Deer Jerky

[Debra]

This is my favorite time of year....jerky and bologna...you can tell that our household has a deer...yipee...my favorite!  By the way, did you know that deer meat is very lean....
You can also use beef hamburger.


Here is a very common recipe for jerky.
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 TBLS brown sugar
1 garlic clove crushed
1/4 tsp garlic salt
2 TBLS soy sauce
1 TBLS worchestershire sauce
1 pound of meat ( I used to use thin strips of loin or steak, but now I use burger since my kind husband bought me a handy little gun that disperses the burger into strips.)

Mix all these ingredients together and place in a non aluminum pan...I use a glass bowl...cover, and marinate 6-12 house in the refrigerator.  

Now if using strips, place on your dehydrator sheets and dehydrate until the meat is crispy and firm...turning once...usually overnight.
If using the gun...proceed to fill and distribute the burger onto your sheets...dehydrate the same way that you do the strips..

Seasoned meat ready to marinate





Spreading strips on the dehydrator sheet




A sheet ready to go in the dehydrator



Finished Jerky...now if I can keep myself from eating it!

[Citizen Zero]

Assuming that the jerky survives being eaten within the first week or so  :wink: , what is the storage protocol and life expectancy if stored properly?

I so wish that I had gotten my deer this year  :cry:

Hopefully next year..

[Debra]

Because this is a homemade recipe....I do not know the shelf life....I do always send some to where ever the kids are....so far they have been to Japan, Iraq, Australia and South Africa....plus all over the states....so it stays good for a couple of weeks....the rest gets put in the fridge and once in a blue moon some gets put in the freezer....and I do believe that happened only once!  This is something that gets ate very quickly...but EVERYTHING here gets snapped up....I made 3 dozen donuts, put them in a large ziplock bag....went to work the next day and when I came home, they were GONE....I wasn't exactly keen on that...I wanted to take some to work....and the response I got back was....Well, just make some more....and that is how it is with the jerky...

We are darn lucky for the deer....they are mighty scarce here....the coyotes, mountain lions and multiple deer tags are decimating the population...when I was a kid....I remember one night counting over 100 deer filing into the field....and I'm not kidding....this year has been the leanest year any one has ever seen...not many folks got a deer....it almost makes you feel guilty to have one...but this is something to think about....I always get a chuckle out of the people who think they are going to "live" of the land if some thing drastic happened....economically or disaster or such....old mother nature is NOT predictable...nor reliable...we would be pretty hard pressed if our meat came solely from wild game...our household lives with the understanding that you must Live as if the disaster is NOW....well as much as we can....for if something ever did happen....I think that there will be quite a few smarty pants who think that they are the "toughies" ....in some serious trouble....

[Citizen Zero]

We are darn lucky for the deer....they are mighty scarce here....the coyotes, mountain lions and multiple deer tags are decimating the population...when I was a kid....I remember one night counting over 100 deer filing into the field....and I'm not kidding....this year has been the leanest year any one has ever seen...not many folks got a deer....it almost makes you feel guilty to have one.

Where I hunted this year I saw well over 60 mighty fine deer, unfortunately none were legal to take Three point minimum on Mule deer and any buck for white tail. I even even managed to jump a small group of white tail does at less than 20 feet before they finally decided to get up and saunter casually away from me.

If I had more than three days to hunt, employment constraints rather than hunting regs, I would have probably done better..

[Debra]

Well I did see a doe yesterday....so that is hopeful and as for the jerkey....all gone...I knew it wouldn't make it through the holidays!

[smkymtn]

 Debra that looks like the recipe I use, but I also put in liquid smoke. We are blessed we a huge deer population. I can open my back door and take one if needed, I have a huge herd that feeds in the evening behind the house. But I like to stalk in the woods. Also don't forget Turkey season is only about a month away, starts April 10th here!