Here are some photos illustrating the Art of Homemade Sausage Making, using a Leonardi 22 lb horizontal sausage stuffer. You really don't want a larger-capacity hand-cranked stuffer than this, because it would be too hard to move a larger mass of mix through the cylinder by hand. Besides, the 22-lb cylinder is awkward enough to clean out in an ordinary kitchen sink... a larger cylinder would be unmanageable. Large piston-type stuffers use hydraulic power and are restricted to commercial settings.

Nothing in these photos is staged — these are not slick "food studio" shots ..... These photos are of a several real, down-to-earth, day-long sausage-making sessions.

You needn't spend a fortune on equipment: you can start off with a basic hand funnel (essentially unchanged in design since Roman times), for under $10.00, or a 3-lb "pump-handle" push stuffer for under $75.00. The sausages you make with the least expensive equipment will be every bit as "professional" and as tasty as the sausages you make with the most expensive equipment..... You just won't be able to make 100 lbs in a single, day-long session without the fancier gear.

The Leonardi stuffer set up and ready for action. (Note: the piston has not yet been retracted to allow the cylinder to be removed for filling.)

ground pork

If you can't buy pre-ground, then cut up pork shoulder roasts to fit through a grinder, and...

Grind it up!

Add the mix to the Leonardi cylinder. Eliminate air pockets as you go, otherwise your machine will "break wind" every so often.

Lubricate the stuffing tube with food-grade oil to prevent the casings from "hanging up," the most common cause of burst casings.

An overall view of the operation, showing Crankman, Operator (a novice) and Kibbitzer in the background (silent at the moment). This Leonardi machine holds 22 lbs of mix. Having lots of plastic bins is a must if you're making anthying more than 20 lbs. of sausage.

Novice Operator has already put 15 lbs. into the bin in the space of just a couple of minutes.... and she has never even done this before!

Imagine her pride at such perfect SausageManiacal production! This is better than winning the state volleyball championship....

Arrow points to air caught in the casing. Not to worry: it all disappears after a few hours. Air suddenly erupting in the casing may be startling, but it is of little consequence

Here's another novice operator filling the bin with Big Bore sausage.

Note red wine in foreground: essential to lubricate Operator. Crankwoman is at left. Great strength is not necessary. Just good timing, like a dance.

This photo shows the precision Fr. Dick vertical crank stuffer in operation (12 litre model). The cylinder will hold a little more than 24 lbs. of mix. A good team can empty the cylinder in under 10 minutes (with high-quality 28-30mm hog casings). Small bore sausage (18-20mm sheep casings) takes much longer.

A close-up showing breakfast sausage streaming from the stuffing horn of the Fr. Dick machine.

Sheep casings, because of their small bore, take a lot longer to fill. Here's the end of a perfect run: about 25 feet of breakfast sausage. The next step is to twist it into links.

Twisting big-bore links of Italian Wild Fennel Sausage. Remember to be gentle: all natural casings are quite delicate. (If you look closely, you'll see a burst link.)