Add Flavors To Jerky By Using Different Marinades

Dear Laura: I recently purchased a food dehydrator for making beef and turkey jerky. Do you have any recipes for different flavored jerky? Do you know of a cookbook for dehydrating? Thank you. - Cathy, Spokane.

Dear Cathy: Several books provide information on food preservation by dehydrating. They include:

Phyllis Hobson’s “Making and Using Dried Foods” (Garden Way Publishing, 1994).

The fourth edition of “Putting Food By,” written by Janet Greene, Ruth Hertzberg and Beatrice Vaughan (A Plume Book, 1991).

Joanna White’s “The Dehydrator Cookbook” (nitty gritty cookbooks, 1992).

Inexpensive pamphlets from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and state universities, available through local county cooperative extension offices.

“The Dehydrator Cookbook” includes several marinades for preparing beef, game, poultry and fish jerky.

For whole meat jerky use lean meat - beef, game or poultry - with all visible fat removed. Partially freeze for easier slicing, then cut into long, narrow strips about 1/4-inch thick.

If desired, marinate in one of the marinades described below or in a commercial sauce of your choice (bottled marinades, teriyaki sauces, barbecue sauces or dressings) for at least an hour or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator; drain.

Dry a single layer at 145 degrees for about five to 10 hours (usually around six hours), or until meat is pliable but does not break when bent. Occasionally check meat and pat with paper toweling to remove any fat from the surface. The meat will dry to about 1/4 of its fresh weight.

Cool dried meat thoroughly and store in air-tight containers. If not using immediately, freeze to retain freshness. Freezing reduces the chance of rancidity and the chance of food poisoning if the meat wasn’t adequately dried.

For ground meat jerky use lean or extra-lean ground meat or poultry. Mix with spices, sauces, or flavorings as desired. Roll the meat between two pieces of waxed paper until it’s about inch thick. Place on plastic wrap on the solid plastic trays used to make leathers. Dry for about one to two hours, or until meat can be handled without falling apart.

Remove the meat from the trays and the plastic wrap. Use paper toweling to blot off any surface fat. Using scissors, cut meat into strips. Return to regular (screen) drying trays and continue drying until meat is pliable, checking periodically to test for doneness, and blot away any surface fat. Store in air-tight containers in the freezer.

Standard Jerky Marinade

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons brown or white sugar

1 garlic clove, well-mashed

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

2 pounds lean meat, cut into strips

Combine all ingredients, except meat; mix well. Add meat strips; toss or shake to coat well. Cover and allow to marinate in refrigerator for at least one hour before drying.

Hot Jerky Marinade

2 teaspoons EACH chili powder, dried garlic powder, dried onion powder, and black pepper

2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 to 1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 cup water

2 pounds lean meat, cut into strips

Combine all ingredients, except meat; mix well. Add meat strips; toss or shake to coat well. Cover and allow to marinate in refrigerator for at least six hours before drying.

Dear Laura: For the first time I will be planting baby corn in my garden this year. I was hoping you might be able to provide me with a recipe for pickling it. Thank you. - Kim, Otis Orchards.

Dear Kim: I’ve located two possibilities for you. The first is a quick refrigerator method that’s just right for a small harvest that will be used within a few weeks. For a larger batch and longer storage, consider the second recipe.

Short-cut Pickled Baby Corn

Adapted from Georgeanne Brennan’s “The Glass Pantry - Preserving Seasonal Flavors” (Chronicle Books, 1994).

1 cup water

1 cup white wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 whole cloves

1 teaspoon salt

1 large sprig fresh tarragon or 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves

36 ears baby corn, husked, silks removed (each about 3 inches long)

Combine everything except the corn in a large non-reactive saucepan. Bring to boiling, add corn, reduce heat and simmer 1 minute.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer ears of corn into clean hot canning jars or other lidded storage containers. Pour brine over top, leaving 1/2-inch head space. Cover and refrigerate. Corn pickles will be ready for serving in 12 hours and will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Yield: 2 1/2 pints.

Pickled Baby Vegetables

Adapted from Judith Choate’s “Gourmet Preserves” (Grove Weidenfeld, 1987).

3 pounds baby vegetables (corn, carrots, green beans, sugar snap peas, eggplant, and/or pattypan squash)

4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon pickling spice

1 tablespoon cracked black pepper

1 cinnamon stick

4 hot red chiles

4 springs fresh dill

4 cloves garlic, peeled

Place vegetables in heavy saucepan. Add water and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes (except sugar snap peas, which should be removed as soon as water comes to a boil). Drain, reserving 2 cups cooking liquid. Set vegetables aside.

Add reserved cooking liquid to remaining ingredients in heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil hard for 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick.

Pack vegetables into hot sterilized half-pint jars, leaving -inch head space. Make sure each jar contains 1 chile, 1 sprig of dill, and 1 garlic clove. Fill with hot pickling syrup to just cover vegetables. Cap and process in a 10-minute boiling water bath.

Yield: 4 (1/2-pint) jars.

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