Colorado State University Extension
SafeFood Rapid Response Network


SAFEFOOD NEWS - Summer 1999 - Vol 3 / No. 3

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Making Safe Jerky at Home

Jerky is a nutritious, convenient meat product you can make at home. It is made by drying thin strips of lean meat to about one-fourth their original weight. In the past, the preparation and heating recommendations for jerky have been quite general. In recent years, illnesses due to Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 from homemade jerky have raised questions about the safety of traditional drying methods. E. coli O157:H7, in particular, has a low infectious dose rate and has been found to survive many weeks on dried products.

In studies conducted in the meat sciences laboratory at Colorado State University on jerky made from whole muscle beef inoculated with E. coli O157:H7, we established that the traditional methods we have been recommending for meat jerky (marinating raw strips and then drying in an oven or dehydrator set at 140 degrees - 150 degrees F [60 - 65 degrees C] for up to 10 hours, or until chewy and leathery) did not provide adequate destruction of E. coli O157:H7 as recommended by the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS). We then conducted inoculation studies and taste panels on various alternative treatment methods. Based on these results, we are providing directions for three of the most promising methods evaluated. All methods involve a pre-treatment prior to drying.

The Hot Pickle Cure method resulted in the greatest reduction of bacteria (destroyed 99.9995% of bacterial cells added to the product) and produces the safest product. The other two methods destroyed 99.995% of the added bacteria on inoculated samples. While not as safe as the Hot Pickle Cure method, they produce much safer results than the traditional method.

General Guidelines

• Use only lean meats in excellent condition.
• Keep meats refrigerated or frozen until use. If marinating meat in seasonings, store in the refrigerator. Don't save marinade to re-use.
• Keep raw meats and their juices away from other foods. Always wash your cutting boards, utensils, counters, sink and hands with hot, soapy water after contact with raw meat. To sanitize after washing, rinse knives, cutting boards and counter tops with a mixture of 1 Tbsp. bleach in a gallon of water.
• Dry meats in a dehydrator or oven that will maintain a temperature of at least 145 degrees F (62.5 degrees C) throughout the drying process. Use a thermometer to determine the true drying temperature of the dehydrator or oven while it is operating empty. Don't rely just on the dehydrator's temperature settings. Place the metal stem of a dial thermometer between dehydrator trays, or drill a hole through the side of a tray to create an opening. Insert the thermometer stem in the drilled hole so you can read the dial outside the dehydrator.
• Follow the minimum time-temperature guidelines given in the following methods. These guidelines have been demonstrated to minimize the risk of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria in whole meat strips up to 1/4-inch thick.
• Prevent cross-contamination--keep dried jerky separate from raw meat. After drying is complete, handle and store jerky in a sanitary manner to maintain its safety. Store in an airtight plastic food bag or jar with a tight-fitting lid. You can store properly dried jerky at room temperature for 1 or 2 months. However, to ensure safety and protect flavor, it is best to keep jerky in the refrigerator or freezer. Label and date packages.

Recipes

Hot Pickle Cure Jerky

• Freeze meat slightly to improve slicing quality. Slice 5 pounds of meat into 1/4-inch strips, each approximately 1 inch wide and 5 inches long. Spread pieces out and sprinkle with mixture of 3 Tbsp. salt, 2 tsp. ground black pepper, and 2 Tbsp. sugar. Press spices into meat with rubber mallet or meat grinder. Turn over and repeat spicing process on other side. Place meat strips in flat pan, cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Make a brine by dissolving 3/4 cup salt, 1/2 cup sugar, and 2 Tbsp. black pepper in 1 gallon of water. Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar and bring to a low to medium boil in large kettle. Place a few meat pieces at a time in the bottom of a 2 - 3-quart steamer basket and lower into brine. Simmer 1 1/2 - 2 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure all pieces are immersed.
• Remove basket from brine, drain and shake to remove excess water. Using tongs, remove meat pieces and place flat, without touching each other, on clean dehydrator trays or oven racks. Repeat process until all meat pieces have been pickled in the brine solution. Note: You will need to replace the brine after several dippings, as the solution begins to foam and produces less desirable results.
• Place pieces in pre-heated dehydrator or oven that maintains a temperature of 145 degrees F (62.5 degrees C). Dry for 8 - 10 hours, or until pieces reach desired dryness. Remove jerky from oven before it gets too hard or brittle. Properly dried jerky is leathery and chewy; it should crack when bent in half, but it should not break into two pieces. After drying, let pieces cool, then place in open plastic bags or glass jars. Leave bags or jars open overnight to allow pieces to temper, then close and store in a cool dry, dark place, or the refrigerator or freezer.

