Nesco American Harvest 5-Tray FD-35 425-Watt Snackmaster Dehydrator

Drying apple slices in just five hours and beef jerky in seven, this 425-watt dehydrator is exceptionally fast for its price range. Its patented hot-air circulation system ensures not only speed but uniformity, so foods dry evenly. Each of the five trays is 13-1/2 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch deep (the plastic dehydrator stands 10 inches high), providing more than 12 square feet of tray space for drying lots of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers at one time. Available separately is a two-tray accessory pack that expands the dehydrator to seven trays. Also available separately are accessories for drying fruit rolls, soups, and sauces and for making jerky from ground meat. Accompanying the dehydrator is a detailed instruction booklet with a drying-time chart for various foods and recipes for cooking with dried foods. --Fred Brack

For years my family and I have been making jerky, what started out as a fun family pastime is now more of a competition. Before dehydrators were common we had to do it the old fashion way in the oven with long drying times, these days with the new and improved dehydrators the drying time has been cut way down what took two days now can be done in a few hours.

When shopping for your first or a new dehydrator there are a few things to keep in mind. First is weather to go with a top down unit or a bottom based unit, I prefer the newer top down versions, mainly because I like my jerky a bit on the moister side which requires you leave more marinade on the meat which tends to drip down through the trays and gets on the drying coil on the bottom, while this will not effect the drying time or the unit that much it is allot harder to clean up.

The second consideration is the wattage of the dehydrator, the higher the wattage the faster the meat will dry but the catch comes in at the price of the unit, the higher the wattage the more you are going to shell out.

Supplies are pretty ease to get, I'm finding seasonings in local stores as well as buying online, after you get a few batches under your belt you can start to get creative with the seasonings and drying times, I'm not a real fan of super hard jerky so I cut the recommended drying time back about an hour. I recommend the Nesco line of dehydrators that is the brand I'm using now with a top down drying method.

If you are new to jerky making or just thinking about it I highly recommend it and don't forget get the whole family involved, that's where the real fun come in.

For more information and recipes

Jerky is a way of life! start the fun

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How to Make Beef Jerky

Dreaming of making some of your own beef jerky at home but don't want the hassle, so you go out and buy some? Yikes, the price is enough to make you change your mind about making it right? No worries, we have the best beef jerky recipes that will whet your appetite and save you some change too.

It's not as hard as you might think it is. Yes, it takes some time, but the results are well worth it. So, grab a pencil or just print this page out and you are good to go.

This beef jerky recipe is a favorite of many beef lovers and lends itself to many variations on the recipe we have here. You will love this because you can pack it anywhere. Just watch yourself around dogs though or you will become a magnet.

Your choice of cuts is the ticket here, so if you like Sirloin or London Broil, then go for it. Make sure you pick a lean cut though with as little fat as possible. This helps speed up drying time. The next thing you want to do is cut your meat up into very thin, thin strips, say about 1/8" thick. You could have them thicker, but it will slow down drying time.

Hints: ask the butcher to do this for you or in the alternative partially freeze it at home before slicing.

Once you are ready to cut the meat, if the butcher didn't do it for you, cut it with or against the grain. With the grain is way easier to chew, but that is up to you. If you like it REALLY chewy go against the grain. Cut the fat off, as fat does not dry.

Ok, next you need to marinate the meat. You can make your own or buy some from the store. Our suggestion is you use sea salt (that way it won't toughen the meat) and cider vinegar for that tangy flavor. You can leave it as little as four hours, but we seriously suggest going for 24 hours for the best results.

Most of the best beef jerky recipes use marinade, but some people consider marinating optional, because it can make the meat wetter and slow down drying and make the jerky stickier. This is personal preference, and you may choose either way depending on what you prefer. When this stage is done, coat the meat with the spices your like, spray the racks of your dehydrator with non-stick cooking spray and pop them in with enough room around the pieces to let the air flow properly. Try not to let the meat touch.

There you have it. Now all you have to do is wait, check, watch, check again and in about 6 to 12 hours you will have beef jerky that your neighbors will visit you to sample.The trick here is to check it regularly after about 6 hours to test it for the consistency you want. You may have to test cut slices to make sure it isn't raw inside. It should be a deep red or burgundy color when done.

If you are looking for more of the best beef jerky recipes around then take a look at our list of free beef jerky recipes. If you like spicy food then you are going to love our spicy beef jerky recipe. Or if you have a dehydrator at home then view our dehydrated beef jerky recipe for a quick and easy way to make jerky at home.

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