Jerky recipe/techniques wanted

[POTAWIE]

I want to make some beef and/or venison jerky this fall and was looking for a good recipe and technique. I have a small smoker and a couple of dehydrators and hopefully a large smoker will be built by then. I really want to make a smokin' hot batch for myself, so I want to encorporate dryed habs into the marinade. Any info or comments would be appreciated.

[Hank]

First, get one of these: http://www.sausagesource.com/catalog/je-hjs.html (this is a good price)

Next, a simple dehydrator will do. I use some liquid smoke in the mix and do it in my dehydrator because I can control the heat better, and it stinks the house up good.

Use the round nozzle and make snack sticks with fresh bits of minced jalps or habs in them. Yummy.

[POTAWIE]

I've never had jerky like that, but I've seen the "jerky shooters" before. I've only had the thinnly sliced type and that's sort of what I'm looking for. I usually have quite a bit of venison in the fall and don't want to grind it up when I can just slice but I may try the "shooter" as well. Also planning on trying my own hot potawie sausages this year, but lots to learn.

[Sickmont]

When i was in Utah in the Air Force, the local game butchers used to just cut meat into strips for jerky...Kinda looked like Bacon before they dehydrated and smoked them. I have to admit that fresh venison jerky is easily by far my favorite of all the jerky types(although, fresh bison is extremely good too).

[Hank]

I like the ground kind beacuse it's easier on my "teefs". Except when you use ground turkey - the stuff dries like glue. Tasty though.

[darthcarl]

I have tried many homemade marinades. the trick is the salt content. For real storage the marinade should taste salty to you. I have had good luck with soy based, wine based, and tomato based. bad luck with fruit juice. I blended my homemade salsa and mixed it equal with soy and that came out real well. but the one all my friends ask for...the one I was paid to make for a trip to the bottom of the grand canyon...

http://www2.mailordercentral.com/lemproducts/products.asp?dept=14

sigh...L.E.M. 's own. also available at cabellas

I have two books I use as reference. for info on tecnique Jerky
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1585742481/sr=1-2/qid=1155336620/ref=pd_bbs_2/102-1466524-1107336?ie=UTF8&s=books

and for recipe ideas (i never fully follow recipes) Just Jerky
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0965357201/ref=pd_bxgy_img_b/102-1466524-1107336?ie=UTF8

If you choose a soy sauce recipe I suggest finding an asian grocery store. Real brewed soy sauces are amazingly good compared to kikoman and the common brands.

[Arizona Jack]

Jerky talk, allright !!!
I have found that london broil is the best " store" meat, and venison is even better. The marinate is the trick. If at all possible, use a vacuum type sold at Cabelas, they are great. We have custom built a large vacuum type because Cabelas only hold 8 pounds of raw meat.
Adding hot sauce to the marinate will infuse SOME heat, but the best trick is to baste the drying jerky when its almost done, and then lower the heat to 140 degrees for the final hour, ( Mr Coffee types, take the lid off, and restack trays bottom to top every now and then to maintain consistancy). Let cool, then vacuum pack in a food saver bag. Refrigerated jerky will last months. Do not freeze unless vacuum packed, otherwise freezer burn will ruin the jerky.
Hope this helps with any questions !!! Oh, yeah, brewed soy sauce is MUCH better !!!, no need to add salt.

I also love the Lincon quote, I agree 100% with ya on that !!!
Later gang
Aj
:mouthonfire:

[Arizona Jack]

I like the ground kind beacuse it's easier on my "teefs". Except when you use ground turkey - the stuff dries like glue. Tasty though.

