Thread: BASIC LIST / SUGGESTED ITEMS FOR LONG TERM SURVIVAL

Thanks AB..this is great info to have on hand.

Food Safety of Jerky

When raw meat or poultry is dehydrated at home — either in a warm oven or a food dehydrator — to make jerky which will be stored on the shelf, pathogenic bacteria are likely to survive the dry heat of a warm oven and especially the 130 to 140 °F of a food dehydrator. Included here is the scientific background behind drying food to make it safe and the safest procedure to follow when making homemade jerky.

What is Jerky?
This product is a nutrient-dense meat that has been made lightweight by drying. A pound of meat or poultry weighs about four ounces after being made into jerky. Because most of the moisture is removed, it is shelf stable — can be stored without refrigeration — making it a handy food for backpackers and others who don't have access to refrigerators.

Jerky is a food known at least since ancient Egypt. Humans made jerky from animal meat that was too big to eat all at once, such as bear, buffalo, or whales. North American Indians mixed ground dried meat with dried fruit or suet to make "pemmican." "Biltong" is dried meat or game used in many African countries. Our word "jerky" came from the Spanish word "charque."

How Can Drying Meat Make it Safe?
Drying is the world's oldest and most common method of food preservation. Canning technology is less than 200 years old and freezing became practical only during this century when electricity became more and more available to people. Drying technology is both simple and readily available to most of the world's culture.

The scientific principal of preserving food by drying is that by removing moisture, enzymes cannot efficiently contact or react with the food. Whether these enzymes are bacterial, fungal, or naturally occurring autolytic enzymes from the raw food, preventing this enzymatic action preserves the food from biological action.

What are the Types of Food Drying?
There are several types of food drying. Two types of natural drying - sun drying and "adibatic" (shade) drying - occur in open air. Adibatic drying occurs without heat. Solar drying sometimes takes place in a special container that catches and captures the sun's heat. These types of drying are used mainly for fruits such as apricots, tomatoes, and grapes (to make raisins).

Drying from an artificial heat source is done by placing food in either a warm oven or a food dehydrator. The main components of an electric food dehydrator include:

a source of heat;
air flow to circulate the dry air;
trays to hold the food during the drying process; and
mesh or leather sheets to dry certain types of foods.

Why is Temperature Important When Making Jerky? Illnesses due to Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 from homemade jerky raise questions about the safety of traditional drying methods for making beef and venison jerky. The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline's current recommendation for making jerky safely is to heat meat to 160 °F and poultry to 165 °F before the dehydrating process. This step assures that any bacteria present will be destroyed by wet heat. But most dehydrator instructions do not include this step, and a dehydrator may not reach temperatures high enough to heat meat to 160 °F.

After heating, maintain a constant dehydrator temperature of 130 to 140 °F during the drying process is important because:
the process must be fast enough to dry food before it spoils; and
it must remove enough water that microorganisms are unable to grow.

Why is it a Food Safety Concern to Dry Meat Without First Heating it to 160 °F?
The danger in dehydrating meat and poultry without cooking it to a safe temperature first is that the appliance will not heat the meat to 160 °F and poultry to 165 °F — temperatures at which bacteria are destroyed — before it dries. After drying, bacteria become much more heat resistant.

Within a dehydrator or low-temperature oven, evaporating moisture absorbs most of the heat. Thus, the meat itself does not begin to rise in temperature until most of the moisture has evaporated. Therefore, when the dried meat temperature finally begins to rise, the bacteria have become more heat resistant and are more likely to survive. If these surviving bacteria are pathogenic, they can cause foodborne illness to those consuming the jerky.

What Research Findings Exist on the Safety of Jerky?
There have been several scientific studies of meat dehydrating and lab tests on jerky samples by the following professionals: Judy Harrison, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Georgia; Mark Harrison, the Center for Food Safety and Quality Enhancement, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia; Richard A. Holley, Food Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, in Ontario; and William Keene of the Oregon Health Division. In studies, the meat dehydrated included slices of beef from the round, loin, or flank; corned beef slices; and ground beef formed in jerky presses. Keene examined homemade venison jerky which infected 11 people with E. coli O157:H7.

In a related work, factors affecting the heat resistance of E. coli O157:H7 was the subject of an April 1998 piece by J. Kauer et al., Letters of Applied Bacteriology, Vol. 26, No. 4, page 325.

In the jerky studies, some samples showed total bacterial destruction and other samples showed some bacterial survival — especially the jerky made with ground beef. Further experiments with lab-inoculated venison showed that pathogenic E. coli could survive drying times of up to 10 hours and temperatures of up to 145 °F.

