What are the benefits of using natural casing when making sausages?

Question

I'm about to make some sausages and need a casing. What are the benefits of using natural casing when making sausages?

Answer

If you're planning to smoke your sausages, natural casings will allow for greater smoke penetration than many non-natural casings, and they won't impart any odd flavors of their own to the meat. That said, when you first open a container of natural casings, they may have a strong smell because of gas build-up; let them air out (in the fridge!) and they'll be fine.

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