gelbwurst or cooked salami, the uncooked mixture isn’t firm enough to slice. Poaching sets the sausage so you can cut it into cold cuts.
Different ways to poach your sausage
Your options depend on the equipment you have. Here are the most common methods:
Electric preserving cooker
Electric preserving cookers heat themselves and let you set the temperature precisely. The built-in thermometer shows you how hot it is inside, making temperature control simple.
If you plan to poach sausage regularly, buying one can be worthwhile. It’s the appliance I use most often.
Pot with a thermometer
If you don’t have a preserving cooker or just want to try poaching, use a regular pot and a thermometer. Important: Keep the temperature as steady as possible. Without precise control, it can fluctuate quickly, especially on gas stoves.
Sous vide
A sous vide circulator also makes cooking sausage straightforward. The advantage is precise temperature control. The disadvantage is that you need to put the sausage in an extra plastic bag, because escaping fat can damage the circulator.
Steam oven
Like sous vide equipment, a steam oven holds the temperature very well. Resting the sausages on a rack can leave marks, though. It still works well for Wiener sausages or Bockwurst in artificial casings.
How to poach sausage – Step-by-step instructions
Once you’ve stuffed the sausage mixture into casings, put it in water at the correct temperature. The principle is simple, but a few details matter.
Prepare and salt the water
Whether you should salt the water depends on whether you’re cooking sausages in natural casings, such as bratwurst, or artificial casings. With permeable casings (natural casings or smoke-permeable artificial casings), flavor would otherwise be lost through osmosis.
My recommendation: 18 g salt per liter of water when poaching in natural casings. Impermeable plastic casings used for cooked and pre-cooked sausages don’t require salted water.
The right temperature
Important: Poach at a water temperature between 75 °C (167 °F) and 80 °C (176 °F). I recommend 75 °C (167 °F), which gives you room for equipment-related fluctuations in either direction.
The target core temperature is about 72 °C (162 °F). Since it’s difficult to monitor the core temperature continuously during cooking, it’s better to use the poaching time as your guide.
Important: The water must never boil. Above 80 °C (176 °F), the sausage mixture can split, the casing can burst and fat can escape. It’s better to poach slightly cooler for a few extra minutes.
How long to poach sausage: the casing-diameter rule
The general rule is: poach for about 1 minute per millimeter of sausage diameter. Here are a few examples:
- Caliber 22 (such as Nürnberger) → poach for 22 minutes
- Caliber 28/30 (such as bratwurst) → poach for 30 minutes
- Caliber 55/60 (such as Lyoner or Bierschinken) → poach for 60 minutes
After poaching: cool the sausages properly
Take the sausages out of the water immediately after poaching. Never let them cool in the water. They’ll lose flavor and texture. Put them on a rack or plate and let them cool in the air.
Tip: If you want to grill or fry the sausages afterward, let them cool and dry completely first. They’ll brown better.
Common sausage-poaching mistakes
Here are the most common mistakes to avoid:
- Water too hot: Above 80 °C (176 °F), sausages burst and the mixture becomes dry. Always check with a thermometer.
- Cooling in the water: The sausage keeps absorbing water and loses flavor. Take it out immediately.
- Unsalted water: With natural casings, flavor is lost through osmosis if the water isn’t salted.
- Too many sausages at once: Adding too many cold sausages drops the water temperature sharply. Poach in several batches instead.
Frequently asked questions about poaching sausage
How long should I poach bratwurst?
Poaching time depends on the sausage diameter. The rule of thumb is 1 minute per mm of casing diameter at 75 °C (167 °F). A grilling bratwurst in a 28/30 casing therefore takes about 30 minutes. A thin Nürnberger in a caliber 22 casing takes just 22 minutes.
At what temperature should I poach sausage?
I recommend a water temperature of 75 °C (167 °F). The target core temperature is about 72 °C (162 °F). Keep the water at no more than 80 °C (176 °F) and never boil it. Too high a temperature bursts the sausage and dries out the mixture.
Do I need to poach bratwurst before grilling?
No, it’s optional. But pre-poaching has advantages: the proteins in the mixture set, the sausage cooks faster on the grill and is less likely to burst. It also reduces fat splashes. If you pre-poach bratwurst, let it cool and dry completely before grilling.
Can I poach sausage in a steam oven?
Yes, it works well. Set the temperature to 75 °C (167 °F). The time stays the same: 1 minute per mm of diameter. Bear in mind that the rack can leave marks on the sausage.
Is sous vide suitable for poaching sausage?
Yes, sous vide is one of the most precise methods. The sausage cooks in a vacuum bag at an exactly controlled temperature. Important: It must be in a bag, because escaping fat can damage the circulator.
How long does poached sausage keep?
It depends on the sausage type and storage. Vacuum-sealed and refrigerated, a cooked sausage keeps for about 2 weeks. Frozen, it keeps for several months. Without vacuum sealing, use it within 3 to 4 days.
Should I salt the poaching water?
Only for permeable casings: natural casings and smoke-permeable artificial casings. Otherwise, osmosis carries flavor into the water. My recommendation is 18 g salt per liter of water. Impermeable plastic casings don’t need salted water.