A recent study by the Harrisons and Ruth Ann Rose, also with the University of Georgia, was published in the January 1998 Journal of Food Protection, Vol. 61, No. 1. The authors analyzed ground beef jerky made with a commercial beef jerky spice mixture with and without a curing mix containing salt and sodium nitrite.

Half of the ground beef was inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 before making it into jerky strips and dehydrating it. The authors found that in both the heated and unheated samples, the jerky made with the curing mix had greater destruction of bacteria than jerky made without it. The jerky made with the mix and heated before dehydrating had the highest destruction rate of bacteria.

They concluded, "For ground beef jerky prepared at home, safety concerns related to E. coli O157:H7 are minimized if the meat is precooked to 160 °F prior to drying."

What are the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline's Recommendations for Making Homemade Jerky?
Research findings support what the Hotline has been recommending to callers. Additionally, safe handling and preparation methods must always be used, including:
Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before and after working with meat products.
Use clean equipment and utensils.

Keep meat and poultry refrigerated at 40 °F or slightly below; use or freeze ground beef and poultry within 2 days; whole red meats, within 3 to 5 days.

Defrost frozen meat in the refrigerator, not on the kitchen counter.

Marinate meat in the refrigerator. Don't save marinade to re-use.

Marinades are used to tenderize and flavor the jerky before dehydrating it.

Steam or roast meat to 160 °F and poultry to 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer before dehydrating it.

Dry meats in a food dehydrator that has an adjustable temperature dial and will maintain a temperature of at least 130 to 140 °F throughout the drying process.

Are There Special Considerations for Wild Game Jerky?
Yes, there are other special considerations when making homemade jerky from venison or other wild game. According to Keene and his co-authors, "Venison can be heavily contaminated with fecal bacteria — the degree varying with the hunter's skill, wound location, and other factors. While fresh beef is usually rapidly chilled, deer carcasses are typically held at ambient temperatures, potentially allowing bacteria multiplication."

Is Commercially Made Jerky Safe?
Yes, the process is monitored in federally inspected plants by inspectors of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service. Products may be cured or uncured, dried, and may be smoked or unsmoked, air or oven dried. The following terms may be on processed jerky products:

"Beef Jerky" - produced from a single piece of beef.

"Beef Jerky Chunked and Formed" - produced from chunks of meat that are molded and formed, then cut into strips.

"Beef Jerky Ground and Formed or Chopped and Formed" - produced from ground or chopped meat, molded and cut into strips. Beef Jerky containing binders or extenders must show true product name (e.g., "Beef and Soy Protein Concentrate Jerky, Ground and Formed").
"Species (or Kind) Jerky Sausage" - the product has been chopped and may be dried at any stage of the process, and it is stuffed into casings.

What is the Safe Storage Time for Jerky?
Commercially packaged jerky can be kept 12 months; home-dried jerky can be stored 1 to 2 months.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Je ... /index.asp

Food Safety of Jerky

When raw meat or poultry is dehydrated at home — either in a warm oven or a food dehydrator — to make jerky which will be stored on the shelf, pathogenic bacteria are likely to survive the dry heat of a warm oven and especially the 130 to 140 °F of a food dehydrator. Included here is the scientific background behind drying food to make it safe and the safest procedure to follow when making homemade jerky.

What is Jerky?
This product is a nutrient-dense meat that has been made lightweight by drying. A pound of meat or poultry weighs about four ounces after being made into jerky. Because most of the moisture is removed, it is shelf stable — can be stored without refrigeration — making it a handy food for backpackers and others who don't have access to refrigerators.

Jerky is a food known at least since ancient Egypt. Humans made jerky from animal meat that was too big to eat all at once, such as bear, buffalo, or whales. North American Indians mixed ground dried meat with dried fruit or suet to make "pemmican." "Biltong" is dried meat or game used in many African countries. Our word "jerky" came from the Spanish word "charque."

How Can Drying Meat Make it Safe?
Drying is the world's oldest and most common method of food preservation. Canning technology is less than 200 years old and freezing became practical only during this century when electricity became more and more available to people. Drying technology is both simple and readily available to most of the world's culture.

The scientific principal of preserving food by drying is that by removing moisture, enzymes cannot efficiently contact or react with the food. Whether these enzymes are bacterial, fungal, or naturally occurring autolytic enzymes from the raw food, preventing this enzymatic action preserves the food from biological action.

What are the Types of Food Drying?
There are several types of food drying. Two types of natural drying - sun drying and "adibatic" (shade) drying - occur in open air. Adibatic drying occurs without heat. Solar drying sometimes takes place in a special container that catches and captures the sun's heat. These types of drying are used mainly for fruits such as apricots, tomatoes, and grapes (to make raisins).

