OK, I have made jerky many many times. The basic system has been, marinade the meat, put in the dehydrator, 10 hours later I have nice jerky....with one problem....it needs to be refrigerated or else it turns rancid.

When I buy jerky, it seems it can last for a long long time.
I know this is because of the preservatives they put in the meat.

What can I do when I make homemade jerky to help preserve it?
I thought about making a brine solution of salt and water, and soaking the meat in that...but do I do that before or after the marinade?

Should I just salt the meat directly?

How much salt?

Is there a better alternative to salt?

Thanks in advance!

Preserve it??????

Why don't you just EAT IT.

I turned about 30lbs of beef into jerky last fall in about 2 weeks. Within another week it was all gone. It's like a drug to me I find it hard to eat other food if jerky is present. I have kept it for about 2 weeks in a tupperware container on the kitchen counter. But I have never had any jerky last longer than 2 weeks.


MMMMM Jerky

cut thinner, dry longer.

It won't  turn rancid if you cut all the fat out of it and dry it well. Meat must have moisture in it to rot.

Quoted: cut thinner, dry longer.

Quoted: It won't  turn rancid if you cut all the fat out of it and dry it well. Meat must have moisture in it to rot.

Listen to these guys.  It must be bone dry or it will rot.  It should actually 'snap' when you bend it in half.  If you get it this dry then it need not be refrigerated.

 

You need Morton Tender Quick. WalMart has a good book in the sporting goods section titled “America’s Favorite Wild Game Recipes”. In it is an explanation on making jerky with recipes for brines containing Morton Tender Quick. Tender Quick can be bought at most grocery stores in the same isle as the table salt and spices. You can also send away for a guide to preserving meats from Morton. It also contains info on jerky, along with ham and bacon curing.



www.mortonsalt.com/consumer/products/meatcuring/index.htm

   




BEEF JERKY
2-5 lbs. meat
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper
1 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tbsp. Morton's tender quick
1/3 c. Worcestershire sauce
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/3 c. liquid smoke
Cut strips 1/2" thick, 1 1/2" wide and 6" long. Marinate 24 hours in a covered container in the refrigerator. Place toothpicks through the ends and hang from oven rack placed in the top of the oven. Cook at lowest oven setting for 6 to 8 hours.

Quoted: You need Morton Tender Quick. WalMart has a good book in the sporting goods section titled “America’s Favorite Wild Game Recipes”. In it is an explanation on making jerky with recipes for brines containing Morton Tender Quick. Tender Quick can be bought at most grocery stores in the same isle as the table salt and spices. You can also send away for a guide to preserving meats from Morton. It also contains info on jerky, along with ham and bacon curing. www.mortonsalt.com/consumer/products/meatcuring/index.htm BEEF JERKY 2-5 lbs. meat 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1/2 tsp. red pepper 1 tsp. white pepper 1 tsp. garlic powder 2 tsp. onion powder 2 tbsp. Morton's tender quick 1/3 c. Worcestershire sauce 1/3 c. soy sauce 1/3 c. liquid smoke Cut strips 1/2" thick, 1 1/2" wide and 6" long. Marinate 24 hours in a covered container in the refrigerator. Place toothpicks through the ends and hang from oven rack placed in the top of the oven. Cook at lowest oven setting for 6 to 8 hours.

Just to add my 2 cents:  I cut the strips between 1/4"-1/2".  The thinner the slices, the easier they will dry.  1/2" is the absolute thickest they should ever be sliced.  I would keep it as close to 1/4" as possible.  

The word 'cook' really doesn't apply here.  The meat should never be hot enough to actually cook.  If it does, then it will rot.  You are only drying the meat with the heat and curing it with the salt.  The lowest setting should be around 150-160 F.  I place a non-flammable object to prop the oven door open such as a can to allow all the moisture to escape freely and to keep the oven at the lowest possible temperature.  I turn it off for safety reasons if I have to leave the house for a while.

