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Food dehydrator

Permalink: Food dehydrator
by , Posted to on 12/28/2011 7:47 PM | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 04/22/2009
Location: MT
Does anyone use a dehydrator for their wild game or catch? I use a nesco to make jerky and its super simple and does a good job. I'm thinking of maybe trying a brine and dry fish (jerky) with this seemingly endless supply of pike these days. Anyone ever try this, or have any go to recipes?

I dont go around guessing cup sizes either I just know a nice rack when I see one.

Re: Food dehydrator
by on 12/29/2011 00:02 AM | Reply #1 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 10/27/2004
Location: ND
ok,  I'm new to this dehydrator/jerky process.   Is there any benefit to using a "dehydrator" as compared to an standard kitchen oven on low or approx. 200 degrees F?
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Re: Food dehydrator
by on 12/29/2011 01:02 AM | Reply #2 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 11/03/2010
Location: nd
dehydrater is the way too go we use a smoker and a dehydrater mostly for only wild game have never useed them on fish but sounds tasty. we put ours in the garage the colder temp seems to good the jerkey faster!
Re: Food dehydrator
by on 12/29/2011 03:05 AM | Reply #3 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 04/22/2009
Location: MT
Even if a guy is short on wild game using the directions that come with the dehydrator and the gun with ground beef makes some pretty solid jerky/slim jims

I dont go around guessing cup sizes either I just know a nice rack when I see one.

Re: Food dehydrator
by on 12/29/2011 08:41 AM | Reply #4 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 10/06/2010
Location: ND
 
3XGutshot Said:
ok,  I'm new to this dehydrator/jerky process.   Is there any benefit to using a "dehydrator" as compared to an standard kitchen oven on low or approx. 200 degrees F?

Should be able to get at least twice the meat into a good 10-12 rack dehydrator as you can an oven. Maybe not??? Never used a dehydrator, but I'd like to think that's the case so I can justify buying one.
Re: Food dehydrator
by on 12/29/2011 6:23 PM | Reply #5 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 11/06/2006
Location: SD
I would reccomend the Nesco Garden Master. You can use up to twenty trays I think. I have one and am up to ten trays. Can do 10 pounds of jerkey in one batch. I think it does a great job and so do the people who love to eat it. As said before, if you dont like your whole house smelling like jerky, just do it in the garage.
Re: Food dehydrator
by on 12/29/2011 6:56 PM | Reply #6 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 01/09/2002
Location: ND
When using a dehydrator in the past I have always added a little liquid smoke to the marinade for the jerky.  I have not made the ground kind of jerky in many years, much prefer the sliced kind.

For that I have used a cheap dehydrator and/or oven.  The oven's downside is it doesn't get the air circulation for drying a person is seeking and the dehydrator I had didn't get warm enough to do the job in a reasonable amount of time. 

The wife bought me a smoker for Christmas, looking forward to using it on some jerky!

And, as a side bonus I think the smoker is a better way to go with fish.  If for no other reason, just because I have never known anyone who has used a dehydrator for fish. 
“Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.” ~ Mark Twain
Re: Food dehydrator
by on 12/29/2011 7:03 PM | Reply #7 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 11/03/2002
Location: ND

Peoples of Asia use sticks, sun and flies.

svnmag
Re: Food dehydrator
by on 12/29/2011 8:37 PM | Reply #8 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 04/22/2009
Location: MT
Allen Said:
When using a dehydrator in the past I have always added a little liquid smoke to the marinade for the jerky.  I have not made the ground kind of jerky in many years, much prefer the sliced kind.

For that I have used a cheap dehydrator and/or oven.  The oven's downside is it doesn't get the air circulation for drying a person is seeking and the dehydrator I had didn't get warm enough to do the job in a reasonable amount of time. 

The wife bought me a smoker for Christmas, looking forward to using it on some jerky!

And, as a side bonus I think the smoker is a better way to go with fish.  If for no other reason, just because I have never known anyone who has used a dehydrator for fish. 
Basically why I was "fishing" around for anyone who may have or does do it. A smoker is definitely on my short list of purchases just looking for some more ideas for the dehydrator.



svnmag Said:

Peoples of Asia use sticks, sun and flies.

My favorite is the flies .