Poultry must be fully cooked before drying to kill any toxins and bacteria, Turkey Jerky is the hardest to make " safe " to eat.
:mouthonfire:

[Arizona Jack]

If you choose a soy sauce recipe I suggest finding an asian grocery store. Real brewed soy sauces are amazingly good compared to kikoman and the common brands.[/QUOTE]

Lee Lee market if your in PHX area

[darthcarl]

I stick a big anykindaloin in the freezer for a few hours (right now there is a 17 pound sirloin in there). Don't let it get solid. It will be easier to cut into thin strips without industrial machinery and the freezing adds a little tenderizing to the finished product by breaking up the cell structure a little. I slice it, marinate it at least 6 hours unless it's a high acidity marinade (fruits, tomatoes, vinegars, wines). Then it;s off to the dehydrator on high for a couple hours then down to the meat setting until done.

[darthcarl]

I suggest reconstituting your dried peppers in wine, water, or vingar before using in the marinade. it will help them stick and get some of the heat into the meat and not just on top. I use this trick with my dried herbs and garlic too.

[imaguitargod]

Propper pepper procedure pathologist.
You new signature is tooooo freakin' funny!

[darthcarl]

haha thanks.

[thehotpepper.com]

Must be easy. Ron Popeil says all you need is his machine and some soy sauce :D

[Sickmont]

Must be easy. Ron Popeil says all you need is his machine and some soy sauce :D

I don't trust any guy who tries to sell people spray paint for their baldness:lol:

[darthcarl]

I tried a new recipe and half way through snuck a piece of the thin stuff to taste it and...nothing. it was almost devoid of flavor. I pulled it all and put it in a tub looking to do a 2nd marinade (a tecnique i learned from my veggie jerky experiments). I thought about salad dressings and rubs but decided i would try dumping the bottle of tapatio hot sauce on it and let it set overnight. it's a little salty but the heat hangs with you in a way that tapatio by itself never did. This may be worthy of some more experimentation.

[Sickmont]

I tried a new recipe and half way through snuck a piece of the thin stuff to taste it and...nothing. it was almost devoid of flavor. I pulled it all and put it in a tub looking to do a 2nd marinade (a tecnique i learned from my veggie jerky experiments). I thought about salad dressings and rubs but decided i would try dumping the bottle of tapatio hot sauce on it and let it set overnight. it's a little salty but the heat hangs with you in a way that tapatio by itself never did. This may be worthy of some more experimentation.

Do you suppose there's any way to remove some of the saltiness at this point?

[darthcarl]

probobly not. at this point alot of the salt is inside the meat.

[Skydiver]

Interesting.

I was just looking for pemmican recipes. I have some habs still growing, and I have pounds and pounds of blackberries I picked in the mountains near Bradford PA. Habanero and blackberry pemmican sounds like it could be awesome.

[cyotefishing]

Interesting.

I was just looking for pemmican recipes. I have some habs still growing, and I have pounds and pounds of blackberries I picked in the mountains near Bradford PA. Habanero and blackberry pemmican sounds like it could be awesome.Was it? I've made deer jerky from hind quarters friends don't want. (Don't tell the game warden) anyway I use a dry rub, keep it simple. marinade overnight then load up the dehydrator all weekend.

[chilliman64]

making your own marinade is easy though it is also easy to make it too salty, or not salty enough, or too much flavour, or not enough etc. I buy my jerky mix from Sausage Source, I reckon they're the cheapest, they deliver quickly, are very helpful and will respond to your emails promptly.

I use Backwoods Original mix and then add some liquid smoke and hab powder - you can't go wrong! it works for either ground meat (I have a jerky cannon) or sliced beef (put in freezer for an hour or so prior to slicing as it makes it much easier). I use a dehydrator but I have used the oven - I think dehydrator is best. I would give a smoker a run also but the dehydrator does such a great job.

the cannon lets you do sticks or strips, I find the sticks dry much faster, take up less room on the drying sheets also. although ground meat is great, it's a little messy. even with time spent slicing, whole meat is best I think.

a good rule of thumb is around half to one teaspoon of hab powder per pound of meat, anymore than that and you better look out! yes you can use only soy however it will come out very salty. marinate overnight in one or two ziplock bags, in the fridge.

