| Beef jerky is a snack food known at least since | | | | fast enough to dry food before it spoils, and it must |
| ancient Egyptian times. In early times, humans made | | | | remove enough water that microorganisms are unable |
| beef jerky from animal meat that was too big to eat | | | | to grow. |
| all at once, such as bear, buffalo, or even whales. | | | | The risk in dehydrating meat and poultry without first |
| North American Indians mixed ground dried meat with | | | | cooking it to a safe temperature is that the dehydrator |
| dried fruit or suet to make "pemmican". "Biltong" is | | | | will not heat the meat to 160 °F and poultry to 165 |
| actually a dried meat made in many African countries. | | | | °F -- temperatures at which bacteria are |
| Our word "jerky" came from the Spanish word | | | | destroyed -- before it dries. After drying, bacteria |
| "charque." | | | | become much more heat resistant. Within a |
| Beef jerky is a product that is a nutrient-dense meat | | | | dehydrator or low-temperature oven, evaporating |
| that has been made lightweight removing moisture by | | | | moisture absorbs most of the heat. Thus, the meat |
| drying. A pound of meat or poultry weighs about four | | | | itself does not begin to rise in temperature until most of |
| ounces after being made into jerky (most | | | | the moisture has evaporated. Therefore, when the |
| manufacturers will add sugar, spices and other items | | | | dried meat temperature finally begins to rise, the |
| to help to offset this). Due to the fact that moisture is | | | | bacteria have become more heat resistant and are |
| removed down to "safe levels", the product is | | | | more likely to survive. If these surviving bacteria are |
| considered shelf stable. It can be stored without any | | | | pathogenic, they can cause food borne illness to those |
| refrigeration -- making it a handy food for backpackers | | | | consuming the beef jerky. If you must make beef |
| and others who don't have access to refrigerators. | | | | jerky at home, here are some recommendations |
| With commercially manufactured beef jerky products, | | | | directly from the USDA for helping to insure your |
| the process is monitored in federally inspected plants | | | | protection: |
| by inspectors of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's | | | | 1) Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and |
| Food Safety and Inspection Service. Products may be | | | | water before and after working with meat products. |
| cured or uncured, dried, and may be smoked or | | | | 2) Use clean equipment and utensils. |
| un-smoked, air or oven dried. At commercial plants, | | | | 3) Keep meat and poultry at 40 °F or slightly |
| both internal meat temperatures and water activity | | | | below; use or freeze ground beef and poultry within 2 |
| percentages (among other things) are continuously | | | | days; whole red meats, within 3 to 5 days. |
| monitored and validated to regulate processes and | | | | 4) Defrost frozen meat in the refrigerator, not on the |
| assure safe quality products to consumers. | | | | kitchen counter. |
| When raw meat or poultry is dehydrated at home, | | | | 5) Marinate meat in the refrigerator. Don't re-use |
| usually in a slightly opened warm oven or a food | | | | marinades. Using a brine will help to keep the meat |
| dehydrator, you should understand that it is possible to | | | | moist while attempting to reach the 160 °F or 165 |
| make beef jerky which will be stored on the shelf, but | | | | °F as described below. |
| that any pathogenic bacteria are likely to survive the | | | | 6) Steam or roast meat to 160 °F and poultry to |
| dry heat of a warm oven and especially the 130 to 140 | | | | 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer |
| °F of a typical inexpensive food dehydrator. This | | | | before dehydrating it. |
| means, if you bought meat that was contaminated or | | | | 7) Dry meats in a food dehydrator that has an |
| somehow had something within your process that | | | | adjustable temperature dial and will maintain a |
| was contaminated that you introduced to the meat, | | | | temperature of at least 130 to 140 °F throughout |
| you would have a high probability that your finished | | | | the drying process. |
| product would be contaminated upon completion of | | | | There are other special considerations when making |
| the dehydrating process. If meat is not contaminated | | | | homemade beef jerky from venison or other wild |
| and you proceed as typical, you won't have any | | | | game that are also worth noting. Wild game meat is |
| issues. | | | | not regulated or reviewed by the USDA prior to |
| Illnesses due to Salmonella and E. coli from homemade | | | | processing. Venison can also, in some instances, be |
| beef jerky continue to raise questions about the | | | | heavily contaminated with fecal bacteria, as directly |
| safety of traditional drying methods for making venison | | | | related to the degree of varying with the hunter's skill, |
| and beef jerky. The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline's | | | | wound location, and other factors. While fresh beef is |
| current recommendation for making beef jerky safely | | | | usually rapidly chilled, deer carcasses are typically held |
| is to heat meat to 160 °F and poultry to 165 | | | | at ambient temperatures (whatever the temperature is |
| °F before starting the dehydrating process. This | | | | outside at the time of the kill), potentially allowing |
| step assures that any bacteria present will be | | | | bacteria multiplication. Reaching internal meat |
| destroyed by wet heat. Most dehydrator instructions | | | | temperatures of 160 °F with wild game meat is |
| do not include this step, and a dehydrator will not reach | | | | even more important as the risk of contamination is |
| temperatures high enough to heat meat to 160 °F. | | | | definitely higher. |
| After heating, maintain a constant dehydrator | | | | So what type of "insurance" do you require for your |
| temperature of 130 to 140 °F during the drying | | | | home made beef jerky adventures? It really is up to |
| process is important because the process must be | | | | you. |