Drying Meats

In the past, people relied a lot on food preservation in order to stock up on food when the winter months came. Everybody knew how to preserve food as it is a matter of survival. And, one of the most popular ways to preserve food in the past as well as today is drying. For meat, drying, smoking and salting were the three methods of preserving meat in the past. Today, we can now use the refrigerators to store and preserve meat. However, there are still a lot of people today who wants to learn how to dry meat.

Besides, this is a great way to have something to eat while they go out in the wilderness for camping. It is a handy way to have food around whenever you travel. In the past, early American settlers dried most of their meat because they couldn't carry a fresh supply of it when they travel across the country. This really was one of their techniques in order to survive in the harsh environment. Today, you will still see dried meat being sold in the market. Commonly called as jerky, you will find that this is usually prepared in an oven or commercial dryers instead of in the sun. Although jerky can be bought in almost all grocery stores and supermarkets, it would definitely be nice if you knew how to do it yourself. This will not only save you a lot of money but it will let you know how you can prepare your own food whenever you go camping. The jerky is a very popular snack.

You will find that it's basically sold everywhere. From grocery stores to gas stations, you will find jerky to be available for sale. It is considered to be a favorite among outdoor lovers, such as campers, hikers, and hunters because it is lightweight, compact, and it keeps for a very long time. Drying meat today is considered as playing with food because fresh meat is highly available nowadays and the whole year round. However, the great thing about jerky is that it is convenient for backpacking and it contains a lot of nutrients compared to other snack food. What's more is that making jerky is fun and it will not cost you a lot of money. Here are the steps on how to start drying meat or how to start making jerky.

The first step is to prepare the meat. Always keep in mind that any lean meat can be dried. You can dry beef, venison, and even poultry or fish. Whenever you dry meat, always make sure that you only use fresh, lean meat and you need to cut off all fat and connective tissue. Keep in mind that fat becomes rancid easily which will spoil dried meat. You have to slice the meat in too long, thin, and even strips.

One great way to slice meat with consistency is to partly freeze them. Always keep in mind that you have to slice with the grain instead of going crosswise as this will make the jerky chewy and less brittle. Each strip should be about an eighth of an inch thick or at least a fourth of an inch thick. The width should be 1 to 1 and a half inches and the length should be 4 to 12 inches. The thinner you slice the meat, the faster it will dry. When you wish to dry wild game meat, you first need to keep it frozen for at least 30 days in order to lower the chances of trichinosis infection by killing the parasite larvae. You can either dry the meat as is or you can add some seasoning, such as salt and pepper to suit your own taste.

When drying meat in the oven, you need to maintain an oven temperature above 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This is to prevent spoilage during the drying process. While the strips are drying in the oven, you have to remember to turn the strips over every hour or so in order to prevent the meat from sticking to the racks. Make sure that the meat strips are arranged so that it won't overlap each other. The tips may touch but always make sure that they won't overlap each other. Oven drying meat will take around 10 to 12 hours. Other methods of drying meat are through the food dryer, smokehouse drying, and air drying.

As you can see, drying meat is relatively easy to do. However, always remember that the meat shouldn't get too hard and dry for your taste. Also, if the jerky isn't dry enough, it may spoil. The finished product should be dark brown or almost black in color and that it should be hard and dry. Test a piece for dryness by bending it. It should break like a green twig but shouldn't snap clean like a dry stick. These are the methods for drying meat. By remembering these tips, you can be sure that you will be able to dry meat correctly and safely in no time at all.
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