I have a jerky recipe book off a well-known auction website, soft copy which is copyrighted. however, if anyone wants a recipe, pm me with the main ingredients you want to use, such as sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice and I'll see if I can send you a recipe. naturally I couldn't send the whole item as that would be breach of copyright.

I love my homemade jerky. it's great with beers esp if a bit salty though under-flavoured jerky is very disappointing. the Backwoods packs are good because they contain Prague Powder #2 which is a preservative which prevents mould forming checkout the 'web for plenty of websites. here are some of my favourites:

www.sausagesource.com
www.alliedkenco.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=40&osCsid=0a474cba1700118a347fe6cf7197eb3f
www.alljerky.com/wwwboard/wwwboard.html#beef%20jerky

Mark

[cyotefishing]

I've used Hi Mountain. It has different blends, say hickory, mesquite, etc. It's a 2 step deal. The cure is basically salt, sugar and they emphasize curing and seasoning 24 hours in the fridge. The cure is a little too salty, being somewhat sparing makes is a little better. But their seasoning is really a great blend. I'm open to try others though.

[bentalphanerd]

Was it? I've made deer jerky from hind quarters friends don't want. (Don't tell the game warden) anyway I use a dry rub, keep it simple. marinade overnight then load up the dehydrator all weekend.

What do you use for a dehydrator cyotefishing? That a store bought item?

[chilliman64]

if you buy a dehydrator get a nice powerful one. mine is an Ezidri Ultra 1000 (watt) and you can add shelves and mesh or plastic liners depending on what you are drying - fruit rollups, yoghurt, jerky, chiles etc. it takes around 7 hours to dry a batch of jerky. I believe you can get these in Brisbane. I got mine from Cash Converters for $99 around 8 yrs ago and it's going strong. you see them at 4wd and camping shows, well worth checking out. they cost around $355 on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/EZIDRI-Dehydrator-ULTRA-FD1000-Food-Drier-SAVE-15-00_W0QQitemZ300094963604QQcategoryZ20672QQssPageNa meZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

highly recommended!

[bentalphanerd]

Its either my Scottish ancestry or my hippie upbringing, but how was it done before the days of eBay & camping shows?

I'm getting parts together to solar power my house & extra 1000 W is going to be difficult to justify.

[POTAWIE]

I plan to smoke some of my jerky if I get myself a better smoker. I may even build a smokeshed this summer. You know what, smoking is contageous.

[POTAWIE]

if you buy a dehydrator get a nice powerful one. mine is an Ezidri Ultra 1000 (watt) and you can add shelves and mesh or plastic liners depending on what you are drying - fruit rollups, yoghurt, jerky, chiles etc. it takes around 7 hours to dry a batch of jerky. I believe you can get these in Brisbane. I got mine from Cash Converters for $99 around 8 yrs ago and it's going strong. you see them at 4wd and camping shows, well worth checking out. they cost around $355 on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/EZIDRI-Dehydrator-ULTRA-FD1000-Food-Drier-SAVE-15-00_W0QQitemZ300094963604QQcategoryZ20672QQssPageNa meZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

highly recommended!
Mine is similar, but the less powerful version. If I were to spend that kind of money on a new dehydrator then I think I'd look into Cabella's commercial dehydrators too.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0019202515819a&navCount=0&podId=0019202&parentId=&masterpathid=&navAction=push&cmCat=&catalogCode=7IS&rid=&parentType=&indexId=&cmCat=netcon&cm_ven=netcon&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=cabellas%20dehydrator&cm_ite=netcon&hasJS=true

[chilliman64]

yeah I like the look of the 'sliding tray' varieties but I don't think we can get them in Oz.

prior to ebay and camping shows jerky was made over very low heat such as the lowest setting of your fan forced oven or a normal oven with the door open. you don't want to cook it, just dry it so if you see/hear it cooking there's too much heat. I have a mate from South Africa who makes biltong which is just large jerky South African style. he marinates it then hangs the pieces until they dry, this takes days (not sure how many but I think he mentioned at least a week) I can find out if you're interested but this may be what you're after if you have the space to hang it. he has a second bathroom and that is the biltong drying room.

