Making Turkey Jerky
at Home
Disclaimers
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This slide show is a photographic description of steps in drying jerky at
home in an electric dehydrator. More complete instructions and details
should be read before actually making jerky at home. For example,
jerky directions can be found in So Easy to Preserve, 5th ed., or at
http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/dry/jerky.html
Different options can be found from Colorado State University
Cooperative Extension at
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09311.pdf
Trade and brand names are used only for information. The Cooperative
Extension Service, University of Georgia College of Agricultural &
Environmental Sciences and College of Family & Consumer Sciences,
and the U.S. Department of Agriculture do not guarantee nor warrant
published standards on any product mentioned; neither does the use of
a trade or brand name imply approval of any product to the exclusion of
others which may also be suitable.
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All You Ever Needed to Know
about Turkey Jerky
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This slide show is a description of basic principles and typical steps
for making jerky from turkey.
It is not intended to be the only source of instruction and reading you
need to do in order to make turkey jerky safely at home.
These guidelines are not intended to be used with jerky recipes and
procedures that have not been tested and determined to be safe for
home drying methods.
More information about drying and specific recommended
procedures for drying food at home can be found at:
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp
After reading, this slide can be deleted from your presentation if you
are using this presentation in an educational program.
Background Information
The next slides will cover these topics:
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What is jerky?
Is it safe to eat raw meat?
What methods in preparation reach 160°F
to eliminate risk of bacterial survival?
What about special problems?
What makes a safe jerky?
What is jerky?
 Jerky is a lightweight, dried meat product.
 Jerky is handy for backpackers, campers,
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and outdoor enthusiasts.
Jerky requires no refrigeration when made
properly.
Jerky can be made from beef, pork,
venison, or smoked turkey breast;
 Raw poultry is not recommended for jerky
because it does not provide a favorable texture
or flavor for the finished product.
Is it safe to eat raw meat ?
 The microorganisms in raw meat can cause
diseases and illnesses.
 The bacteria can multiply on moist, high
protein foods.
 Dehydration removes the moisture that
supports growth of microorganisms.
 While it is impossible to guarantee 100%
safety in any situation, heating the meat to
160°F will decrease the risk of illness and
prevent case hardening.
What methods are used to reach
160°F ?
Method 1
 Heat meat strips in
marinade before
drying.
 Drying time will be
reduced.
 Color and texture will
differ from traditional
jerky.
Method 2
 Heat dried jerky
strips in an oven after
the drying process is
complete.
 Piece size and oven
temperature must be
carefully controlled.
What makes safest jerky ?
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Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
before handling raw meats.
Use clean equipment and utensils.
Keep meat and poultry refrigerated at 40°F or below.
Use ground meat within 2 days and red meats within
3 to 5 days; freeze for later use.
Thaw frozen meat in the refrigerator, not the kitchen counter.
Marinate meat in the refrigerator.
Do not save and reuse marinade.
Allow the internal temperature of the meat to reach 160°F
while preventing case hardening.
Case hardening is an adverse affect of dehydration in which
the outside “case” of the meat dries faster than the inside; this
makes the jerky unsafe to store at room temperature.
What about special problems ?
Wild Game
Pork
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Should be treated to kill
Trichinella prior to being
sliced and marinated by
freezing a 6 inch or less
portion at 0°F or below for at
least 30 days.
If the wound allowed the
contents of the gut to come
in contact with the meat or
the hunter’s hands while
dressing the meat, fecal
matter may contaminate the
meat; this meat should be
thoroughly cooked and not
used as jerky.
Should be treated to kill
Trichinella prior to being
sliced and marinated by
freezing a 6 inch or less
portion at 0°F or below for
at least 30 days.
Deer Carcasses
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Should be rapidly chilled to
avoid bacterial growth.
Ingredients & Materials
Ingredients
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2 pounds smoked turkey breast,
sliced no thicker than ¼ inch
and as little fat as possible
 Slice with the grain for
chewy jerky
 Slice against the grain for
tender, brittle jerky
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 Tenderizer may be used if desired
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon hickory or
smoke-flavored salt
Materials
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Knife
Cutting board
Liquid measuring cup
Measuring spoons
Spoon
Large bowl
Shallow pan and plastic wrap or aluminum foil OR
plastic food storage bags
Metal stem type thermometer
Paper towels
Nonstick cooking spray, if desired
Dehydrator trays for use in dehydrator OR cake racks and
baking sheets for use in oven
Glass jars or heavy plastic food storage bags
Vacuum sealer (optional)
Procedure
• Wash hands.
• Assemble equipment
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and ingredients.
Prepare the meat.
Prepare marinade.
Marinate the meat.
Refrigerate the
meat.
Preheat the oven.
Prepare the racks.
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Drain the meat.
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Dry the meat.
Arrange meat on
rack.
Test the jerky.
Cool the jerky.
Package the jerky.
Refrigerate or freeze
jerky for longer
storage.
STEP ONE: WASH HANDS
Wash hands for at least 20 seconds using soap and water.
STEP TWO: ASSEMBLE MATERIALS
Assemble ingredients, clean equipment, and wash utensils.
Remove cold meat (below 40°F) from refrigerator.
STEP THREE: PREPARE THE MEAT
If using raw meat, partially freeze to make slicing easier. Slice meat
no thicker than ¼ inch thick. For chewy jerky, slice with the grain;
across the grain for tender, brittle jerky. Trim and discard all fat. If
desired, use a meat tenderizer.