I dont go around guessing cup sizes either I just know a nice rack when I see one.

Re: Food dehydrator
by on 12/29/2011 9:10 PM | Reply #9 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 07/14/2009
Location: ND
One of the things I like about a dehydrator is that you can put more meat and smaller pieces of meat on the trays because of the fine mesh.       I agree with Allen and the liquid smoke.   I found that if you ever leave your jerky in to long and it gets crispy ,  moisten it with some water and liquid smoke and put it in a baggy in the fridge for a day .  It might turn out to be your best batch.     
Re: Food dehydrator
by on 12/29/2011 10:01 PM | Reply #10 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 11/03/2002
Location: ND
On a serious side note:  I wonder about the ratio of "sick" peoples in Asia compared to the USA?  I wonder how long a sneeze on a pair of Nikes could shut us down.

We are so "healthy" we can no longer get a drink from a creek.   
svnmag
Re: Food dehydrator
by on 12/30/2011 01:13 AM | Reply #11 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 07/14/2009
Location: ND

We are so 'healthy' we can no longer drink from a faucet .    My Mom is 91years young,   For the first 25 years or so she carried in buckets and glass jars  what ever drinking water they could find.    Then they got plumbing and the drinking water was delivered right to the house, That was all good for 60 years or so.    Now we buy special drinking water in disposable throw away where ever it is handy bottles.      I wonder what it will it be like 91 years from now ?      Those bottles will be getting deep in places.
Re: Food dehydrator
by on 12/30/2011 06:53 AM | Reply #12 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 01/09/2002
Location: ND
That's a good point geothermal, we being much more mobile now have to basically worry about a larger variety of bugs.  Not many native Mexicans suffer from Montezuma's revenge.

I suspect that as an individual, a person would build up either immunity or tolerance to the bugs in a specific watershed if after we have lived there long enough.  But then suffer immensely when moving from one area of the country to another.  Different diseases to discover.

As far as the liquid smoke and a little water.  A couple of times I have over dried some jerky, it got better after being put in the freezer still warm.  Condensation alone in the ziploc bag would make it a lot more tolerable.  Never thought about just putting a little water in the bag with it. 
“Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.” ~ Mark Twain
Re: Food dehydrator
by on 12/30/2011 09:48 AM | Reply #13 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 02/18/2004
Location: ND
Geothermal Said:
One of the things I like about a dehydrator is that you can put more meat and smaller pieces of meat on the trays because of the fine mesh.       I agree with Allen and the liquid smoke.   I found that if you ever leave your jerky in to long and it gets crispy ,  moisten it with some water and liquid smoke and put it in a baggy in the fridge for a day .  It might turn out to be your best batch.     
Tried that and it for some reason didnt work, maybe because it was to the point of being shoe leather after leaving it on for about 4 hours to long, got busy and forgot about it.
Last week I made some but was out of brine so I googled how to make a brine, it intailed some vinager and sea salt. That batch turned out so bad my eat anything lab wouldnt even choke it down.

 

If we're not supposed to eat animals, how come they're made out of meat?

Re: Food dehydrator
by on 12/30/2011 10:06 AM | Reply #14 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 08/03/2005
Location: ND
Nesco is the way to go.
Re: Food dehydrator
by on 12/30/2011 6:23 PM | Reply #15 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 07/14/2009
Location: ND
johnr Said:
Geothermal Said:
One of the things I like about a dehydrator is that you can put more meat and smaller pieces of meat on the trays because of the fine mesh.       I agree with Allen and the liquid smoke.   I found that if you ever leave your jerky in to long and it gets crispy ,  moisten it with some water and liquid smoke and put it in a baggy in the fridge for a day .  It might turn out to be your best batch.     
Tried that and it for some reason didnt work, maybe because it was to the point of being shoe leather after leaving it on for about 4 hours to long, got busy and forgot about it.
Last week I made some but was out of brine so I googled how to make a brine, it intailed some vinager and sea salt. That batch turned out so bad my eat anything lab wouldnt even choke it down..
 All dried meat is edible, Some is just better than the rest.      It is never to late to shred it  and make Jerky Chew out of it .  Way better than copenhagen in my opinion.
Posted By: doublebarrelsaloon
Posted On: 12/28/2011 7:47 PM
912 Views, 17 Comments
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