Fruits; Jerky - Optimum P200 User Manual

FRUITS AT 57°C (135°F)
FOOD PREPARATION
Wash, core and peel if desired.
Apples
Cut into ¼" slices. Dust with cinnamon if desired.
Wash, halve and remove pit.
Apricots
Slice if desired and dry skin side down.
Bananas Wash, peel and slice into ⅛" slices.
Wash, cut out blemishes, quarter.
Figs
Dry skin side down.
Kiwi Wash, peel and slice in ¼" slices.
Wash, halve and remove pit.
Nectarines
Slice if desired and dry skin side down.
Wash, halve and remove pit.
Peaches
Slice if desired and dry skin side down.
Wash, core and peel if desired.
Pears
Cut into ¼" slices or quarter.
Peel, remove fibrous eyes, remove core.
Pineapple
Cut into ¼" slices or wedges.
Rhubarb Wash, cut into 1" lengths.
Strawberries Wash, cut out caps, slice ¼" thick.
Watermelon Cut off rind, cut into wedges and remove seeds.
TEST TIME
Pliable 7-15 hours
21-29
Pliable
hours
Pliable 7-10 hours
22-30
Pliable
hours
Crisp 8-15 hours
Pliable 8-17 hours
Pliable 8-16 hours
Pliable 8-16 hours
Pliable 11-18 hours
Pliable 6-10 hours
Crisp 7-15 hours
Pliable
8-10 hours
and Sticky
8
JERKY AT 63-66°C (145-150°F)
FOOD PREPARATION
Use lean meat and remove as much
fat as possible. Fat turns rancid with time.

Jerky

Cut uniform ¼" thick or less slices.
Do not overlap slices on the shelves.
Your meat should be as lean as possible. Using lean meat will help the meat dry faster and aid in
cleanup by decreasing fat drippings. Ground meat should be 80% to 90% lean. Ground turkey,
venison, buffalo and elk are other excellent choices for jerky.
Jerky seasonings are available for all tastes, or you can get creative and make your own.
Whenever you make jerky, you should cure the mixture with cure (sodium nitrite). The cure is used to
help prevent botulism during drying at low temperatures. Follow the manufacturer's directions on the
cure packet.
Keep raw meats and their juices away from other foods. Marinate meats in the refrigerator. Do not
leave meats un-refrigerated. Prevent cross-contamination by storing dried jerky away from raw meat.
ALWAYS wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before and after working with meat products.
Use clean equipment and utensils.
Keep meat and poultry refrigerated at 5°C (40°F) or slightly below; use or freeze ground beef and
poultry within 2 days; whole red meats, within 3 to 5 days. Defrost frozen meat in the refrigerator, not
on the kitchen counter.
When using a Dehydrator, check the temperature of the Dehydrator with a dial thermometer
before drying jerky. The minimum recommended temperature or drying meats is 63°C (145°F).
IMPORTANT: Before you place the meat in a dehydrator, it is highly recommended to heat the
meat to 71°C (160°F) BEFORE the dehydrating process. This step assures that any bacteria present
will be destroyed by wet heat. After heating to 71°C (160°F) maintaining a constant dehydrator
temperature of 55-60°C (130-140°F) during the drying process is important because:
1. the process must be fast enough to dry food before it spoils; and
2. it must remove enough water so that microorganisms are unable to grow.
If you are using a marinade, shake off excess liquid before placing the meat in evenly spaced
single layers approximately (0.64 cm) apart on the Dehydrator racks.
Dry meat at 63-66°C (145-150°F) for 4-7 hours. You may need to blot fat droplets from the
surface of the meat occasionally, using a paper towel. Drying times may vary based on many
circumstances including but not limited to: the relative humidity of the room, the temperature of the
meat at beginning of drying process, the amount of meat in the dehydrator, leanness of meat, etc.
Always allow jerky to cool before taste testing.
TEST TIME
3-4 hours
Meat temperature
Pliable
should reach
145-150°F
9