Got myself an early Xmas present. A LEM 5 tray dehydrator. 1st thing I got together is the fixins for a batch of ground beef jerky. It is currently mixed up with seasonings and cure and setting up in the fridge for doing my first batch tomorrow. Does anyone have any advice, as this is the first dehydrator I have ever had. Up until now, my jerky manufacturing has centered around the kitchen oven. Also looking forward to getting into doing fruit as well. Any suggestions from users of this type of dehydrator are certainly welcome.
You are going to love having that thing, I use the heck out of mine. Apples, pears, plums.....the dehydrator makes the fall flood of fruit last all winter and they make such good snacks. Fruit leathers are a great way to go, as are just dried slices.
All sorts of veggies. I use the dehydrated chips for soups, red sauce, and dips. Try zucchini chips. They are pretty good. If I get a chance this summer, I would like to grow the principe borghese tomato. Supposedly the tomato is a good drying variety.
I have a nesco dehydrator that I use for drying my jerky after I smoke it in the old brinkmann charcoal smoker. I use whole pieces of venison for jerky though. I've never used ground venison though.
Indeed! I dry a mountain of fruit and berries every year. Sliced, dried strawberries in the middle of winter....
There were some good tips on ground jerky in another recent thread. Use paint sticks on each side to roll to uniform thickness on parchment paper laid on a sheet pan and put in the freezer to stiffen up, cut then lay out on drying trays. With ground meat you'll need to dab the surface with a paper towel to absorb any fat that sweats out on top
When the "season" hits for fruits and veggies, you can put of a lot of these: Tomatoes - can make a ton of tomatoes fit in a jar for soups, sauces, dressings, etc. Cherries - good for baking cookies and whatnot - cherry chocolate chip cookies are pretty good Apples - sprinkle them with a little cinamon then put them on the dehydrator - eat them like tater chips
Apple-Cinnamon fruit roll ups (fruit leathers) Cook the apples, with the skins on, until they're soft. Let it cool a bit. Scoop into a blender and puree till it's smooth. Add cinnamon to taste. I use about a level teaspoon in a 2 quart blender. Mix the cinnamon in for about a minute. Pour onto leather sheets. Dry for about 10hrs at 115. Enjoy or roll up in wax paper for later enjoyment.
Did the first run of ground beef jerky and have to say that it turned out awesome. Really happy with the finished product. I do believe that I am really going to enjoy this. Can't wait to take a stab @ the various fruits. Thanks for all the suggestions.
