Use and Care Manual

Beef Jerky

Flank, round and sirloin tip cuts are the best to use when making beef jerky. Rich in protein,

beef is also high in phosphorus, iron, and riboflavin. See page 19, whole meal prep.

Game Jerky

Deer, bear and elk meat can all be made into jerky. Venison makes excellent jerky because

it has no marbled fat. Flank or round cuts are best for this purpose. Before drying, game

meat should be frozen for 60 days at 0ºF/-18ºC. This should kill any disease causing

bacteria that may be present. To prepare, follow instructions for beef jerky.

Poultry Jerky

For something uniquely different, try cooked chicken or turkey jerky. For this kind of jerky,

you can use the same cures as you would for meat. Since poultry is very fibrous, expect

your jerky to be somewhat more brittle than its beef counterpart. Dry at 165ºF/74ºC until

dehydrated throughout (about 4 hours.)

Fish Jerky

Dehydrating fish is not a process to treat lightly. Fish for jerky must be extremely fresh to

prevent spoilage before it can be dried. Be on the lookout for the oil content of the fish. Fatty

or oily fish, like tuna, spoil rapidly and, unlike meat, there is no way to simply cut off the fat.

Dehydrating these types of fish is inadvisable (see chart below.)

• Curing: Make up a cold brine consisting of 3/4 cup salt to 1 1/2 quarts water and place

the fish in it to marinate for about 1/2 hour. Rinse the fish thoroughly to remove traces

of salt; then arrange the pieces on a cutting board. Coat the fish with a dry cure which

may be made up of any combination of salt and seasonings. Layer the coated fish in an

airtight glass or plastic container. Refrigerate for 6-10 hours.

Remove the fish from the refrigerator and shake off any excess cure. Lay the strips on the

dehydrator trays so none are touching, and dry for approximately 12-14 hours at 165ºF/74ºC.

• Testing: When you squeeze the fleshy part of a cooled piece of fish between your thumb

and forefinger, it should never be crumbly or crunchy. Finish by smelling and tasting the fish.

The jerky should have a mildly fishy flavor and aroma. Fish jerky should contain 15% to 20%

water and there should be no visible surface moisture.

• Storage: Store according to beef jerky storing instructions.

Fish/Shellfish % Fat Fish/Shellfish % Fat

Catfish 5.2 Rockfish 0.2

Cod 0.5 Salmon 9.3

Croaker 2.5 Sea Bass 1.6

Flounder 1.4 Sea Herring 2.8

Greenland Turbot 3.5 Sea Trout 3.8

Grouper 1.0 Shark 5.2

Haddock 0.5 Shrimp 1.6

Halibut 4.3 Smelt 2.0

Lake Trout 11.1 Snapper 1.1

Mackeral 9.9 Sole 1.4

Monkfish 1.5 Tuna 5.1

Mullet 6.0 Whitefish 7.2

Ocean Perch 1.4 Whiting 1.3

Pollock 1.3 Yellow Perch 1.1

Rainbow Trout 6.8