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The United States Department of Agriculture has published a helpful list of facts about Jerky and the science behind the drying meat in order to preserve it. The main purpose of that publication is to educate the public about the dangers of E. coli and Salmonella and how to avoid those respective bacteria when purchasing or making your dried meats. According to their figures, a pound of meat will yield only about four ounces of Jerky, but for the weight that is lost in the drying process, you gain the benefit of having a shelf stable food that does not require refrigeration and will last for months if properly stored.
More modern techniques of food preservation include freezing (which was not available to the general public until last century, when electric freezers or ice boxes were mass produced) and canning. While laying strips of meat out in the sun to dry may seem somewhat barbaric to our post modern sensibilities, that was actually the way food was preserved throughout history, and with much success. If our ancestors hunted and killed a very large animal that was too much to be eaten in one day, then drying out the meat was the only way they could preserve their bounty to be consumed at a later date. There are three ways to dry out meat or poultry: 1) sun drying, 2) shade drying or adiabatic drying and 3) using an artificial heat source. The last method is preferred nowadays because it is the quickest, cleanest and best way to ensure the elimination of all harmful bacteria. Food dehydrators are ideal because they are specifically designed for this process and have special trays to hold the meat as well as constantly circulating air to help dry the meat more quickly. It is important to bring the meat you plan to dry to a temperature of at least 160 degrees to kill the bacteria and then maintain a constant temperature of about 135 degrees throughout the drying process. If you follow these guidelines you will not have anything to worry about concerning food safety.
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