[chilehunter]

I use a cheap american harvest (from walmart) it does the trick plus I have a 7 in 1 grill/smoker I also use that when its warmer outside.
I dont know if I'd try the hang the meat outside until dried, I'm sure it works just fine for them in africa, but no thanks for me.
in older days they made some kind of smoker like the same method of smoking with a store bought smoker nowadays, granted it didnt look just like it or the same size but still had the same method of smoking - heat in a contained area with smoke & air moving across the meat.

I use those jerky packets but I also add other sauces/spices to it & let the meat soak in it for a couple days, be creative, I use sweet & sour sauce/soy sauce/worchersire sauce/herbs/ etc... whatever I have at the time or in the mood for & it turns out great.

[bentalphanerd]

One last thing before I try some in the oven - whats the best cut of beef to try?

[thehotpepper.com]

I've heard thinly sliced rib eye.

[chilehunter]

1st I'd like to add this, get rid of any fat on the meat or at least as much as you can. since the fat will turn the jerky rancid over time.
if you're gonna eat it within a week or two then a little fat on it shouldnt be a problem, but if planning on keeping it longer - get rid of the fat !!

I'm no expert at cuts, meaning professional butcher but I do cut up wild game, anything with the word "loin" in it should give you the leanest cuts. I do thick cuts for jerky little less than 1" thick, I like them that way.

smoking is kinda a art form, watch the meat closely & dont over do it cuz those nice & juicey chunks of jerky are tasty vs a dried up chewy piece of jerky. granted for those better lean cuts would be higher in price it still can be done with round steak or ? just make sure you eat it soon if not freeze the rest of it for a latter date. but keep all other jerky in the fridge since this is a homemade jerky that doesnt have all the perseveratives in it.

good luck, IMO homemade jerky taste way better plus you can make the stuff for your taste buds. like I said its almost a art form of making the stuff.

[thehotpepper.com]

Anyone ever make jerky out of ground beef? Don't laugh. Imagine pouches of jerky like Big League Chew... hmmmm.

[chilliman64]

Anyone ever make jerky out of ground beef?

yep, many times. I've made it with a Jerky Cannon and also just by shaping the groung beef into strips by hand - the Cannon is much easier for ground beef jerky!

[bentalphanerd]

What about Lamb, or is that too fatty?

[POTAWIE]

Poultry must be fully cooked before drying to kill any toxins and bacteria, Turkey Jerky is the hardest to make " safe " to eat.
:mouthonfire:
Anybody do turkey jerky. I tried some packaged stuff the other day and I was surprised how good it was. It was made from all dark meat

[chilehunter]

I've never heard or seen people use lamb (mutten) for jerky, but that doesnt mean you cant jerky lamb.
I'm sure you could jerky any kind of meat (but I'd stay away from pork), if you like eating lamb then I bet you'd like lamb jerky. like any other jerky make sure its fully cooked through & get rid of as much fat as you can, & since its homemade jerky I'd keep it in the fridge instead of the countertop.

as for hamburger, heck yea you can use that its a quick way of making jerky w/o needing to marinate for several hours or a day like strips of meat. but if you use dehydrators like american harvest or some other kind that the tray has some small openings, as the hamburger dries the hamburger sinks into those little spaces & I'll tell you its a big pain to get that hamburger jerky off those trays since they dried right around the tray itself :hell: use some strips of wax paper to place the hamburger on while drying them, it'll save you some headaches & you wont be swearing up a storm either :lol: or wasting the jerky you spent time making.

[bentalphanerd]

THP - i think we need a Jerky sub-forum

Lamb is cheap here, beef getting expensive due to drought...its a luxury item & not going to experiment with it.

