• Using your hands, combine the ground meat, onion, garlic, bay leaves, mustard seeds, salt, and pepper.
  
• Run water through the sausage casings to rid them of excess salt.

  Note: Wet casings will also be easier to attach to the stuffer.
  
• Remove the cutting knife from the grinder and attach the stuffer. Secure the casing onto the stuffer by sliding it completely over the piping piece.

  Note: You can trim the casing for smaller sausage spirals or links.
  
• Fill up the grinder with the meat mixture. Holding the sausage casing taut with one hand and slowly pushing down the meat mixture with the plunger in the other, fill up the casing with meat. Make sure it's not too thick or it will rip.
  
• Once the casing is full, pull it off the stuffer. Tie the loose end in a knot. If making links, twist the casing in between each link tightly, moving down the casing until you reach the end. Leave enough casing at the end to tie a knot to secure the filling inside.

  If you're making a spiral, simply secure both ends of the casing with a knot and twist the casing into a spiral shape.
  
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place sausage on a baking tray. Poke it with a toothpick, creating small holes to allow liquid to escape and prevent the sausage from ripping.
  
• Bake sausage for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
  

Freezing Homemade Sausage

• Place raw sausage in a freezer-safe bag, remove all the excess air before sealing. Frozen sausage will stay fresh for up to three months in the freezer.