Quoted: Quoted: You need Morton Tender Quick. WalMart has a good book in the sporting goods section titled “America’s Favorite Wild Game Recipes”. In it is an explanation on making jerky with recipes for brines containing Morton Tender Quick. Tender Quick can be bought at most grocery stores in the same isle as the table salt and spices. You can also send away for a guide to preserving meats from Morton. It also contains info on jerky, along with ham and bacon curing. www.mortonsalt.com/consumer/products/meatcuring/index.htm BEEF JERKY 2-5 lbs. meat 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1/2 tsp. red pepper 1 tsp. white pepper 1 tsp. garlic powder 2 tsp. onion powder 2 tbsp. Morton's tender quick 1/3 c. Worcestershire sauce 1/3 c. soy sauce 1/3 c. liquid smoke Cut strips 1/2" thick, 1 1/2" wide and 6" long. Marinate 24 hours in a covered container in the refrigerator. Place toothpicks through the ends and hang from oven rack placed in the top of the oven. Cook at lowest oven setting for 6 to 8 hours. Just to add my 2 cents:  I cut the strips between 1/4"-1/2".  The thinner the slices, the easier they will dry.  1/2" is the absolute thickest they should ever be sliced.  I would keep it as close to 1/4" as possible.   The word 'cook' really doesn't apply here.  The meat should never be hot enough to actually cook.  If it does, then it will rot.  You are only drying the meat with the heat and curing it with the salt.  The lowest setting should be around 150-160 F.  I place a non-flammable object to prop the oven door open such as a can to allow all the moisture to escape freely and to keep the oven at the lowest possible temperature.  I turn it off for safety reasons if I have to leave the house for a while.

All true. I dry my jerky pretty much as you describe, I just pulled this recipe of the web real quick as an example because it contains Tender Quick.

Another tip: Lightly rinse the meat under cool tap water and pat dry before placing in the oven. Nothing worse than really salty home made jerky. I also sprinkle and press into the meat course ground black pepper before drying.

Potassium nitrate.  Only takes a tablespoon per 10 pounds.  Its a relatively harmless salt in that concentration.

Real smoke helps as is adequate salt.  It needs to dry rapidly and once dry, seal it in vacuum bags.

I keep my jerky in a paper sack on a shelf in a cabinet when I make it.  It usually doesn't stay around long enough to draw moisture from the air.

Quoted: Quoted: You need Morton Tender Quick. WalMart has a good book in the sporting goods section titled “America’s Favorite Wild Game Recipes”. In it is an explanation on making jerky with recipes for brines containing Morton Tender Quick. Tender Quick can be bought at most grocery stores in the same isle as the table salt and spices. You can also send away for a guide to preserving meats from Morton. It also contains info on jerky, along with ham and bacon curing. www.mortonsalt.com/consumer/products/meatcuring/index.htm BEEF JERKY 2-5 lbs. meat 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1/2 tsp. red pepper 1 tsp. white pepper 1 tsp. garlic powder 2 tsp. onion powder 2 tbsp. Morton's tender quick 1/3 c. Worcestershire sauce 1/3 c. soy sauce 1/3 c. liquid smoke Cut strips 1/2" thick, 1 1/2" wide and 6" long. Marinate 24 hours in a covered container in the refrigerator. Place toothpicks through the ends and hang from oven rack placed in the top of the oven. Cook at lowest oven setting for 6 to 8 hours. Just to add my 2 cents:  I cut the strips between 1/4"-1/2".  The thinner the slices, the easier they will dry.  1/2" is the absolute thickest they should ever be sliced.  I would keep it as close to 1/4" as possible.   The word 'cook' really doesn't apply here.  The meat should never be hot enough to actually cook.  If it does, then it will rot.  You are only drying the meat with the heat and curing it with the salt.  The lowest setting should be around 150-160 F. I place a non-flammable object to prop the oven door open such as a can to allow all the moisture to escape freely and to keep the oven at the lowest possible temperature.  I turn it off for safety reasons if I have to leave the house for a while.

A can of sardines stuck in the top of the oven door works great. All you need is a crack to let the
moisture out. But you want it to be small enough to allow the oven temp to be consistant throughout.

Are you trimming off all the fat you can?  The fat will go rancid in time, even if the meat is preserved perfecly.  Make sure you buy the leanest piece of your chosen cut that you can find.  If there's fat on the outsides, that's easily trimmed off (I recommend kitchen shears over a knife).  Fat running through the middle will be harder to trim without cutting your meat to tiny bits.

Quoted: Quoted: I place a non-flammable object to prop the oven door open such as a can to allow all the moisture to escape freely and to keep the oven at the lowest possible temperature.  I turn it off for safety reasons if I have to leave the house for a while. A can of sardines stuck in the top of the oven door works great. All you need is a crack to let the moisture out. But you want it to be small enough to allow the oven temp to be consistant throughout.

If I need my oven door open just an inch or less, I make a small "snake" out of aluminum foil and stick it in the door.  That way, I can make it exactly the thickness I want.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I place a non-flammable object to prop the oven door open such as a can to allow all the moisture to escape freely and to keep the oven at the lowest possible temperature.  I turn it off for safety reasons if I have to leave the house for a while. A can of sardines stuck in the top of the oven door works great. All you need is a crack to let the moisture out. But you want it to be small enough to allow the oven temp to be consistant throughout. If I need my oven door open just an inch or so, I make a small "snake" out of aluminum foil and stick it in the door.  That way, I can make it exactly the thickness I want.

Yeah, but can you open your door stop and eat?