re: Any jerky cooks here?

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Monteal Steak Seasoning beef jerky. It's excellent!

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I know what I’m doing on my days off.

I do jerky several times a year, but on a smoker. Using a dehydrator on jerky is like cooking a brisket in an oven, or boiling ribs, it will work but there are better ways.

I slice in 1/4" strips, marinate over night and cook at 190. I check the jerky at about 5 hours but it usually takes in the 6 hour range.

I stack up the jerky trays from Cabala's but switch them out every hour or so because of the temp difference from top to bottom.

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Sorry to hijack, but how does everyone store their jerky when done? What to do if I want to keep it for a long period of time.

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In my initial post to this thread I said I put what I won't eat in a few days in quart freezer bags and freeze it for later use. It holds up well like that.

I only leave out what I will eat in a couple days since the only preservative I use is salt and the way I make my jerky, I leave the meat just a bit moist and not bone dry. Bacteria will form in about 3-4 days after it is done if kept out on the table. I'll usually refrigerate what I decide to keep out after a couple days if not already eaten.

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What to do if I want to keep it for a long period of time.

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Treat it with some cure #2 aka... "pink salt", a little goes a long way! You still need to get it good and dry. I mix cure with my marinade. Then I smoke it for a few hours and normally will put it on the dehydrator to get it to the dryness I want. I can keep a bag of jerky in my truck console for weeks. I also freeze in vacuum bags what I want to keep for a longer time.

I use curing salt but in addition I vac-seal in pint bags and put in freezer.

Pull from freezer and microwave for about 30 seconds.

My portions are small "about a handfull" so it comes out thawed and just a tad bit warmer than room temperature. It is ready to eat.