[imaguitargod]

One last thing before I try some in the oven - whats the best cut of beef to try?
Most people use london broil.

[chilehunter]

bentalphanerd - I should of added dont use wax paper in the oven or in the grill/smoker just the dehydrater for hamburger.
when I've had lamb (but youngin's not old mutten) it was pretty tender & tasty, but it wasnt in jerky form just cooked the back legs.
I bet you could get some tasty jerky out of'em, just check up on the pieces of meat every now & then to make sure they dont get over done, unless you like jerky to be really hard/dry/chewy.

go buy a jerky spice packets follow the directions & add some other sauces/spices/herbs you like with it & marinate it in the fridge (I leave mine for 2 days also stir the pieces around every now & then)
its not that hard to learn, smoking is a little trial & error but really tasty.

forgot to add in my other post the american harvest I use costed about $40 & it works just fine for me to make jerky & dry chiles/herbs/etc.. you can even make fruit rolls if you want to in it(just get those those no spill trays to put in it) maybe it takes a little longer to dry vs those higher priced dehydraters, I dont know but no complaints from me about it.

[bentalphanerd]

that would be 'Lamb Shanks' chilehunter & yes, theres nothing quite like that when it's done right & slow. Very good point they have less fat than the rest of the beast...I'm gonna try them.

Sliced of course, or maybe the stripped separate muscles in lumps.

Jerky spice packets...no chance on this side of the globe...been getting a wakeup reading around about liquid smoke, wood chip varieties, chicken rockets & stainless beer cans.....even dry rub... its not here.

I'm going to need to innovate, adapt or import from you guys ;)

[chilehunter]

wow no premade spice packets down under ? thats strange well IMO it is. liquid smoke I dont know if you want to use that since its has a pretty strong taste to it but for adding to a water dish while grill/smoking is good.
I like'em thick jerky cuts I cut mine around 1/2" - 1" thick granted this will take longer to finish vs thin strips,that your choice.
I can look at some of my spice packets right now & what kind of wood chips for which kind of meat for you, I'll get back to you shortly.

[chilehunter]

ok I found some info & recipes for you & stuff I'm sure you could find at a store there, only problem is its alot of writing (but I'll type some of them out for you)
lets ask this, you said you'll be using the oven method is this correct ? & is there any kind of flavor or spices you'd perfer to use example tangy & sweet, worcestershire,no salt, ketchup,ginger, etc... the list goes on about the choices. plus I'm not pulling these out of nowhere these are right from a well know hunting club cookbook "north american hunting club"

most of these have chile in them for a little kick but you could always add more.

or should I type this stuff in the recipe section on this forum ?

[chilehunter]

this is what they say for oven method
arrange strips on finely spaced wire rack, allowing space between strips for air circulation, or hang meat strips from oven racks. Prop oven door slightly open with small ball of foil. set oven at 150 F degrees or lowest setting, & bake until jerky is desired consistency.

[chilehunter]

never mind I posted them in the other section of this recipe area, its a starting point to get a idea. I dont have any premade jerky packets to read off the ingredients, for smoking you can also use apple,cherry wood these two give a little more sweeter taste to the smoked meat/jerky

[chilliman64]

bentalphanerd, pm me your email address and I'll send some recipes. I buy my jerky mix from www.sausagesource.com and you can buy liquid smoke from www.usafoods.com.au (based in Melbourne).

chilehunter is right about it sticking to the trays, I bought some plastic sheeting which is available as optional accessories and they are worth their weight in gold habs and it doesn't really add to drying time.

you should only make jerky out of low fat meats so anything with marbling or high intra-muscular fat should be avoided as it can quickly spoil and become rancid. I can send you some Prague Powder as I have a fair bit of it. it is a preservative - you get small pouches of it with commercial jerky mixes. I bought a pound of it to use in my own recipes but you only use a very small quantity (snail mail address required bentalphanerd) I will of course send instructions for it's use.

