Making Jerky

[Southern Gardener]

I just bought a food dehydrator and started making venison jerky. Half I marinated and the other half I didn't. I wanted to make some without spices for treats for my dogs. Then I read that you should use salt because "the salt slows surface bacterial growth during the intital stages of drying." So I sprinkled salt because I don't want to make the doggies sick. Has anyone ever dehydrated meat without salt?

What about potatoes? I am a certified chip-aholic! Can I make chips in this machine? I know you can make them for stews and such, but I want crispy chips without the salt or the oil. Probably not possible, huh?

Thanks!
Joan

 

[Southern Gardener]

Me and the dogs ate the meat and we died. I didn't get a chance to try the potatoes.

 

[bid]

I wish I had thought to ask for the dehydrator in your will. Poor SouthernGardener... :bouquet

 

[smom1976]

what??? southern gardners dead???

 

[Southern Gardener]

bid - you can have it! I don't think I'll be using it much anyway. It was rather an impulse buy I must say.

The manual must have had word bacteria in it 1000 times and has kind of scared me off. I ended up throwing out the unmarinated meat (I don't think I put enough salt in it) but did keep the stuff that was marinated. I brought the jerky to work this morning and the guys in the warehouse swarmed like vultures. They haven't had any adverse effects so I guess it's ok.

Maybe I'll try again...

SG back from the grave to dehydrate another day.

 

[GPN]

I made jerky In January, from a deer leg quarter meat about a 2 lb piece and I just cut my deer into jerky slices and then marianted about 10 minutes in Moore's sauce, then time before I was not in a hurry and I marinated it over night, I like it better with less time to marinate! Best stuff I had in a LONG time!!! Got fine my peanut butter jar with my jerky and get some pictures of after the dehyrdater!!!
GPN

 

[bid]

I remember wishing I had a dehydrator last year when I was sun drying cherry tomatos. I couldn't stand to waste them, but it sure would have been faster with a dehydrator. Sun drying them took me about 2 days per batch so don't give up on that contraption yet SG. You can find a lot of ways to use it.

They have to put "bacteria" in there 1000 times. Good advice, but they are just making sure you didn't not read it the other 999 times.

 

[simple life]

I got a dehydrator last summer. I haven't tried to make jerky yet although my teenager has been begging me to.
I made alot of fun stuff though, homemade rollups and pudding drops.
You dehydrate dollops of pudding, I did butterscotch and they come out like chewies.
I dehydrated blueberries to use in my granola, I've done strawberries and glazed bananas too.

 

[Baymen Moe]

I made venison jerky this year out of ground venison, not salted, and I lived. Came out great as well. A very pleasant surprise and a good use of ground venison.

Bill

 

[momofdrew]

I'd love a dehydrator but this year we are going to be buying pressure canner...dont thinbk I could talk dh into that too...