It’s hard to find a food more ubiquitous than sausage. Every country has their versions, because sausage was developed to do something important: save food from being wasted. Got a pile of tiny trimmings left over from slaughter time? Got a length of spare intestine? You’re in business. Sausages all around! They can be smoked or cured, steamed or grilled, but they always turn a pile of scraps into a meal.
Sausages should have been a low-class food. They are, after all, made from leftovers. Richer folks could afford to eat big pieces of meat like hams and pheasants and roast beef, but they wanted sausage. It’s not hard to understand why. The balance of fat, protein, and salt in a sausage made it a perfect comfort meal. Soon, butchers and delis and families and whole countries were working to make fancier sausages. They experimented with novel spices and processing methods. A pile of scraps no longer, sausages became a source of pride.
Not to be outdone, the United States threw its hat in the ring with a product called Vienna Sausage. Bursting upon the sausage scene in 1903, these short lengths of forcemeat were smoked and canned in aspic or chicken broth. They had almost nothing in common with European vienna sausages which were long, thin hotdog-like creatures. American Vienna Sausages were their own thing, man. Made of beef, pork, and chicken (the turducken of sausage?!) they became a phenomenon.
Advertising did a lot of the heavy lifting when it came to promoting these little links. A 1904 Libby’s print ad shares that “Vienna Sausages are served extensively at home and abroad, on transatlantic ships and in dining cars.” In 1954, the ads had shifted tone considerably, now claiming the little sausages to be “a real wife-saver.” By 1990, the ads were talking about ingredients, informing the public that the links were ALL meat. NO filler. So, whether you were a traveler, an overwhelmed housewife or just completely obsessed with meat, Vienna Sausages were for you. Luckily, recipes were everywhere, encouraging creativity and innovation with these canned wieners. Pigs in a blanket! Tiny Corndogs! Wieners with Sauerkraut! Hors d’oeuvres! The possibilities seemed truly endless.
But if canned Vienna Sausages were a uniquely American invention, they certainly did not stay here. We talked about this a bit in relation to Spam, but it is worth repeating here. Vienna Sausages spread as many indestructible foods did: with conquest, colonialism, and war. Elaine Castillo frames this beautifully in her article, Colonialism in a Can. What often started as survival food for interlopers in unfamiliar settings, was enriched and elevated by locals who made it part of their cuisine.
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, Vienna Sausages are part of the rich tapestry of preserved meats. They might not have the panache of prosciutto, but they have kept folks filled and earned some fans along the way. Not too shabby for a tiny canned sausage.
Are you supposed to cook Vienna sausages? Vienna sausages are fully cooked by the time they're packaged, and can be eaten right from the tin if you like. That said, they're most often enjoyed warmed up at the very least, if not cooked in a recipe like pigs in a blanket, casseroles, or soup.
What are Vienna sausages? By definition, Vienna sausages are sort of thin parboiled sausages that contain a lot of water and are traditionally made of pork, beef or horse meat. This food product comes from Germany and it is typical in the northern countries of Europe.
In particular, smaller varieties like breakfast sausage links, vienna sausages, and “baby” sausages carry an even higher risk, as the sausage is closer in size to the diameter of a child's airway.
Conagra Brands has recalled 2.6 million cans of meats, including Armour Star Vienna sausage, that may be contaminated. The company discovered cans in its warehouse were "spoiled and/or leaking," according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Wieners sold in Europe have a taste and texture very much like North American hot dogs, but are usually longer and somewhat thinner, with a very light, edible casing. European Vienna sausages served hot in a long bun with condiments are often called "hot dogs", referring to the long sandwich as a whole.
Store the canned sausage in your pantry so you'll always have some delicious Vienna sausage on hand. Keep the small sausages refrigerated after opening to keep fresh for next time.
But the butcher moved to Vienna, Austria, which is why in Vienna the sausage is called frankfurter, but in Frankfurt it's called a wiener. The word wiener refers to Vienna, whose German name is Wien. But wiener is not used in this context in Vienna because, again, frankfurter is how they call the sausages.
Finger foods are pieces of food that are small enough for a baby to pick up (about the size of a cheerio) and are soft or dissolvable. Hot dogs, vienna sausages, chicken sticks, or seedless grapes are safe ONLY if peeled and cut in small irregular-sized pieces.
Unopened cans of Vienna sausage can last for 2-5 years beyond their printed date if stored in a cool, dark place. Once you open the can, the sausages should be consumed within 2-4 days if you keep them refrigerated. If you decide to freeze the sausages, they can be stored safely up to 2 months.
No, you should not feed your dog Vienna sausages, whether fresh or canned. These frankfurters harm your dog's health and digestive system. Vienna sausages, and most processed foods, contain high levels of sodium, fat, and calories, as well as dangerous additives and preservatives that are bad for your dog.
Though the risk of illness might be small, it may be better to play it safe and always heat up your canned Vienna sausages before eating. So the next time you crack open a can of Vienna sausages, consider tossing them on the grill or frying them up in a pan before digging in.
As you can see from the data list posted below, Armour's Hot and Spicy and Barbecue versions were the clear winners. Runners up included Sam's (Wal-Mart) Great Value and Kroger's Barbecue Vienna Sausage, which tied for third place. Armour also placed in the top-ten with other varieties, including its Lite version.
Lactobacillus sake and Lactobacillus curvatus have been shown to be common species in these products. L. sake seems to form the predominant part of the spoilage population. Lactic acid bacterial growth on the surface of the sausages produces undesirable sensory attributes, such as sour aroma and taste.
Yes, it is quite common for people to eat potted meat and Vienna sausages straight from the can without cooking them first. Both potted meat and Vienna sausages are precooked and preserved in a way that makes them safe to eat straight from the can.
The products under recall include Armour Star Chicken and Original Vienna Sausage, Goya Vienna Sausage, Hargis House Potted Meat, Great Value Vienna Sausage and Kroger Vienna Sausages.
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