# How do you make JERKY, the old time way???



## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

I remember reading about the indians drying buffalo and deer meat for later use.

Apparently, . . . sun drying it.

Anybody got any insight as to how they actually did it??

I would love to make some "old fashioned" jerky, . . . I did some "old fashioned" canning of beef and jerky last year, . . . got a hind quarter on order that is going into the canner starting August 20 or so, . . . figure I'll keep out a couple of steaks, . . . rest goes into the jars.

BUT, . . . I also want to take a whack at drying some, . . . just wondered what y'all had in your knowledge banks about it. 

And no, . . . no flavorings other than salt.

May God bless,
Dwight


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## Ralph Rotten (Jun 25, 2014)

I've done it the old-school way. Also cured rabbit skins the old way (with salt--but I did not chew the fat!)
The salt is just to keep the flies off the stuff.

When I make jerky I prefer to soak the sliced meat in Allegro Marinade (the hot n spicy flavor) before dropping them onto the dehydrator.


If you build a solar oven, then you can keep the flies out, do it the old-school way, and not have to use a ton of salt.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

I haven't checked into it yet but I seem to remember the Indians building a tripod and hanging thin strips over a smokey fire. I'll do some research for you. My only experience is with a modern dehydrator.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

Arklatex said:


> I haven't checked into it yet but I seem to remember the Indians building *a tripod and hanging thin strips over a smokey fire*. I'll do some research for you. My only experience is with a modern dehydrator.


^^ This ^^


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## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

When I did it, I cured the meat in a brine solution for 3 to 5 days. After it has been brined, you can technically eat it because the brining kills bacteria and parasites, but you really wouldn't want to. Then I dehydrate the meat over a cool smoky fire - less than 200 degrees. Less than 150 if you can manage that. The smoke adds a little flavor, keeps the flies at bay, helps to continue curing the meat, and the low heat dries the meat out.


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## Stick (Sep 29, 2014)

Whomp up a marinade of your choosing. Cut lean meat into thin strips, and get all the fat off. That's what makes it rancid and odd tasting. Marinade for awhile. Lay it out on a rack in the oven with something to catch any drips, set the temp on low or warm with the door cracked just a bit, and go to bed. In the morning, Jerky!!
The very best venison jerky I ever made, however, was outside. Prepped as above, I hung it all on a barb wire fence for three days or so. With this method, it is wise to pepper heck out of it to camo the fly specks.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

Stick said:


> Whomp up a marinade of your choosing. Cut lean meat into thin strips, and get all the fat off. That's what makes it rancid and odd tasting. Marinade for awhile. Lay it out on a rack in the oven with something to catch any drips, set the temp on low or warm with the door cracked just a bit, and go to bed. In the morning, Jerky!!
> The very best venison jerky I ever made, however, was outside. Prepped as above, I hung it all on a barb wire fence for three days or so. With this method, it is wise to pepper heck out of it to camo the fly specks.


I use course ground black pepper for July crop damage hunts. Liberally apply on the meat and it will keep the flys off the exposed meat.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

This place runs like dog crap with those ads.... So excuse the double tap hang fire, moves like a slug.


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## Stick (Sep 29, 2014)

That's right, Hawg. Coarse ground. Though I have not seen evidence of it keeping all that many flies off...but your mileage may vary. And, it was forty years ago, so my memory of the incident could be flawed. It was my first deer, shot with a TC Hawken .50, no electricity or running water and hot in September. Had to cure it fairly quickly...just glad it worked. Munched on that deer for lunch for weeks.


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## tinkerhell (Oct 8, 2014)

dwight55 said:


> I remember reading about the indians drying buffalo and deer meat for later use.
> 
> Apparently, . . . sun drying it.
> 
> ...


I believe the meat is susceptable to spoilage in the early stages of dehydration when the meat is still very wet. Salt and Smoke both serve to compensate for this. Also, salt and smoke tastes great as well.

I'm not sure about salt but a number of wood smoke compounds act as preservatives. Phenol and other phenolic compounds in wood smoke are both antioxidants, which slow rancidification of animal fats, and antimicrobials, which slow bacterial growth.

With that said, I think salt is veiwed as very important and is considered to be more effective than smoke alone.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

Stick said:


> That's right, Hawg. Coarse ground. Though I have not seen evidence of it keeping all that many flies off...but your mileage may vary. And, it was forty years ago, so my memory of the incident could be flawed. It was my first deer, shot with a TC Hawken .50, no electricity or running water and hot in September. Had to cure it fairly quickly...just glad it worked. Munched on that deer for lunch for weeks.