I add liquid smoke or Wright's Hickory seasoning (from usafoods) as I don't have a smoker. it comes out fine in the dehydrator. I've found that chile powder works best for me for adding heat to my jerky instead of extract due to the difference in flavour.

Mark

[chilliman64]

...I dont have any premade jerky packets to read off the ingredients...

I do! :)

Backwoods Jerky Seasoning - Original

Seasoning Ingredients:
salt, worcestershire powder (dextrose, caramel color (sulfites 140PPM), monosodium glutamate, garlic salt, carboxymethyl cellulose, chili pepper, spices, mustard, malic acid, natural flavorings (spice extractives), onion, less than 2% silicone dioxide added to prevent caking), paprika, granulated garlic, monosodium glutamate, red pepper, dextrose, spices, and less than 2% tricalcium phosphate to prevent caking.

Cure Ingredients:
salt, sodium nitrite (6.25%), FD&C red #3 (0.00099%) and less than 2% sodium silico aluminate added to prevent caking.

shouldn't be too hard to knock that lot up in the kitchen at home ;)

Mark

[thehotpepper.com]

Most people use london broil.
I was going to post that. It would have been a guess though. I was just thinking about the grain structure and lack of fat.

[chilliman64]

...I like'em thick jerky cuts I cut mine around 1/2" - 1" thick granted this will take longer to finish vs thin strips...

chilehunter, does the jerky dry out enough to stop mildew forming when the jerky is so thick? what about being overly dried out and brittle? do you use a dehydrator, smoker, or, an oven to dry your jerky?

Mark

[JerseyBoyzJerky]

chilehunter, does the jerky dry out enough to stop mildew forming when the jerky is so thick? what about being overly dried out and brittle? do you use a dehydrator, smoker, or, an oven to dry your jerky?

Mark

Send me your address i will send you a sample of our thick cut jerky you tell me what you think,,Has a shelf life of a year

[chilliman64]

Send me your address i will send you a sample of our thick cut jerky you tell me what you think,,Has a shelf life of a year

you don't have to offer me that twice :lol: :cool:

pm on it's way! thanks JBJ!!!

Mark

[chilliman64]

Its either my Scottish ancestry or my hippie upbringing, but how was it done before the days of eBay & camping shows?

I'm getting parts together to solar power my house & extra 1000 W is going to be difficult to justify.

bentalphanerd - I have some good news for you! I went for a drive to Goulburn yesterday with my beautiful chilliwoman. while she was working I strolled and sauntered into a newsagents, as I am prone to do. I picked up the obligatory motorcycle mag and thought I'd check out the gardening mags also. there, on the front cover of the Autumn edition of Earth Garden, I noticed a story - 'Build Your Own $50 Solar Food Dryer':shocked: this seems perfect for your needs - it's solar powered, inexpensive (read: cheap), green, it has a hippy connection, and it dries food! what more could you want?

here's a link to their website in case you can't find this publication on the shelves:

www.earthgarden.com.au/cover.html

I had a quick look at the article and it looks fairly simple to construct. there's an attached article from some dude who built one of these some years ago and he reckons it's great for drying vegies - he didn't mention jerky unfortunately though he did say that he had dried caps and chillies. let me know how you go!

btw - my wife is Scottish so I fully understand genetic frugality ;)

Mark

[bentalphanerd]

That looks like the beast chilliman64 ...just reading the hippie mag by accident....i understand :whistle:

Not sure how it will go with meat, can't see it generating enough heat to stave off maggots & ants - I suppose I could throw a smoker box into the bottom tray to help it along.

I copied the page & pic if anyone needs it - PM me (looks like they only post the current issue online)

Thanks again Chilliman64 :cheers:

[chilliman64]

a smoker box might be just the ticket to boost performance. you could also make your own chipotles, unless jalapenos are a little tame for you

[thehotpepper.com]

Send me your address i will send you a sample of our thick cut jerky you tell me what you think,,Has a shelf life of a year
Good stuff! Like eating sirloin. Even red in the center.

