I've probably made 1,000 lbs. of jerky over the decades using my Excaliburs but never with hamburger so I'll be watching this thread. I'm pretty sure grainlady will be around to give us safety guidelines. I was always afraid to use hamburger? We love jerky - especially DH and our DS. I have to get new dehydrators.

/tricia

I have one recipe that I fall back on I used 3 or 4 and then tweeked the spices but I hope others will chime in. Mine is sort of pepperonish. I have seen spice kits but I am to Cheap for those. Oops I have been told to say "too Frugal" LOL

I haven't made it in a long time since I preferred bison burger for the task, and I just can't fit it into my food budget anymore for a "snack food" these days. The reason I like bison burger is because it's very lean - which is essential for this project.

I use a NESCO American Harvest Dehydrator and the American Harvest Jerky Gun. The gun extrudes the ground meat into flat ribbons and round sticks (two different diameters), and I'd suggest using this gadget to make the task easier. If you have a pastry bag you could probably use it to form the jerkey using a wide tip or round tip. I liked to make the "ribbons" in bite-size pieces so they dehydrated much quicker and as an additional food-safety precaution.

Be sure to read the information from the National Center for Home Food Preservation - Jerky - at the link below for the food safety tips.

For seasonings, I used the seasoning and cure packets that came with the Jerky Works Kit because I received a lot of them as a gift. These packets are available in most places where they sell American Harvest Dehydrators or on-line, and come in a number of different flavors. You can find any number of recipes for ground beef jerky on-line that will work just as well.

1. Only use EXTRA lean ground beef, game or poultry. If you are grinding your own meat be sure to remove every bit of visible fat. If you are using poultry, don't use the skin. That's where the highest concentrations of bacteria are located.

2. Dry the jerky at 155-degrees F. After the first hour turn each piece over and blot the oil from the surface with a paper towel. Do this periodically throughout the drying process. Depending on the thickness and length of the jerky pieces, it will take from 4-15 hours to dry. Dry until jerky is hard and leathery.

3. As with all jerky you need to heat treat it to eliminate the potential for bacteria growth. You do that using this method for ground meat jerky. Heat the dried jerky in a 275-degree F oven for 10-minutes after the dehydration process.

The other method is used for meat that is marinated. You heat the meat in the marinade prior to drying by bringing the temperature of the marinade with the meat in it up to 160-degrees F.

4. Store it in the refrigerator, or in the freezer for longer storage time. Even lean meat has enough fat remaining in it to quickly go rancid if stored at room temperature.

5. One-pound of ground meat will yield approximately 1/2 pound of jerky after dehydration.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: National Center for Home Food Preservation - Jerky

I have a jerky gun which is amazing. I couldn't imagine hand rolling I am much too lazy for that. Moose like Bison is also very lean.
Love the idea of the oven heat after the drying process I will do that.

The spice packages are over 8$ each here so looking for scratch recipes to bring down the cost.

Moose was a freebie

Sounds like you're in business ;-).

I hope you go ahead and purchase a dehydrator because there are so many things you can use them for besides jerky. It's one of my favorite classes to teach and my favorite energy-saving method for food preservation.

I made almond milk today and I'll dehydrate the pulp for recipes calling for almond flour. Less-expensive to make my own than purchasing commercial almond flour OR almond milk. And that's just one example of what I use my dehydrator for each week....

-Grainlady

My friend whom I borrowed the dehydrator from has just gone gluten free do share the how to for the almond flour.

Here is the recipe I used today for the hamburger jerky in case anyone wants to try some.

Note I mix the spices first then add to meat.

2lbs ground meat(extra lean)
3 tsp Mortons quick tender
1 1/2 tsp fine black pepper
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp ground anise
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp hot chilli powder

Please if anyone has other recipes I would love to try them this one is the fall back recipe I start with.

CLBlakey-

Tell your friend good luck! I have all kinds of recipes using almond flour (aka almond meal), including breads, because we stick to a low-glycemic diet as a way to (hopefully) avoid diabetes, which is rampant in hubby's family. We enjoyed wheat-free and sugar-free Gingerbread Bundt Cake tonight for of our son's 36th birthday (recipe at the link below).

---To make almond milk I soak 1-cup of almonds in a quart jar filled with water and I add 1/2 t. sea salt. The salt in the soaking water activates enzymes that neutralize enzyme inhibitors, which makes the almonds easier to digest, but doesn't make the almonds or almond milk taste salty. I soak the almonds anywhere from 6 to 24 hours.

Drain, rinse well and drain again. At this point you can opt to remove the skins from the almonds. I just slip them off the almonds with my fingers if I want my almond pulp to be white. Otherwise (and more often than not) I leave the skins on.

In a high-speed blender place the almonds and the amount of water desired. I generally add 2 to 2-1/2 c. of water for concentrated almond milk. I use this ratio of almonds and water because it fits in the 40-oz. Ninja Blender, and that amount of almond milk takes up less space in the refrigerator. I can use the almond milk at that ratio for drinking/cooking/baking, or add some water if I want it thinner. Blend the almonds and water well.

I use a nut milk bag placed in a pitcher (with the opening of the bag draped over the lip of the pitcher to hold it open). Pour the mixture through the bag to catch the pulp. Twist the nut milk bag tight and gently squeeze out the milk. Bottle and refrigerate the milk. Fresh almond milk will last 4-6 days.

The pulp can be used in this raw stage (I often make crackers, cookies, and "cereal" with it. Or spread it on fruit leather sheets and dry it in the dehydrator - 125-degrees F for almond flour. It dries quickly.

Once dry and cooled, I blend it briefly in my Bullet Blender if I need the pulp to be finer - more like commercial almond flour.

Almond milk recipes are readily available on-line. Many of them include add-ins like dates and sweeteners, but I don't care for them in my almond milk - I like it plain. Your friend will also find recipes for using almond milk pulp on-line.

She may also enjoy using coconut flour as another gluten-free option.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Gingerbread Bundt Cake

I do make jerky, but not from ground meat, I always make it from grassfed beef because that's what I have. My nephew Philip does make venison jerky from ground venison and he has one of those "jerky guns". I don't like it from ground meat as well as I like it made from pieces of meat.

Actually, I don't make jerky a lot, alhough other family members enjoy it. I don't like to use the nitrates so I store mine in the freezer.

Annie

Thanks Grainlady I will copy and email that to her right now that is before I forget.

first batch of Jerky is done but so much drier than with beef not sure if I like the new texture - with moose that is. I will have to try a bigger piece tomorrow. I may have to add some fat the meat I have has none. We'll see after tomorrows taste test.

I've never seen/tried jerky made from ground beef, but I used to have a recipe for summer sausage made with ground beef. I never tried it, but my friend who did said it was very good.

I just pulled out the other bag of moose meat and there is 5.5 lbs in it so I was thinking of adding a cup of ground pork that should counter the dryness. I had a bigger piece today and it really does need some fat.

A warning to those who might try dehydrating in your garage -- My car now has a distinct garlic smell. Glad I didn't do it in the house.