Acids and Binders
Make Sausage Better with ICR’s Acids and Binders
Acids
International Collagen Resource’s (ICR’s) Smoooth Acid Blend is used to make old-fashioned, shelf-stable summer sausage and salami.
It lowers the pH to reduce the drying time of the sausage.
The Smoooth Acid Blend contains, not only a combination of acids, but also an antioxidant, flavor booster, and a protein protector for extended product and flavor life.
It contains encapsulated lactic acid, encapsulated citric acid, and trehalose, a naturally-occurring functional sugar.
Binders
ICR’s Free Binder holds up to 10 times its weight in moisture in very lean sausages (wild game, poultry, beef, pork, lamb, or goat) while cooking.
It gives a firm bite to very lean and moist sausages.
Our Free Binder eliminates the need for MSG and antioxidants and has no after taste or off flavors.
It is allergen free, lactate free, gluten free, and has non-GMO ingredients.
Free Binder is made from trehalose and all vegetable-based ingredients (potato starch and carrot fiber).
Other ICR Acid and Binder Products
Citric Acid
C-Bind (Carrot Fiber)
Trehalose
Encapsulated Citric and Lactic Acids
Lower pH with Encapsulated Citric and Lactic Acids
Why Use an Acid?
Acids are used when making dry sausages and snack sticks to preserve the sausage. They also lower the pH. Sausages and snack sticks dry faster using an acid.
ICR has two Acid products:
- Encapsulated Citric Acid
- Encapsulated Lactic Acid
Benefits of ICR’s Encapsulated Citric and Lactic Acids
Encapsulated Citric Acid adds a tangy taste to the meat product.
Encapsulated Lactic Acid does not have a pronounced flavor, but is more costly that Citric Acid.
How to Use ICR’s Encapsulated Citric and Lactic Acids
To use ICR’s Encapsulated Acids:
- Final grind the meat and add the seasoning.
- Add Encapsulated Acids after all grinding is done.
- Stuff the sausage, smoke, and cook.
Ordering ICR’s Lactic Acid
Encapsulated Lactic Acid is available in a 50 pound box.
It can also be packaged in the same smaller sizes as Citric Acid.
Ordering ICR’s Citric Acid
Citric Acid comes in these sizes:
- 3 ounce package (for 25 lbs of sausage)
- 18 packages (3 oz)/caddy
- 12 caddies/case
- 10 pound box
- 25 pound box
- 50 pound box
C-Bind
Get Maximum Binding with C-Bind
Why use C-Bind?
Very lean sausage of any type (beef, pork, lamb, goat, wild game, or poultry) needs something to hold moisture in while cooking.
It will also hold fat in naturally for higher-fat content meat mixtures requiring less water.
Other binders such as pea, cellulose, wheat, cotton seed, oat, and soy have less water binding capabilities and may contain allergens.
Benefits of ICR’s C-Bind
C-Bind has a binding capacity of at least 26 times its weight.
It can be used for very lean sausage (up to 98% lean) that remains tender and juicy.
It holds moisture in and eliminates shrink during cooking.
C-Bind can be used in fresh breakfast and dinner sausages such as hotdogs and bratwurst. It can also be used for cooked and smoked products.
C-Bind is GRAS (generally recognized as safe) as a food ingredient. It is also non-GMO, allergen free, and kosher.
The carrots used in ICR’s C-Bind are grown and processed in the USA.
How to Use ICR’s C-Bind
- Add up to 10% water to the meat and mix.
- Add seasoning, Trehalose, and C-Bind and mix well.
- Place in cooler overnight.
- Stuff and cook.
For cooked and smoked sausage, add C-Bind AFTER the protein extraction and use up to 20% water or ice.
Ordering ICR’s C-Bind
ICR’s C-Bind comes in these sizes:
- 18 package caddy (3-ounce packages)
- 18 package caddy (1.5 ounce packages)
- 3-ounce package (for 50 lbs of sausage)
- 12 caddies/case
- 12 package case (1.5 ounce packages)
- 12 package caddy (3-ounce packages)
- 1.5-ounce package (for 25 lbs of sausage)
- 15.4-pound box
- 144 package case (3-ounce packages)
- 216 package case (3-ounce packages)
Trehalose
Increase Sausage Shelf Life with Trehalose
What is Trehalose?
Trehalose is a naturally-occurring sugar and an antioxidant that is half as sweet a sugar.
Trehalose is also an ingredient in ICR’s Smoooth Acid Blend and Free Binder.
Benefits of Trehalose
Trehalose extends the shelf life of sausage since it is both an antioxidant and a protein protector.
Trehalose helps keep the color in sausage longer by delaying the oxidation (graying) of the meat.
Trehalose protects the protein in sausage by preventing the freezer taste in frozen sausage, holds the moisture in the sausage when defrosted, and keeps fresh sausage from being rubbery after cooking.
Trehalose adds sweetness, but is not overly sweet.
It is a flavor enhancer that can replace MSG in sausages.
How to Use Trehalose
Trehalose can be used in all types of sausage and even in potato salad.
For fresh sausage, add Trehalose when seasoning and salt are added to the meat.
For smoked sausage, first add water, seasoning, and salt to extract the protein (it will be sticky).
Then add Trehalose.
Ordering Trehalose
Trehalose comes in these sizes:
- 6 ounce package (for 25 lbs of sausage)
- 12 packages (6 oz)/caddy
- 12 caddies/case
- 10 pound box
- 25 pound box
- 44.09 pound box