[chilliman64]

Good stuff! Like eating sirloin. Even red in the center.

sounds awesome!!!

Send me your address i will send you a sample of our thick cut jerky you tell me what you think,,Has a shelf life of a year

has anyone had it in their possession long enough to test the shelf life? sounds like it could be classed as an 'endangered species' to me. I'm drooling already!

[chilehunter]

chilliman64 - you gotta remember the meat shrinks as its cooked/dried. the jerky I did was fully cooked & no mold or fungus formed because of the thickness. the outside was dark brown & the inside was redish, granted mine might not be as good as JBJ jerky but non the less it still tasted good plus I've giving friends some of it also & they said it was good also but just a tad to dry. but the dryness is my fault, like I've said before making jerky is a trail & error, almost a art forum for making jerky. you need to watch it carefully so it doesnt get overdone (which sometimes I have a problem with that :oops: but other times it comes out perfect)

[chilliman64]

I agree chilehunter - trial and error it is! as far as drying out goes, I taste test and also bend my jerky to check for moisture. usually when I think it is almost ready - it is ready. that is when I remove it from the heat and allow it to cool for an hour or so before bagging. this works best for me.

next batch I make I will try thicker slices and see how it goes as I usually slice mine around 6mm (a quarter inch).

[Sickmont]

Cure Ingredients:
salt, sodium nitrite (6.25%), FD&C red #3 (0.00099%) and less than 2% sodium silico aluminate added to prevent caking.


Why in the world would food coloring be used as an ingredient of a cure? Seems like a waste of money to me.

[thehotpepper.com]

Why in the world would food coloring be used as an ingredient of a cure? Seems like a waste of money to me.
They probably put in the cure list so you think it's needed :shocked:

[chilehunter]

bentalphanerd - so have you made any jerky yet ? if so how did it turn out ?

[chilliman64]

Why in the world would food coloring be used as an ingredient of a cure? Seems like a waste of money to me.

to preserve the colour. I had some seasoned ground beef left from making a batch of jerky, it has all the seasonings and preservative added. I decided to fry it up with some vegies. it kept it's natural red colouring even when cooked, I put this down to the preservative. maybe it's to make the finished jerky look more aesthetically pleasing.

[bentalphanerd]

bentalphanerd - so have you made any jerky yet ? if so how did it turn out ?

Not yet...I'm going to set up the solar plan dehydrator that chilliman64 found with an added smoker box ....I went to price parts a few days ago but got sidetracked by a 12 V cooler at a bargain price (have been chasing one for a while).

Im away on Hols in 2 days so will leave it until I get back next week.

Thanks all for the input..I'm actually feeling confident of making some decent jerky first go...mainly because I actually like the thin brittle style. :cool:

[cyotefishing]

What do you use for a dehydrator cyotefishing? That a store bought item?Sorry so late in gettin back Bental. Yes it is a store bought dehydrator. Nesco snackmaster 500 watt. It is the tyical stacked slotted tray deal. I have used the oven before, but pretty messing from the dripping. It's not dry( low humidity) enough here or long enough to do it outside. I'm sure it can be done in a more arid climate. But the ol' Nesco works just fine.

[chilliman64]

Not yet...I'm going to set up the solar plan dehydrator that chilliman64 found with an added smoker box ....I went to price parts a few days ago but got sidetracked by a 12 V cooler at a bargain price (have been chasing one for a while).

Im away on Hols in 2 days so will leave it until I get back next week.

Thanks all for the input..I'm actually feeling confident of making some decent jerky first go...mainly because I actually like the thin brittle style. :cool:

dude, let me know how it goes! I've seen quite a few dehydrators on ebay going for less than $100 lately also.