Back Forty Jerky Seasoning (2024)

FAQs

How to use backwoods jerky seasoning? ›

package at one time: Dissolve entire seasoning and cure packets into 25 ounces of water. Mix with 25 pounds of meat. To make smaller batches: Dissolve 2 tablespoons and 2 1/4 teaspoons of seasoning, a scant 1/4 teaspoon of cure (1.1g) and 1 ounce of water per pound of meat in a glass bowl.

Usually 2 tablespoons of seasoning per pound of meat is a good rule of thumb, but your taste buds may vary.

Ground or Formed Method

Mix contents of one Jerky Seasoning and Cure* packet with 5 lbs lean, ground meat and 1/2 cup cold water. Mix until sticky and the color is uniform throughout, without any streaks. This ensures that the cure is evenly distributed.

Top tips for making jerky

The instructions are really quite simple, but here are a few tips to ensure you have the best possible jerky results: use the freshest meat possible. use lean cuts like top or eye of round. pat the jerky dry from any marinade before dehydrating to accelerate the process.

Once your jerky is done, most texts say to refrigerate it. And, unless you are using some sort of cure with nitrates or lots and lots of salt, refrigeration is a must. It will keep for quite a long time refrigerated and even longer in the freezer (if freezing, vacuum sealing is in order to prevent freezer burn).

Signs Your Beef Jerky is Done Smoking

The jerky should be firm and leathery but still pliable. It should bend without breaking and show white fibers when bent. If it's brittle and cracks easily, it's overdone. If it's too soft or feels raw, it needs more time.

Too much cure will make the jerky salty. How long did you let it cure for? Recommended curing time is 24 hours for stripped meat and 12 hours for ground meat. Letting it cure too long will make it too salty as well.

A typical jerky loses half of its starting weight in moisture, so 2:1 is the proper ratio. "Low moisture" jerky can actually be 1/3 the starting weight, a 3:1 ratio. So 2-3 pounds of beef will make 1 pound of jerky.

YIELD OF DRIED MEAT

Four pounds of fresh, trimmed meat will yield 1 pound of jerky, a lightweight dried meat product. Suggested cuts include lean beef round, flank, chuck, rump, or brisket.

After heating to 160°F or 165°F, maintaining a constant dehydrator temperature of 130°F to 140°F during the drying process is important because: the process must be fast enough to dry food before it spoils; and. it must remove enough water that microorganisms are unable to grow.

Why is my jerky so dry? ›

Dehydrating beef jerky for too long can lead to over-drying. While this may not pose as immediate a health risk as undercooking, the implications for your taste buds are dire. Over-dehydrated jerky loses its chewy and palatable texture.

Pre-Cooking

Meat that is pre-cooked will take less time to dehydrate and may be different from traditional jerky in color and texture. Heat the meat strips to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit (165°F for poultry).

Avoid Added Sugars and Artificial Flavors: Excess sugars and artificial flavors are common in heavily processed foods. Look for jerky that relies on the natural taste of the meat and simple seasonings for flavor. Consider the Brand and Production Practices: Research the brand and their production practices.

But when you neglect beef jerky, it becomes hard and loses flavor. It can also get too dry if you leave it to dehydrate for just a little too long. As a result, it loses its chew.

Place the whole bag into the fridge to thoroughly marinate for up to 24 hours, but no fewer than 4 hours. The longer you marinate, the deeper your flavor and tenderizing action. The most convenient process is to simply refrigerate overnight and start your next step, the drying process, on the following day.

Can I use my jerky seasoning to make my Snackin' Sticks? Yes, the seasoning for the Snackin' Sticks is exactly the same as the jerky seasoning and is interchangeable.

Occasionally, “cure” may be added to the raw meat. Cure is the ingredient nitrite, which typically is added as sodium nitrite, but it also may include sodium nitrate. Nitrite is used to fix the color of the jerky. Nitrite also is a potent antioxidant, which prevents spoilage during storage, and a flavor enhancer.

Discard the marinade and lay the sliced meat onto racks or directly onto the grates of your smoker. Smoke the meat at around 160-180°F for 6-10 hours or until it starts to get close to the level of dry that you like. Once it gets close, check it often.

If you have already soaked the strips of meat in a “wet” marinade, do not put water in the water pan when smoking the jerky. You don't want to add more moisture to the exterior of the meat.