Frequently Asked Questions

Do any of your products contain GLUTEN?

ALL of our products are GLUTEN FREE.

Do any of your products contain allergens?

We have worked hard to reduce the allergens that are contained in our products in the recent years, however some formulations still require the use of allergens. A current list of products containing allergens:

• Sliced and bone in ham and picnics – soy
• Georgia Maid Sausage – soy
• Southern Chef Beef Sausage – soy
• All Natural Sunset Farm Brand Jalapeno & Monterey Jack – cheese
• Southern Chef and Sunset Farm Brand C-Loaf – soy
• Flavorite Chili – soy

How can I cook your smoked sausage?

Sunset Farm Smoked Sausage is fully cooked in our state of the art smokehouses. It is then rapidly cooled in a controlled environment and vacuum packaged for your convenience. A consumer need only to heat and serve. Of the many acceptable ways to heat Sunset Farm Smoked Sausage some of our favorites are:

• On the grill. Whether you prefer charcoal, gas or a wood fire, there is no finer way to eat our sausage. (Tip from Mr. Carroll, always use tongs, never a fork, so that the flavor will stay trapped inside!)
• In the oven. Preheat your oven to 325 F and place in a baking pan or dish with a quarter cup of water. Heat 8-12 minutes until heated through.
• On top of the stove. Add 1/2 cup of water to a pan and heat on medium heat, turning occasionally until heated through. If desired, continue heating for a couple of minutes after the water evaporates to get a seared flavor.
• Smoked sausages can be split length wise and placed cut side down in a preheated pan on top of the stove to get crispy. Turn once to ensure that they are heated through.
• Smoked sausage can be added to a pot of boiling water for 4-6 minutes.
• Microwaving is not recommended.

How can I cook your fresh sausage?

Sunset Farm Fresh Sausage should be handled like any other raw meat. It should be kept refrigerated until you are ready to cook and should be kept separate from any foods or condiments that are considered ready to eat. Always follow the USDA recommended safe handling instructions placed on the package. Always clean plates, counters, cutting boards, utensils, hands or anything that comes into contact with raw meat. Always cook fresh products to an internal temperature of 165 F.

Fresh Links

• On the grill. Whether you prefer charcoal, gas or a wood fire, there is no finer way to eat our sausage. (Tip from Mr. Carroll, always use tongs, never a fork, so that the flavor will stay trapped inside!)
• In the oven. Preheat your oven to 325 F and place in a baking pan or dish with a quarter cup of water. Heat 20- 25 minutes until heated 165 F internal temperature.
• On top of the stove. Add ½ cup of water to a pan and heat on medium heat, turning occasionally until heated to an internal temperature of 165 F. If desired, continue heating for a couple of minutes after the water evaporates to get a seared flavor.

Fresh Patties

• With a flat grill or griddle using medium heat and turning occasionally, cook through until 165 F internal temperature.

Is there a use by or sell by code date?

Sunset Farm Smoked Sausage will have a "Sell By Date" printed on the retail label. This date lets stores know how long a product can be kept on the shelf. Products may still be good for many days after this date depending on how the product is stored. Temperature is the number one “enemy” of any fresh meat product. Consumers are encouraged to place meats and other refrigerated items into their shopping cart last and then get them into their refrigerator at home as quickly as possible. This gives the consumer the freshest possible product.

How long can I store your sausage?

Products can be kept for different lengths of time based on the type of product and the temperature at which it is kept. Below is the recommendation of the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service:

Can I freeze your sausage?

Sausage can be frozen longer than the times listed above and still be "safe". Longer freezer times will affect product quality by increasing the chance of "freezer burn".

What is sodium nitrite?

Sodium nitrite is a salt and an anti-oxidant that is used to cure meats like ham, bacon, smoked sausage and hot dogs. Sodium nitrite serves a vital public health function: it blocks the growth of botulism-causing bacteria and prevents spoilage. Sodium nitrite also gives cured meats their characteristic color and flavor. Also, USDA-sponsored research indicates that sodium nitrite can help prevent the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, an environmental bacterium that can cause illness in some at-risk populations.

Are cured meats the major source of sodium nitrite?

The amount of nitrate in some vegetables can be very high. Spinach, for example, may contain 500 to 1900 parts per million of sodium nitrate. Less than five percent of daily sodium nitrite intake comes from cured meats. Nearly 93 percent of sodium nitrite comes from leafy vegetables & tubers and our own saliva. Vegetables contain sodium nitrate, which is converted to sodium nitrite when it comes into contact with saliva in the mouth.

For more information about sodium nitrite (PDF)
http://www.meatami.com/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/44170

What does the listed price include?

Our posted prices for each item included a reusable foam box which fits inside a cardboard box for shipping. This packaging helps protect the items from getting too hot on the trip to you. As a bonus the insulated shipping container is handy to have around the house. The actual shipping charge is extra.

How do you ship?

Our products need to be kept refrigerated to keep them in good condition so we freeze the items before shipping and then use a shipping method to ensure that it arrives to you within two days. When your order arrives it will not be frozen but should still be cold. Upon arrival put the sausage in your refrigerator.

Why don't all of the items have prices?

Some of our items are either of a size that doesn't fit one of our insulated shippers or is simply an item that we don't think fits the mail order sausage market.

I like your products but can't find them in my local stores, what can I do?

Drop us an email and we can point you in the right direction, or if you are outside of our service area you can always order from this website. It also helps if you ask your local grocer to carry our products.

Is shopping on this site safe?

You can shop at sunsetfarmfoods.com with confidence. We have partnered with Authorize.Net, a leading payment gateway since 1996, to accept credit cards and electronic check payments safely and securely for our customers.

The Authorize.Net Payment Gateway manages the complex routing of sensitive customer information through the electronic check and credit card processing networks. See an online payments diagram to see how it works.

The company adheres to strict industry standards for payment processing, including:

• 128-bit Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology for secure Internet Protocol (IP) transactions.
• Industry leading encryption hardware and software methods and security protocols to protect customer information.
• Compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

For additional information regarding the privacy of your sensitive cardholder data, please read the Authorize.Net Privacy Policy.