Beef Jerky Making Equipment

Jerky can be made from lean beef, chicken or turkey breast, and wild game. Quality meat means quality jerky but you don't have to pay a high price. Watch the sales at your local supermarket and take advantage of them. One local store here regularly runs a buy one get one free promotion on rump roast or flank steak. That's half price and there is no reason not to freeze the meat for making jerky at a later date. By the way, if your freezer is like ours, you'll probably find a piece of beef or chicken in there that's lost it Is eye appeal but is still fine to eat. It will make great jerky! Lean ground beef like ground round will make good jerky and can be a lot of fun for kids with cookie cutters too!

Beef flank steak is your best buy. There is no waste at all because flank steak is all lean, pure red meat with consistent straight grain making it easy to prepare. Chicken and turkey breast meat are also perfect for making even lower fat, healthier jerky snacks. Pork should never be used for jerky. The pork version of jerky is bacon which requires a different blend of cure and spices as well as completely different processing.

Preserving Food by Dehydration

The drying of food for preservation dates back to the ancient Egyptians. The Spaniards were the first explorers known to use dehydration to prepare food for their expeditions. The method was used extensively in the days of the Lewis and Clark Expedition as they charted the expanse of the Louisiana.

There are no exact rules that apply to food dehydration because room temperature, relative humidity and moisture levels in the food that you are drying can affect your results. To become proficient, it will be necessary to experiment with your drying techniques. If you use too much heat, food may harden on the outside while still being moist inside. To little heat, your drying times will be very long. But with a little practice, you will be creating tasty, ready to eat snacks in no time.