STEP FOUR: PREPARE MARINADE
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Be sure to use a
liquid measuring cup for the soy sauce.
STEP FIVE: MARINATE THE MEAT
Place strips of meat in a shallow pan or in a plastic food
storage bag and cover with marinade.
STEP SIX: REFRIGERATE MEAT
Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or overnight. The longer the meat is left
in the marinade, the saltier it may become. If preferred, heat the
meat prior to drying after this step (see next slide). If using
precooked turkey, do not heat.
Heat treating meat before
dehydrating
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To heat the meat after marinating, bring strips
and marinade to a boil; boil for 5 minutes, drain
well, and begin drying process.
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If strips are more than ¼ inch thick, the length
of time may need to be increased.
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After heating, check the temperature of several
strips of meat with a metal stem-type
thermometer to be sure the internal
temperature is 160°F.
While waiting for the meat to
marinate:
Clean the workspace and label the heavy
food storage bag or container to be used for
jerky with the name of the item and the date.
STEP SEVEN: PREHEAT OVEN
Preheat dehydrator or oven to 140°F about 15 minutes before
removing the marinated meat from the refrigerator.
PREPARE RACKS
STEP EIGHT:
If desired, spray nonstick cooking spray on the dehydrator
trays or cake racks if using an oven.
STEP NINE: DRAIN THE MEAT
Remove meat strips from the marinade and drain on clean,
absorbent towels.
STEP TEN: ARRANGE MEAT ON RACK
Arrange the strips close together on dehydrator trays or cake
racks placed on baking sheets. Do not allow the strips to
touch or overlap.
STEP ELEVEN: DRY THE MEAT
Place the racks in a dehydrator or oven;
set temperature at 140°F.
Arranging the Meat
Arrange similar size pieces on the same racks
because smaller pieces will dry faster than
larger pieces. Arranging the meat will make it
easier to remove dried pieces; while leaving
pieces that need a longer drying time.
STEP TWELVE: TEST THE JERKY
Dry the meat until a test piece cracks but does not break
when it is bent.
A sample not heated in the marinade may take 10-24 hours.
Samples heated in the marinade and precooked meats will
dry faster.
Begin checking samples after 3 hours.
STEP THIRTEEN: COOL THE JERKY
Pat off any beads of oil with clean, absorbent towels.
Remove jerky from racks and cool. If raw meat was not heated
in marinade before dehydrating, do so now.
Important: Safety Measures
 If the strips were not heated in the marinade
prior to drying, they must be heated in an
oven after drying.
 Place strips close together on a baking
sheet. Do not allow strips to touch or
overlap.
 For strips originally cut ¼ inch or less, heat
10 minutes in an oven preheated to 275°F.
 Thicker strips may take longer to reach an
internal temperature of 160°F.
PACKAGE THE JERKY
STEP FOURTEEN:
Package jerky in glass jars or heavy plastic food storage bags.
Vacuum packaging is a good option.
STEP FIFTEEN: STORE THE JERKY
Properly dried jerky will keep good quality at room temperature
for two weeks in a sealed container. For best results, to increase
shelf life and maintain best flavor and quality, refrigerate or
freeze jerky.
STEP SIXTEEN: ENJOY
Thaw it to eat, gift, or use as desired.
Enjoy the results of the hard work.
It has definitely paid off!
Questions and Answers
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What are causes of moisture in the jar or
plastic bag?
What are causes of mold on the jerky?
Is it safe to eat my jerky if . . . ?
What are causes of moisture in
the jar or plastic bag ?
 Not completely drying the meat.
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Be sure to
test several pieces for dryness.
Leaving the meat at room temperature for
too long after cooling. This allows moisture
to re-enter the jerky. Be sure to cool
quickly and package.
Sweating may occur if the jerky is not
allowed to cool completely before
packaging.
What are causes of mold on the
jerky?
 Because jerky is a low-acid food, both
bacteria and mold are capable of growth
under the right conditions.
 Not completely drying the food.
test several pieces for dryness.
Be sure to
 Case hardening can occur by drying the
meat at too high a temperature, allowing
the food to cook on the outside before the
inside. Be sure to dry food at 140°F.
Is it safe to eat jerky if…..?
 The #1 rule of food safety is
When in doubt, Throw it out!
Reference and Credits
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Andress, E.L., and Harrison, J.A., Eds. (2006). So Easy to
Preserve, 5th ed. Athens, GA: University of Georgia
Cooperative Extension.
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This slide set was developed by Carmen Tarbush as a student
project in FDNS 3010, Department of Foods and Nutrition, The
University of Georgia.
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Edited by faculty and staff of the National Center for Home
Food Preservation.
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Document Use:
Permission is granted to reproduce these materials in whole
or in part for educational purposes only (not for profit beyond
the cost of reproduction) provided the author and the
University of Georgia receive acknowledgment and this
notice is included:
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Reprinted (or Adapted) with permission of the University of
Georgia. Andress, E.L. and Tarbush, C. (2013). Making Turkey
Jerky at Home (slides). Athens, GA: The University of Georgia,
Cooperative Extension.
Permission to post on other websites must be requested.
© University of Georgia
This material is based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research,
Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. 0051110-9762.
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