Drying from an artificial heat source is done by placing food in either a warm oven or a food dehydrator. The main components of an electric food dehydrator include:

a source of heat;
air flow to circulate the dry air;
trays to hold the food during the drying process; and
mesh or leather sheets to dry certain types of foods.

Why is Temperature Important When Making Jerky? Illnesses due to Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 from homemade jerky raise questions about the safety of traditional drying methods for making beef and venison jerky. The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline's current recommendation for making jerky safely is to heat meat to 160 °F and poultry to 165 °F before the dehydrating process. This step assures that any bacteria present will be destroyed by wet heat. But most dehydrator instructions do not include this step, and a dehydrator may not reach temperatures high enough to heat meat to 160 °F.

After heating, maintain a constant dehydrator temperature of 130 to 140 °F during the drying process is important because:
the process must be fast enough to dry food before it spoils; and
it must remove enough water that microorganisms are unable to grow.

Why is it a Food Safety Concern to Dry Meat Without First Heating it to 160 °F?
The danger in dehydrating meat and poultry without cooking it to a safe temperature first is that the appliance will not heat the meat to 160 °F and poultry to 165 °F — temperatures at which bacteria are destroyed — before it dries. After drying, bacteria become much more heat resistant.

Within a dehydrator or low-temperature oven, evaporating moisture absorbs most of the heat. Thus, the meat itself does not begin to rise in temperature until most of the moisture has evaporated. Therefore, when the dried meat temperature finally begins to rise, the bacteria have become more heat resistant and are more likely to survive. If these surviving bacteria are pathogenic, they can cause foodborne illness to those consuming the jerky.

What Research Findings Exist on the Safety of Jerky?
There have been several scientific studies of meat dehydrating and lab tests on jerky samples by the following professionals: Judy Harrison, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Georgia; Mark Harrison, the Center for Food Safety and Quality Enhancement, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia; Richard A. Holley, Food Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, in Ontario; and William Keene of the Oregon Health Division. In studies, the meat dehydrated included slices of beef from the round, loin, or flank; corned beef slices; and ground beef formed in jerky presses. Keene examined homemade venison jerky which infected 11 people with E. coli O157:H7.

In a related work, factors affecting the heat resistance of E. coli O157:H7 was the subject of an April 1998 piece by J. Kauer et al., Letters of Applied Bacteriology, Vol. 26, No. 4, page 325.

In the jerky studies, some samples showed total bacterial destruction and other samples showed some bacterial survival — especially the jerky made with ground beef. Further experiments with lab-inoculated venison showed that pathogenic E. coli could survive drying times of up to 10 hours and temperatures of up to 145 °F.

A recent study by the Harrisons and Ruth Ann Rose, also with the University of Georgia, was published in the January 1998 Journal of Food Protection, Vol. 61, No. 1. The authors analyzed ground beef jerky made with a commercial beef jerky spice mixture with and without a curing mix containing salt and sodium nitrite.

Half of the ground beef was inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 before making it into jerky strips and dehydrating it. The authors found that in both the heated and unheated samples, the jerky made with the curing mix had greater destruction of bacteria than jerky made without it. The jerky made with the mix and heated before dehydrating had the highest destruction rate of bacteria.

They concluded, "For ground beef jerky prepared at home, safety concerns related to E. coli O157:H7 are minimized if the meat is precooked to 160 °F prior to drying."

What are the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline's Recommendations for Making Homemade Jerky?
Research findings support what the Hotline has been recommending to callers. Additionally, safe handling and preparation methods must always be used, including:
Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before and after working with meat products.
Use clean equipment and utensils.

Keep meat and poultry refrigerated at 40 °F or slightly below; use or freeze ground beef and poultry within 2 days; whole red meats, within 3 to 5 days.

Defrost frozen meat in the refrigerator, not on the kitchen counter.

Marinate meat in the refrigerator. Don't save marinade to re-use.

Marinades are used to tenderize and flavor the jerky before dehydrating it.

Steam or roast meat to 160 °F and poultry to 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer before dehydrating it.

Dry meats in a food dehydrator that has an adjustable temperature dial and will maintain a temperature of at least 130 to 140 °F throughout the drying process.

Are There Special Considerations for Wild Game Jerky?
Yes, there are other special considerations when making homemade jerky from venison or other wild game. According to Keene and his co-authors, "Venison can be heavily contaminated with fecal bacteria — the degree varying with the hunter's skill, wound location, and other factors. While fresh beef is usually rapidly chilled, deer carcasses are typically held at ambient temperatures, potentially allowing bacteria multiplication."

