# jerky and other stuff



## Scavenger (Jan 1, 2011)

I just bought a new dehydrator and the gun where you put ground meat in to make meat snacks. I have lots of ground venison in the freezer...is it ok to thaw out the venison and use it to dehydrate or would that not be good to do? Just wondering since it is frozen now.
Also, I'd like some ideas on what else I could dry that would have a long shelf life. Vegetables...fruits...and such.


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## kkbinco (Jun 11, 2010)

Scavenger said:


> ...
> Also, I'd like some ideas on what else I could dry that would have a long shelf life. Vegetables...fruits...and such.


Here are a couple of sites you might want to take a look at

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/dry.html
http://www.dehydrate2store.com/
http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/media.php


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## Scavenger (Jan 1, 2011)

One other question...Is it possible to dehydrate fish? If so, is it good?


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## Scavenger (Jan 1, 2011)

Great sites...Thanks!!


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## TJN66 (Aug 29, 2004)

Ohh..thank you!


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## Lucy (May 15, 2006)

No ground meats are considered safe to dehydrate any more. 
Sorry, no fish either are safe. It is up to you, but you would be taking risks of getting food borne illness.


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## kkbinco (Jun 11, 2010)

Lucy: I'm confused! (again )

You say ground meat is a no-no, but from http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/dry/jerky.html I have ...


> *Making Jerky from Ground Meat*
> 
> Jerky can be made from ground meat using special presses to form or shape the product. Disease-causing microorganisms are more difficult to eliminate in ground meat than in whole meat strips. (If ground meat is used, follow the general tips for safe handling of meat and poultry, above.) Be sure to follow the dehydrator manufacturerâs directions when heating the product at the end of drying time. Again, an internal temperature of 160ÂºF is necessary to eliminate disease-causing bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7, if present.


Seems like UGA is saying it can be done but you have to be more careful than with sliced jerky meat.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Don't tell the manufacturers and users of jerky shooters that ground venison can't be dehydrated. That's the only way that I do it now. Also doesn't have to be 100% lean as one can dab up the fat with a paper towel as it dries. I have done it with ground venison which has been frozen. Still have some from '05 or thereabouts in one-gallon Ziplock bags with 7Â½ pounds per bag. That's exactly one load in an original 5-shelf Excalibur.

Martin


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

I also do Jerky with a shooter and with thin cuts. Have never had a problem.Both Venison and Beef.


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## Scavenger (Jan 1, 2011)

Thanks guys...I was wondering about the ground venison, especially after it's been frozen. I have never made any before and I want to try it!


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

You may want a few more spices, ground venison can be dry and have sort of a rancid flavor after being frozen for a while especially if all the fat and silver was not taken off before grinding. I partialy thaw the meat and then grind it to make jerky that way. Tastes better. I really like ground meat for jerky, the flavor is all mixed in....James


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## Phantomfyre (Jul 1, 2004)

DH makes jerky all the time from frozen beef and it's great. Can't imagine why venison wouldn't do as well...

On the topic of ground meat - I won't use store-bought ground meat for anything ever again. It's loaded with garbage and bacteria. Simple solution: buy an inexpensive roast and grind it yourself. Then you know what's in it, you can trim it to make the ground result very lean, and the risk of nasties like _E. coli_ is greatly reduced.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Scavenger said:


> Thanks guys...I was wondering about the ground venison, especially after it's been frozen. I have never made any before and I want to try it!


I just made an absolutely lovely batch of jerky, starting with the frozen ground venison. Tastes great and keeps very well.

I've also done this with frozen goat meat, too. 

And, as I type, I have some lovely, thin-sliced goat roast marinating in a delightful teriyaki that I made all by myself. Tomorrow, it goes into the GardenMaster to dehydrate.

And of COURSE you can dehydrate fish; people have been doing that for millennia, and they survived and thrived.


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## cricket2075 (Oct 26, 2004)

I have been using my American Harvester dehydrator for years. I have dehydrated (or tried to) pretty much everything. As long as you add a salt or soy sauce to your jerky it will be fine. And I never use fresh because I think the meat for jerky tastes better after it is frozen. If it was up to the USDA we wouldn't be able to do much!


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Lucy said:


> No ground meats are considered safe to dehydrate any more.
> Sorry, no fish either are safe. It is up to you, but you would be taking risks of getting food borne illness.


That's odd. 

Ground meat was safe before, but it's not any more? And fish isn't safe because...???

Hm. Good thing our ancestors didn't know about this!


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## Scavenger (Jan 1, 2011)

Thanks Pony...the goat sounds good! Have you ever dehydrated fish before? I like to know a little more about that. I have plenty of venison in the freezer, so I hope to make lots of jerky.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

I like fish both smoked and dried. 

I could type it all out for you, but I'd miss something. Here's a great site that I hope you find helpful.


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## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

Fish is smoked, canned and dried.
Well there are well pub instruction for smoking and canning salmon. What I have to offer is drying salmon. Note Salmon is what I know about drying.

Fresh fish clean and cut into strip 1/2 inch or less thickness.
the fish is stored for 24 hours while under referation in a salt brine and often brown sugar. Other spices that family member have used in the family for generations. 
The brine is strong enough to float an egg. So lots of salt 
The fish is removed from the brine and pat dried.
placed on racks and dried. 
Cheese cloth is used to cover and a fan blowing aids in the drying and keep flys away.
Well, now they use dehydrators after it starts to get tacky. It is brittle. It has the nick name of squaw candy. This was given to me and taught to me to pass down to my son by his birth mother. It is a modern version she told me the way her greatgrandmother did it but This is far safer and there are many risk that can be avoided. Such as inviting bears too close to waste due to birds dinning on your hard work and birds do bring droppings. Note birch water and syrup was used in lieu of the water. Nothing was explained to me where the salt came from. I guess trading or evaporation of salt water.
So, this is a Tlingt Native way.


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## Lucy (May 15, 2006)

No, not ground meats because more studies were done on the bacteria count of ground meat and found to have high bacteria counts. It is because you have millions of little surface areas that get contaminated when being ground and also as it sits. A more solid piece of steak or roast will not have as many surface areas to be contaminated. This is also the same as when cooking ground meats compared to cooking a roast, for example. For people who have weaker immune systems, like the elderly, young, pregnant, and those with diseases like diabetes, cancer, etc. , they will have the most risk. They are called "YOPI"s. Young, old, pregnant, and immune compromised people. 

The fish would also have to be HIGHLY salted and most folks would not want fish that salty to be able to safely dry it. 
That is how they did it, as the other poster described, the Native American way was heavily salted. It was like a fish jerky, not just dried fish.


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## Scavenger (Jan 1, 2011)

Thanks so much...I'm getting a better understanding of how this all works now. It's very interesting to learn the old ways of doing things!


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