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Meats,Fish,and Poultry
Dehydration Tips
Dried meats are best when made for upcoming camping and backpacking trips.
When reconstituted they yield a tasty meat, somewhat like fresh cooked
IMPORTANT NOTE:Except for jerky, cooking of all
meats and fish before drying is required to ensure
safety. Do not store dried meat, fish or poultry
longer than two months
Use only very lean meats and cut away as much fat as possible. Meat should be
marinated before drying to add flavor and also to tenderize it. The marinade should
contain salt, which helps extract water from the meat and also helps preserve it,
but it should not have any oil
Most marinades contain some sort of acid (like
tomato sauce or vinegar) because the acid breaks down the fibers making the
meat more tender.
Slicing meat while partially frozen will be easier, especially if you want very thin
slices
A food processor or a specialized meat slicer can do a great job. You can
also tell your butcher that you are making dried meat or jerky and they will be glad
to thin slice it for you.
When drying meat or game for stews, soups, etc. remember that these types of
meat must be cooked prior to drying
dehydrator. Dry until all moisture has been removed approximately 2 to 8 hours.
When ready to use in your favorite stew, simply rehydrate by soaking in water or
broth for at least 1-1/2 hours, or until tender and about the size they were before
dehydrating
BEEF
Choose lean cuts. Beef flank steak, round Or rump are better than chuck or rib.
POULTRY
All poultry MUST be cooked before drying
methods. Chicken breasts are leaner than dark meat.
FISH
A good idea is to steam the fish before dehydrating or, if you chose to bake it,
pre - heat your conventional oven to 2000F and bake for 20 minutes or until fish is
flaky.When drying fish sole and flounder are good choices.
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Cook, cut into small cubes and place in the
Steaming or roasting are the best
Jerky
Dehydrating meat without prior cooking will produce the rigid
meat known as jerky. It is one of the oldest known forms of meat preservation
Because "jerked meat" is made without cooking the meat first, it is important to
start with quality meat, and to have clean and sanitary work area Also, be sure to
thoroughly cleanse the work surfaces when done. Remember that Jerky is the only
meat to be placed uncooked in the dehydrator.
Making Beef Jerky
As with nearly all foods, it is important to start with a quality cut of meat. Select a
lean flank or round steak about 1 to 1'/2 inches thick. Trim off all fat and connective
tissue
Fat hampers the ability of the meat to dry, and the connective tissue will
make for a tough jerky to chew.
For easier cutting
place meat in the freezer for about 30 minutes to partially
freeze
Then turn it over and freeze for an additional 15 minutes. Cut across the
grain into strips about 1/8 inch thick.
Marinate the strips for at least 3 hours, or even overnight. This gives the meat a
unique flavor and at the same time tenderizes the meat. Increase the marinating
time for a stronger flavored jerky.
Meat may be seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic or onion powder, or other spices.
Because flavors intensify during dehydration
jerky recipes available. Try them or create your own unique flavor!
Drain marinated strips on paper towels, and place the strips on drying trays
(remember to protect the dehydrator from dripping foods as described earlier in this
manual). Dehydrate until strips are quite dry, and stiff to bending but can be bent
without breaking This will take from 6 to 16 hours. Unlike other dried meats, Jerky
should be slightly chewy but not brittle.
IMPORTANT NOTE:Remember that keeping a sanitary work
area iscrucial
Be sure to wash all work surfaces and your hands
beforehandling the meat, and wash your hands after touching any
otherobject or surface before handling meat again
Common Jerky Marinade
1/2cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp.brown sugar
1/2cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2tsp.onion powder
Mix ingredients well
chewy style of
use salt sparingly! There are lots of
-
clove garlic,mashed
-
2 Tbsp.ketchup
-
1-13/4 tsp.salt
-
1/2tsp.pepper
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