10 11
Pretreatment of Meat, Fish, Poultry and Game
IMPORTANT
NOTE: Cooking all meats and fish before drying is recommended to ensure
safety. Use only very lean meats and cut away all fat.
The reason to marinate meat before drying is to add flavor to the meat and also
to tenderize it. The marinade should contain salt, which helps extract water from
the meat and also helps preserve it.
– Slicing meat while partially frozen will be easier, especially if you want a very thin slice.
Poultry: All poultry MUST be cooked before drying. Steaming or roasting are the best
methods.
Fish: A good idea is to steam the fish before dehydrating or, if you chose to bake it,
pre-heat your conventional oven to 200°F and bake for 20 minutes or until fish
is flaky.
Meat or Game:
JERKY
Dehydrating meat without prior cooking will produce the rigid, chewy style meat
known as JERKY.
– Marinate meat strips or slices for at least 3 hours in your favorite marinade,
or overnight in a sealed container.
– Place Fruit Roll-Up Sheet on bottom tray to catch the juices from upper trays
and then place meat on the trays.
Dry until it snaps when bent, approximately 6 to 16 hours.
Standard Jerky Marinade
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 clove garlic, mashed
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1-1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
Mix ingredients well
Dried Meat or Game for Stews, Soups, etc.
This type of meat must be cooked prior to drying. Cook, cut into small cubes and place
in the dehydrator. Dry until all moisture has been removed, approximately 2 to 8 hours.
When ready to use in your favorite stew, simply rehydrate by soaking in water or broth
for at least 1-1/2 hours.
Dried Flowers and Herbs
Flowers: The flowers should be picked after the dew has dried and before the evening
dampness. Flowers should be dried as quickly and as soon as possible after picking.
Discard any damaged or brown leaves. Place in trays without overlapping. Drying times
will vary depending upon size and type of flower.
Dry for approximately 2 to 36 hours.
Herbs: Rinse and shake off excess water. Pat dry. Remove dead or discolored leaves.
If using seed, pick when pods have changed color. You should leave herbs on the stem
and remove when drying has been completed. Spread herbs loosely on tray. Drying times
will vary according to size and type.
Dry for approximately 2 to 6 hours.
Nuts: Shell and rinse with hot water. Spread in a single layer onto trays. Allow nuts to cool
before storing. Nuts contain a lot of oil and the oil could cause the nuts to become rancid,
so you should freeze them to guarantee freshness. When ready to use the nuts, bring them
to room temperature.
Dry for approximately 18 to 26 hours.
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