July is pretty hot in Mich. During those crop damage hunts its a must to keep the flies off. We would make the kills then take the deer back to camp no field dressing on the spot. We would then gut and pour a heavy amount all inside the cavity. Then hang the deer to skin immediately. One of us would pour the pepper on as the other was peeling the hide off. Its takes a heavy coat of pepper but was worth the price as the carcasses stayed fly free. Once skinned we would quarter then into the coolers. Some folks say a squirt bottle of white vinegar will work although we didn't try that as the pepper was successful. If one can't get them in coolers right away use the black pepper then wrap the carcass with several layers of cheese cloth then Pepper over the cloth as well. We had great results from this method. The meat will hold up surprisingly well in hot temps its the fly's that will cause the spoilage process to accelerate at the speed of light.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

tinkerhell said:


> I believe the meat is susceptable to spoilage in the early stages of dehydration when the meat is still very wet. Salt and Smoke both serve to compensate for this. Also, salt and smoke tastes great as well.
> 
> I'm not sure about salt but a number of wood smoke compounds act as preservatives. Phenol and other phenolic compounds in wood smoke are both antioxidants, which slow rancidification of animal fats, and antimicrobials, which slow bacterial growth.
> 
> With that said, I think salt is veiwed as very important and is considered to be more effective than smoke alone.


Pat the meat dry several times during the beginning stages of smoking. The moisture will make the meat bitter from the smoke. Salt is a preservative and is one of the oldest methods of meat preserving.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

Arklatex said:


> I haven't checked into it yet but I seem to remember the Indians building a tripod and hanging thin strips over a smokey fire.


This is how I've seen it done. Takes quite a while, and you'd need to keep the fire tended to maintain the low heat, but it does work.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

dwight55 said:


> I remember reading about the indians drying buffalo and deer meat for later use.
> 
> Apparently, . . . sun drying it.
> 
> ...


Look up Deebos jerky thread he has a interesting way that he makes it. Inor swears its the best jerky he has ever had.

But for authentic old school smoking check this out.






Here is some tidbits on on Indian buffalo jerky in the sun with no salt or smoke.



> Buffalo Jerky
> 
> Since Native Americans did not have "fast food" and were often on the move, buffalo jerky became a favorite way of transporting food or keeping it so it would not spoil. Since the buffalo is such a large animal that produces a lot of meat, it is necessary to store the meat in a way that it will not get spoiled. Lacking refrigerators or other means of storage, Native Americans made buffalo jerky by cutting the meat into strips, stringing it up, and drying in sun, as we do nowadays with laundry. Unlike the Europeans, the Native Americans did not use salt to preserve meat (and this was, perhaps, ultimately a healthier choice in the end), but relied on the sun to dry the meat. The process for making buffalo jerky is quite simple, and there are places which offer this traditional delicacy today.


http://www.indians.org/articles/buffalo-jerky.html


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Sunny hot weather..good airflow and some way to keep the flies off should work. Speculating a lack of a a pre marinade or brine will prob result in crunchy jerky rather than leathery.


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## OctopusPrime (Dec 2, 2014)

dwight55 said:


> I remember reading about the indians drying buffalo and deer meat for later use.
> 
> Apparently, . . . sun drying it.
> 
> ...


I use A1 sauce sometimes as a marinade. i do mine in the oven at 170 and crack the oven door at intervals to let moisture escape. Also trim off as much fat as you can.

I also do an Asian marinade with Indonesian garlic chili paste and soy sauce with black pepper and a ginger honey . Marinate for 48 hrs. Spray oven rack and then hang the meat with a layer of foil on the second rack.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

Brined and smoked at low heat over apple, hickory, or black cherry. You can add pepper, soy and/or worstershire for flavor.

You want it dry enough to break. Too moist it will spoil and too dry you almost have leather.


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## Deebo (Oct 27, 2012)

Dwight, my phone is terrible, but I'll try to backtrack my thread. 
It's the way I preffer it. If you try a small batch, the most you'll loose is $20. I have some, right now, that I made in January, and hid in a cabinet, it has no mold or off flavor, but when I found it in May, I use it as dog treats. I'm very surprised.


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## Deebo (Oct 27, 2012)

Dwight, I bumped it to the top of the diy section.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

Salt helps to remove moisture from the meat. It also deters the flies and other bugs - like wasps which live to eat meat.
Smoking the meat puts a skin on it that also keeps the bugs off it and it does add flavor.
Drying the meat gets rid of up to 80% in the open air. Using sunlight sterilizes the meat with UV light. As long as you keep the meat dry it will last a long time, especially if you salt cure it. If it gets wet then use it immediately or it will spoil. There is still bacteria in the meat and all it needs to start multiplying is moisture.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

tinkerhell said:


> I believe the meat is susceptable to spoilage in the early stages of dehydration when the meat is still very wet. Salt and Smoke both serve to compensate for this. Also, salt and smoke tastes great as well.
> 
> I'm not sure about salt but a number of wood smoke compounds act as preservatives. Phenol and other phenolic compounds in wood smoke are both antioxidants, which slow rancidification of animal fats, and antimicrobials, which slow bacterial growth.
> 
> With that said, I think salt is veiwed as very important and is considered to be more effective than smoke alone.


 one important thing the salt does is draw out the water from the meat, it is a desiccant.
the other is it kills bacteria.

