Make your own bratwurst in a jar – deliciously cooked & long-lasting

Today I’m going to show you how to make your own bratwurst in a jar. It’s easy and super quick to make. 

Basically, you can season your bratwurst however you like. My recipe is just a suggestion. Have the courage to try it out!

I use salt and cure #1 because pure salt alone does not provide sufficient protection against the risk of botulism. Salt and cure #1 inhibits the growth of the Clostridium botulinum bacterium, which can be responsible for life-threatening poisoning. This makes the sausage safer and gives it a longer shelf life. 

You will find the process below if you want to use normal salt. 

If you’re interested in more great recipes, my recipe book “24 Bratwurst Recipes For A Perfect Barbecue Experience” is for you!

I also answered some general questions about making bratwurst in my post Making Bratwurst Yourself. Have a look there.

But now enough talking…

Here you can find the complete bratwurst in a jar recipe as a video or to read through.

Have fun and good luck making it!

Bratwurst in a jar – What do you need to make it?

Ingredients per 1 kg 

• 60% pork shoulder (600g) 
• 40 % pork belly (400g)

Spices per kg

• 15.5 g salt
• 2.5 g Cure #1
• 2.5 g black pepper
• 1 g mace
• 0.75 g ginger
• 0.5 g allspice
• 0.5 g lemon zest
• 0.25 g cardamom

The equipment to make Bratwurst in a jar

Jar

To make your Bratwurst in a jar, you need jars. Here it is up to you which glasses you use

Bratwurst in a jar – Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Cut the meat into pieces suitable for the grinder. You can vary the size depending on how big your meat grinder is.

2. Put the ingredients in the freezer for 1-2 hours. This will help you later when grinding and ensure that the mixture does not get too warm.

3. Now you can grind the meat. Depending on how coarse or fine you want your sausage, you can use different perforated disks. To be honest, this is completely a matter of taste. I personally use the middle perforated disk. But as I said … You have to like it!

4. Add the spices to the mixture and mix the ingredients together. You can do this by hand or with a hand mixer. Make sure that you mix the sausage meat for 4-5 minutes so that it binds well.

5. Now fill the sausage meat into the jars. If you have a sausage filler, you can also fill the sausage meat into the jars with it. However, you can also simply use a spoon. Make sure that there is little air in the mixture and that there is about a thumb’s width of space around the edge. 

6. Now you can cook the Bratwurst. As I have used salt and cure #1, I cook it at 100 °C for about 2 hours. If you use normal salt, you will find the procedure below.

7. Your bratwurst in a jar is ready 😄. Enjoy the taste.

How long is the shelf life of the Bratwurst in a jar?

Bratwurst in a jar can be kept unopened for several months.

Rely on your senses: if the sausage looks bad or smells unpleasant, don’t eat it. A bitter or sour taste is a clear sign of spoilage. Also check whether the vacuum is still intact before opening.

Once opened, the jar should be kept in the fridge, where the sausage will keep for about a week.

Bratwurst in a jar – with normal salt

There are three methods for making bratwurst in a jar without nitrite curing salt (normal salt instead):

1. Double-cooking: The bratwurst is boiled down twice to better kill germs and increase shelf life.
2. Pressure cooker: Cooking in a pressure cooker at a higher pressure and temperature to ensure safer preservation.
3. Cook and heat before eating: The sausage is cooked as normal and then reheated before eating to kill any germs.