Advice on a food dehydrator

I've got the itch to make some home made jerky. Love your input on a food dehydrator. I've done the jerky in the oven before and I really don't want to babysit the oven for hours on end.

Thanks.

Get a big one if you're handling a lot of jerky.

http://www.opencountrycampware.com/...tt-Food-Dehydrator/session_5410b163d68b/

I have one of these. had it quite awhile. works great. i just use the trays it came with. never had a real need for more. 3 hours jerky is done can start a new batch. I use ground meat and mix in spices and a little liquid smoke. a jerky shooter to put it on the trays. a light spray of pam on the trays keeps it from sticking.

banana slices, apple whatever fruit doesn't stick. no spray needed

I have a Nesco that's been good to me for many years and it wasn't expensive.

Thanks Sniper, Danny, Gary, appreciate it. 3 hours sounds AWESOME!!!

Any favorite recipes or seasoning kits you like. I prefer a "sweet/hot" jerky.

Again, thank you.

I do a simple marinade of 5oz soy sauce, 5oz cider vinegar, 5oz Worcestershire and 2oz liquid smoke. Does roughly a 1lb of meat a gallon freezer bag. Seasoning is really simple...cajun seasoning.

I use the Original seasoning that Nesco sells along with the Jerky shooter. It is good stuff.

I use soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, wrights liquid smoke, brown sugar, cayenne, black pepper, garlic, and tenderquick mixed into finely ground meat. I do it to taste. Microwaving a little till it tastes the way I want it. Can fry a teaspoon too and taste it. I don't guess tasting it raw would hurt you either. Dehydrator doesn't cook it. Salt instead of tenderquick is good too. Tenderquick has nitrates that help it keep though.

SACRILEGE

Salt
Salt pepper
Sprinkle some Chile powder on it.

Excalibur..can't go wrong..hey one with 9-10 trays.

I use a Nesco also. I slice about a gallon zip loc bag full of deer meat, marinate in 10 oz soy sauce and 10 oz water ( enough liquid to cover all the meat) for about 24 hours. Any stronger mix of soy sauce leaves it too salty. When I put it on the dehydrater I sprinkle it with Head Country Sweet and Spicey seasoning. I leave it on for 7 hours on 155 degrees. I slice mine pretty thick too. Everybody says it’s the best jerky they’ve ever had.

American Harvest here, I like the Nesco jerky packs. Cajun is my favorite.

I have a nesco also and it has been one heck of a dehydrator, a batch of jerky is done in 3 to 4 hour. I just bought a 10 tray Lem. And it has been ok so far it takes a while to get it dry but I probley had 13 pounds of meat in it the first time. What I like the most is the timer that the nesco dont have. The nesco is the best for about 3 pound of meat at a time I think. I use high mountain seasoning with some liquid smoke and alagro added in. I could sell all the Jersey I wanted to make early.

Used a nesco for years , still have it.
Recently started using my Electric smoker on low heat. Naturally smoked deer jerky turns out really good!!

Excalibur is what we have. Temp adjustable and fan driven, a lot more versatile than the small round ones. I did some hen of the woods mushrooms in it this year and I left them in pieces about as big as a K cup (golf Ball) and they dried completely in approx 12 hours.

Being able to choose a temperature allows the stuff to dry more evenly.

More so if you are going to dry things other than Jerky.

Heck if you want to test drive an Excalibur give me a call and you can use mine. I'm done with it for the year.

I have a cuisinart for jerky the time varies depending on thickness. Can't remember the other one I have but bought it years ago and still going strong. Looking into one from cabelas as they stew on sale this weekend

High Mountain Jerky seasoning for me bristleback. They are all good. I prefer the black pepper garlic, but the original makes a great jerky. You can add to it if there's a certain flavor you like. A little brown sugar would sweeten it up and add cayenne pepper for the heat.

I too use an old nesco dehydrator and don't listen to sniper, the ground jerky in the jerky cannon it good stuff!

Greatly appreciate all the input, Sincere thanks!!

Really like the digital timer that is on the new one we gave our son last xmas. But the 25yr+ Nesco dyer we have is still working too well to replace,lol.

Did you get one Dwaine?

I think Santa might bring one, it’s on my list and I’ve been very good, lol.

I’ve got a cabelas one, bought it 5 years ago.. looks like a big microwave, man does that thing hold meat. I really enjoy it. Works great... but I have to rotate the racks for a even cook

Awesome. I hope you get one

X3 on the excalibur. For jerky I think the smoking is the most important step. Then we finish in the dehydrator