Source: You and Your Wild Game, 1984 by R.A. Field and C.A. Raab, University of Wyoming Agricultural Extension Service, B-613R, p.58.

Warm Vinegar/Water Pre-Dip Method

• Freeze meat slightly to improve slicing quality. Slice 2 - 3 pounds of meat into 1/4-inch strips, each approximately 1 inch wide and 5 inches long.
• Combine 2 cups vinegar (5% acetic acid) and 2 cups water in a 2 - 3-quart pot and heat to 135 degrees F (58 degrees C), which is steaming, but not yet simmering. Place a few meat pieces at a time in the bottom of a steamer basket and submerge in the solution for 20 seconds, stirring slightly to make sure all pieces are immersed.
• Remove basket from brine, drain and shake to remove excess water. Using tongs, remove meat pieces and place on clean trays or glass pans to cool slightly. Repeat process until all meat pieces have been heated in the vinegar/water solution. Note: You will need to replace vinegar/water solution after several dippings, as the solution begins to foam and produces less desirable results.
• Prepare marinade solution. For 3 pounds of meat, combine 1/2 cup soy sauce, 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder and 2 tsp. hickory smoke-flavored salt.
• Using tongs or plastic gloves, dip pieces in marinade, then place in glass pans. Cover pans and refrigerate overnight.
• Using tongs, remove meat pieces and place flat, without touching each other, on clean dehydrator trays or oven racks. Place in pre-heated dehydrator or oven that maintains a temperature of 145 degrees F (62.5 degrees C). Dry for 10 hours, or until pieces reach desired dryness. Remove jerky from oven before it gets too hard or brittle. Properly dried jerky is leathery and chewy; it should crack when bent in half, but it should not break into two pieces.
• After drying, let pieces cool, then place in open plastic bags or glass jars. Leave bags or jars open overnight to allow pieces to temper, then close and store in a cool dry, dark place, or the refrigerator or freezer.

Boiling Water Pre-Dip Method

• Freeze meat slightly to improve slicing quality. Slice 2 - 3 pounds of meat into 1/4-inch strips, each approximately 1 inch wide and 5 inches long.
• Place 6 cups of water in a 2 - 3-quart pot and bring to a boil. (Actual temperature will vary with altitude.) Place a few meat pieces at a time in the bottom of a steamer basket and submerge into boiling water, stirring slightly to make sure all pieces are immersed. Keep pieces in boiling water for 15 seconds at elevations up to 5,000 feet; increase immersion time to 20 seconds at elevations above 5,000 feet.
• Remove basket from boiling water, drain and shake to remove excess water. Using tongs, remove meat pieces and place on clean trays or glass pans to cool slightly. Repeat process until all meat pieces have been heated in boiling water solution. Note: You will need to replace the water after several dippings, as the solution begins to foam and produces less desirable results.
• Prepare marinade solution. For 3 pounds of meat, combine 1/2 cup soy sauce, 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, and 2 tsp. hickory smoke-flavored salt.
• Using tongs or plastic gloves, dip pieces in marinade, then place in glass pans. Cover pans and refrigerate overnight.
• Using tongs or plastic gloves, remove meat pieces and place flat, without touching each other, on clean dehydrator trays or oven racks. Place in pre-heated dehydrator or oven that maintains a temperature of 145 degrees F (62.5 degrees C). Dry for 10 hours, or until pieces reach desired dryness. Remove jerky from oven before it gets too hard or brittle. Properly dried jerky is leathery and chewy; it should crack when bent in half, but it should not break into two pieces.
• After drying, let pieces cool, then place in open plastic bags or glass jars. Leave bags or jars open overnight to allow pieces to temper, then close and store in a cool dry, dark place, or the refrigerator or freezer.

Source of marinade recipe: So Easy to Preserve, Extension Service, University of Georgia, 1993.

Authors: Pat Kendall, Ph.D., RD, Dept. of Food Science & Human Nutrition (FSHN), Susan Albright, Ph.D. candidate, FSHN, Jennifer Burnham, M.S. candidate, FSHN, John Sofos, Ph.D., Dept. of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University Extension, Fort Collins, Colorado; August 1999.

Updated Monday, August 29, 2011