Most home sausage makers, being the food-lovers that they are usually started making their own sausages so that they can control the fat content. Others simply like to know exactly what went into their sausage, instead of wondering what odds and ends the manufacturer decided to dump into the mix that day. Sausages can be made from almost anything, even seafood. One of the recipes included on this site is for a lobster sausage, New Orleans –style.   A Little History For many of the past centuries, sausages were made to help preserve meats before the time of refrigeration. The word sausage comes from the Middle English sausige, which came from sal, Latin for salt, the main preservative used throughout history. Today, sausages are made for the simple fact that they are a wonderful, tasty food. Hundreds of different varieties are made in the United States alone, and thousands more worldwide, varying by regional tastes and ingredient availability.

What's In There? Sausage is basically defined as ground meat mixed with fat, salt and other seasonings, preservatives and sometimes fillers. Sausage is available in fresh form, which needs to be cooked before consumption, and dry or cured form, which are already cooked. Virtually any type of meat can be used in sausage, but most common are pork or pork blends. However, true sausage lovers will try most anything. Vegetable sausages and seafood sausages are becoming more popular.   Click To Continue Or go straight to a recipe: Italian Fennel Port Sausage Lean Italian Sausage "Naw'lins" Lobster Boudan