Canned Sausage Delivery or Pickup

Vienna sausage has a storied history. Commonly considered the father of the frankfurter, Vienna sausage goes by several other names. In Germany, the hotdog is called Wiener Wurstchen, or simply wiener. In Vienna and Austria, it's referred to as Frankfurter Wurster. Eventually, the wiener made its way to America and, at first, was very similar in taste and texture to the modern hotdog, except longer and thinner. Traditionally, the Vienna sausage was made from spiced ham. Now there are many different ingredients. You can find them made from chicken, turkey, and beef, all with various flavors and sauces. 

Today, Vienna sausages in the United States are made by grinding the ingredients to a fine paste, mixing them with spices, and stuffing them into long casings. They are then smoked or otherwise cooked before being sold and eaten. During the 1950s, makers removed the casings, and the sausages were cut into short pieces and canned for resale. Vienna sausages are available in plain or flavored options and include everything from chili to barbecue. 

Vienna sausage enjoyed widespread popularity in the U.S. until the 1970s. Consumption of Vienna sausage has since declined. But, like the hotdog, it has captured a firm place within the American diet. Vienna sausage can be eaten straight from the can cold or added to various recipes and served hot. Over the years, it has been used as an appetizer and entree, and its versatility stems from its ability to take on additional flavors when seasoned or cooked. 

Numerous companies make, cook, can, and sell Vienna sausage in the U.S. today, but canning the meat began several hundred years ago. It started with the French fighting wars in several faraway countries and needing to find new ways to preserve food.

France's Society for the Encouragement of Industry, backed by the French government, held a contest for creating a breakthrough in food preservation in the late 1700s. By 1809, the French chef and inventor Nicolas Appert created the canning process for meat with a soldered-shut tin. It took him 15 years to perfect it, but it earned him the top prize.

The simplest of recipes requires you to steam or boil the sausages until warm and then serve. Because they are small, they are often spiked with a toothpick and served as a hand-passed appetizer or on a platter. 

More elaborate versions have been created over the years. One popular style is a riff on pigs in a blanket, the classic American breakfast dish of sausages wrapped in a pancake. In this recipe, you wrap the Vienna sausage in dough and bake. You can use basic bread dough or elaborate puff pastry and pretzel doughs found in the refrigerated section at your grocery store. Simple mustard, ketchup, and barbecue sauce work well for dipping.

Franks and beans are a classic American meal of hotdogs combined with baked beans and heated together in a pot. Another play on an American classic is the mini corndog, a Vienna sausage enveloped in cornmeal batter and fried or baked.

You can save time by shopping for Vienna sausage on the Instacart app. You can add your Vienna sausage to your cart, and when you check out, an Instacart shopper will prepare your order. Same-day home delivery is possible in some instances!