Mesquitecountry - Pickling question.

[Goldeneagle]

Hey Travis, have you got any clue how to make those pickled wieners like Jack Links makes? They call them Hot Heads. It just looks like a hot dog wiener thats been pickled with a spicy brine. I love those things! Thanks.

[mharris1]

I havn't tried hot heads, but I used a recipe like this without the tabasco that was pretty good.
4 cups water
4 cups vinegar
2 TBS salt
2 TBS tabasco sauce
10 drops red food coloring
smoked sausage or weenies
Put sausages in a sterile jar, mix other ingredients and boil for a few minutes. Pour over sausage, and put in refrigerator a for a few days before eating. I tried it both ways and like skinny smoked sausage the best. I think I'll make a batch when I get home.

[Goldeneagle]

Thanks! I'll give it a try. Sounds easy enough.

[mesquitecountry]

Glad you got it!

I was going to tell you to take juice from a jalapeno jar and add a little red food coloring and throw in your favorite hot dogs! That's pretty much all it is!

[Goldeneagle]

Thanks guy's! I've got a jar full soaking right now.

[Goldeneagle]

mharris1, do you mean a few weeks instead of days? I tried one last night after a 3 day soak. All I tasted was a hot dog weenie with vinegar dripping off of it. I've made pickles and pickled peppers before and don't think any of them were ready in just a few days. Maybe I did something wrong. Oh and by the way, you can' even taste the 2 tablespoons of Tabasco.

[mharris1]

Yeah, they need a little more time. Two weeks is probably more like it. I made half the recipe above, waited about a week, and they were pretty bland. I added about half a teaspoon of cayenne and about a tsp crushed red pepper, and waited a few days. They are pretty good now. Its just something to play with till you get it like you like em. The tabasco doesnt do much. Add some pepper and they will get right.

[Goldeneagle]

Well I dumped them out last night. After almost 3 weeks you could just taste the vinegar on the outside. The inside just tasted like a hot dog. I'll keep trying.

[mharris1]

Wow, mine turned out perfect a few days after adding the pepper. They are so hot now, most folks wont eat them, but I like em like that. Try again with cayenne and crushed red pepper. Skip the tabasco, it doesnt do anything.

[Goldeneagle]

Are you cutting the meats in any way? I saw some recipes on the net and in one way or another they were cutting them. I'm thinking maybe the casings are protecting them or something.

[mharris1]

I dont cut them. I just dropped a pack of good beef hotdogs in a jar, boil the mixture with the pepper added and pour over hotdogs. Should be good in about 2 weeks.