Raw meat is one of the classic foods that can be dehydrated with ease. Jerky is a classic food that dehydrates very well, and if you love to keep food fresh for weeks at a time, this is a great food storage option for your needs.
Raw meat keeps fairly well in the freezer but for nowhere near as long as when it has been dehydrated.
If you are not sure about how to keep foods fresh for the long term, you will want to make the most of the dehydration process. Learning to do this is pretty easy, and nearly anyone can tackle the process of dehydrating meat without any trouble.
Dehydrating meat will offer you the chance to enjoy protein whenever you want without having to worry about cooking it or having it go bad in the freezer.
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How to Dehydrate Raw Meat
There are several factors that you need to use to dehydrate meat. You will need a source of heat, airflow to circulate the hot air and trays that will hold the meat as it dries out.
Some kinds of meat will need to have leather sheets of screens placed between them to make sure that they dry out properly.
The temperature of the drying-out process matters because of the prevention of E. coli. You will need to dry poultry at 160 degrees Fahrenheit and other meats at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
This heat can be maintained by a dehydrator, and it is key that the temperature doesn’t fluctuate during the process of the meat drying out.
Key to the dehydration process is the removal of water so that the meat will not grow bacteria while it is being stored. The thickness of the meat in question is also key to this aspect of the dehydration process. If the meat is too thick when it is drying out, it can become contaminated and be unfit for consumption.
This is a traditional food storage process, and there is a lot of information out there about how to do it. Creating a smoker outside can be another option, but only if you do not live in city limits.
Using a quality dehydrator is a great solution for those who cannot build their own smoker for this process.
How Long Will Dehydrated Meat Stay Fresh?
Dehydrated meat will stay fresh for more than twelve months. You can place your jerky into the fridge if you want to add to the storage life that your jerky can enjoy. Using your vacuum sealer can help to make your jerky last longer than a year.
If you have a vacuum sealer, you can thoroughly cure your jerky and then vacuum seal it. This will add years of storage life to your jerky storage, especially if you then place the sealed jerky into the fridge.
If you are going to use this storage method, just be sure that you don’t add too much meat to each bag. This helps prevent issues with the seal and problems with food going bad that should have been protected from the air.
Always mark the date that you stored your jerky in a permanent pen on the stored meat. This will help you make sure that you don’t forget to use your jerky before it has gotten too old to enjoy.
What is Dehydrated Meat Suitable For?
Dehydrated meat is a really ideal option if you want to enjoy healthy food on the go, such as a hike or camping. This is one of the best ways to make sure that you can have a safe and nutritious food source on hand if you live off the grid or in a situation where fresh food is hard to come by.
While this might not be something that affects everyone, there are places in the world where it is very applicable.
Dehydrated meat is an easy storage solution as compared to worrying about throwing out food that you have purchased and might not get around to cooking. It can also be a great choice if you are not that great at cooking but want to keep enough protein in your diet.
As compared to freezing meat, dehydrating it can make the food last far longer, and it is ready to eat as soon as it is taken out of the package.
Dehydrated meat can sound like it will be daunting to make, but overall, it is a process that mostly just requires patience. If you have the time to create this kind of preserved food, it can be a great option for food storage.
When paired with your vacuum sealer, you can keep fresh food around in many forms for years at a time. Vacuum sealing can be used to keep many foods fresh and ready to consume besides meat products.
Dehydrating Meat is a Really Simple Process Overall
If you are looking for a simple and reliable way to store meat that will then be ready to eat as soon as it is unpackaged, dehydrating it is a great plan. Jerky is a very flavorful and ideal way to enjoy meat, and it can be perfect for those who go camping or who hike.
Even if you are not looking to have meat on hand for travel, you might enjoy adding jerky to your food storage plans due to the simplicity of the process and the many ways in which you can season it.
Dehydrating meat and then storing it with a vacuum sealer can make sure that your meat products will store for years at a time. Make sure to mark the storage date on all of the jerky that you seal with your vacuum sealer so that you remember to enjoy it before it gets too old.
This kind of meat will keep for many years at a time, but you should still be sure that you check the seals on your storage bags and consume them before it’s too old.
I am Brianna, a self-published author with a passion for sharing my knowledge and expertise on various topics with people looking to find the perfect items for their needs. I love ensuring that the right informative content is available to people looking for the right information. I am an avid horseback rider and reader when I am not writing.
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