a quick sun drying method, make a square frame out of 2"x4" about 3'x3', 
make a series of rungs out of coat hangers and string them through holes in the centers of 2 sides.
cut a sheet of plywood to fit over the frame, add aluminum foil or sheet aluminum to one face and attach to frame.
use some 1"x3" furring strips to make the front frame, cover with clear plastic sheet add two hinges and attach to main frame making it a door. 
get some small round screened attic vents and drill some holes in top of frame and insert.
make sure the door closes tight all the way around use a latch.
hang prepped meat strips on hangars, put outside facing the sun.
drying times will vary on location and meat thickness.
I prefer to soak in a refrigerated brine/pepper solution for 12 hours before drying.
you can accelerate this process by using a food saver vac. container with the brine and meat in it, 
evacuate the air and release, do it twice, brine will get sucked right in when opening to atmosphere.
you can add liquid smoke to the mix if you like'
this method is 5-10x faster than open air drying, in many cases faster than a dehydrator, again depending on location.
you can take and put a pipe in the ground about 4 feet high and make an arrangement to mount and rotate with the sun.
the angle will have to be adjustable for the sun's position.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

hawgrider said:


> July is pretty hot in Mich. During those crop damage hunts its a must to keep the flies off. We would make the kills then take the deer back to camp no field dressing on the spot. We would then gut and pour a heavy amount all inside the cavity. Then hang the deer to skin immediately. One of us would pour the pepper on as the other was peeling the hide off. Its takes a heavy coat of pepper but was worth the price as the carcasses stayed fly free. Once skinned we would quarter then into the coolers. Some folks say a squirt bottle of white vinegar will work although we didn't try that as the pepper was successful. If one can't get them in coolers right away use the black pepper then wrap the carcass with several layers of cheese cloth then Pepper over the cloth as well. We had great results from this method. The meat will hold up surprisingly well in hot temps its the fly's that will cause the spoilage process to accelerate at the speed of light.


WTF!! how come you guys can hunt deer in July and we can't??? No where near rut. OK, I get your drift!


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

1skrewsloose said:


> WTF!! how come you guys can hunt deer in July and we can't??? No where near rut. OK, I get your drift!


If you are a farmer who makes money from what you grow you and apply for and get permission to shoot deer eating your crops. My farming neighbor does this (I like the guy )( he hires local hunters to do this) and he warned me about it claiming the "hunters" he uses use silencers and I'd never even know they were there. The deer love his soybeans he planted a few weeks ago and I know he needs to make a profit, still I was a tad weary.

Last night about 10pm sitting on my front porch holding hands with my lady friend I saw the truck pull up on our gravel road and stop, spotlight going across his soybean field. 3 LOUD shots from the first position carefully so I assume 3 dead deer. After hearing the 1st shot I wanted to put one though the hunter's engine block and strongly considered grabbing my rifle, for shooting deer eating his crops but deer I had been watching nightly for pleasure. Really got me super angry even though I fully understood why.

Seven shots total from 4 truck positions over the next 5 minutes.

Still not sure how to deal with this. An hour later I walked and checked and saw 4 set's of deer eyes in the flashlight's beam so there are plenty more deer to go. Saw plenty of deer tonight.

I've been told the "hunters" will come through 3 times a week for the next few weeks..... Yes, I hunt for deer I eat. The deer shot last night are tossed in a ditch according to my farmer friend.

I personally like and have supported this neighbor in the past but last night's show was hard to stomach. The farming neighbor does not deer hunt personally and doesn't like deer meat nor do they eat what they shoot.

At this point I'm still twisted inside as to how to react. I crave and beg to put a round through their engine but I can also see why the deer population needs to be controlled across fields that provide food that we and the local cattle eat.

Tough at this point and keeping the dogs in at night.

Your well considered thoughts would be appreciated.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

In most places the farmer has a right to protect his crops from the ravages of wild animals. Typically they are licensed to remove a certain number of does in their fields. There is also a federal law that makes it a felony to waste game animals that are killed. The animals must be harvested for consumption as I understand it. American Indians will take them as will most food shelters once the meat is processed. There is usually a limit to how many the farmer can keep but they can be given to others without cost.

Wasting a wild animal is a terrible thing! It shows no respect for the life taken and even less respect to the shooter. (hunters eat what they harvest - shooters just destroy)


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

5 permits issued at a time and then the biologist re evaluates then issue's 5 more if needed. Daytime hunt only. But rifles may be used in shogun only zone for these crop damage hunts.


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## Ralph Rotten (Jun 25, 2014)

This stuff makes the best marinade for jerkey:
Allegro Marinade Hot & Spicy -- 12.7 fl oz - Vitacost

I hate virtually ALL commercial jerkey. They add sugar to it all! Yeeech! The best jerkey I ever had was down in Texas. It was just this gnarl of meat hanging on a piece of string. Tough as nails, but you'd pull out a tooth trying to eat the stuff it was sooo good. Peppery, and no damned sugar!


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## Ralph Rotten (Jun 25, 2014)

Allegro also makes 2 other marinades that are awesome for steaks & chicken. Their Hickory flavor is awesome. I like to marinade steak in a freezer bag, freeze it, and pack it up to the Rincons. There is nothing like eating marinated London Broil at 9000 feet.


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