DIY Maple Breakfast Sausage without MSG or Nitrates

Many months ago, there was a recipe on The Prairie Homestead for maple breakfast sausage without MSG or nitrates. It was adapted from the book Home Sausage Making by Charles Reavis.

The recipe was very easy to make. The sausages were delicious; and something I will definitely be making again.

To make the sausages, you will need:

3 pounds of ground pork
1 small onion, minced very finely (I think I could have minced the onion a bit more than what I did)
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 teaspoons dry, ground sage
1 teaspoon dry, ground mustard
3/4 teaspoons black pepper
1/4 cup real maple syrup

Then, simply mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Although I make sausage patties right away with the mixture, you can place the meat in the refrigerator for a couple of hours so the flavors develop.

Some additional ways to use the seasoned pork include:

1. Cook it as you would ground beef and use it in soups, skillet meals, pizza, or casseroles.

2. Make breakfast burritos or sandwiches using scrambled eggs, crumbled sausage, and cheese. Place in a tortilla or biscuit for a delicious and hearty meal.

3. Shape it into a log, and then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap for storing it in the refrigerator for up to a week. If it will be a longer time period, place it in the freezer.

4. Shape into individual patties to freeze or fry.

5. Make homemade sausage gravy and put over biscuits for a "biscuits and gravy" breakfast.