Is Commercially Made Jerky Safe?
Yes, the process is monitored in federally inspected plants by inspectors of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service. Products may be cured or uncured, dried, and may be smoked or unsmoked, air or oven dried. The following terms may be on processed jerky products:

"Beef Jerky" - produced from a single piece of beef.

"Beef Jerky Chunked and Formed" - produced from chunks of meat that are molded and formed, then cut into strips.

"Beef Jerky Ground and Formed or Chopped and Formed" - produced from ground or chopped meat, molded and cut into strips. Beef Jerky containing binders or extenders must show true product name (e.g., "Beef and Soy Protein Concentrate Jerky, Ground and Formed").
"Species (or Kind) Jerky Sausage" - the product has been chopped and may be dried at any stage of the process, and it is stuffed into casings.

What is the Safe Storage Time for Jerky?
Commercially packaged jerky can be kept 12 months; home-dried jerky can be stored 1 to 2 months.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Je ... /index.asp

Colonel Stivers' Beef, Deer, Elk or Moose Jerky
2 lbs. of flank steak
2/3 cup of soy sauce
2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons of seasoning salt (recommend Lawry's)

Slice flank steak diagonally with the grain of the meat into very thin slices (If slightly frozen it slices more easily). Combine ingredients and marinate meat overnight or 12 hours. Be sure all pieces are covered (coated) with marinade. Drain excess marinade. Place meat on paper towels to soak up marinade. Meat should be squeezed as dry as possible in paper towels. Place individual pieces of meat on rack in oven at 140 to 160 degrees for seven to 12 hours, or until meat is dry throughout. Leave oven door ajar (slightly open) during the drying process. Meat can also be hung in the oven by placing a wooden toothpick in each piece and strung from the rack. Store finished jerky in an airtight container. It keeps for several months, but it is likely that it will be consumed by the master hunter, kids, or the cook within a few days.


Quick Jerky
Take sticks of deer bologna and slice about 1/4" thick and soak in liquid smoke, soy sauce, garlic salt, all amounts to your taste for about 1/2 hr. Put meat in food dehydrator and shake on black pepper to your liking. Dry your meat for about 2 1/2 hours or until meat looks dry and red. When meat cools it will get very dark and chewy. Good to take hunting and fishing.


JERKY
16 0z. soy sauce-------[ La Choy ]
2 0z. liquid smoke
2 0z. Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 0z. hot sauce

Mix all ingredients in bowl, Add meat [8 - 10 lbs] piece by piece, Soak over night in fridge Lay on trays and sprinkle with black pepper Then dry and enjoy.


Blade's Jerky
All of the following are for 5 lbs of venison, or work great with ground beef (90% lean or higher).

Mix all of the ingredients together that are listed in the recipes and then marinade for 12-24 hrs.

All the ingredients can be adjusted to taste.

I like black pepper, so the amounts listed below might be reduced to 2 -3 tsp.,

for those that don't have the same palate for its' flavor.

EZ Style:
5 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup soy sauce
5 tsp. black pepper
1 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar

Yankee Style:
5 tsp. salt
1/3 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1 finely chopped onion
5 tsp. black pepper


Baja Style:
5 tsp. salt
5 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbs.. coriander
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Oriental Style:
5 tsp. salt
5 tsp. black pepper
1 large minced onion
5 cloves pressed garlic
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 1/4 cup red wine
1 1/2 cup pineapple juice

Taj Mahal:
5 tsp. salt
3 tsp. curry powder
5 tsp. black pepper
4 cloves pressed garlic
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 cup cream sherry
1/2 tsp. cumin

Colorado Pioneer:
6 tsp. salt
20 tsp. black pepper
2 cups beef bullion (4 cubes)

Valley Style:
1 1/2 cups soy sauce
1 tsp. nutmeg
5 Tbs.. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. ginger
5 tsp. black pepper
10 tsp. liquid smoke
4 cloves pressed garlic
5 tsp. crushed peppers, dried
1/4 tsp. powdered onion (hot or mild)

These ought to give a little variety, and obviously, some like 'em and some don't. Some of these have been handed down over generations, received from friends, modified to the cooks taste, renamed with the times, experimented with, used not only as food, but as a poultice, medicine, leather, aphrodisiacs, and who knows what else. I've got others, but will save for another time. Have fun with these.


Jerky Time!!
I use 3 different types of meat, but you can easily use your imagination. 1 pound of chicken breast
1 pound of pork
1 pound of beef,
1/4 cup of soya sauce
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of dijonnaise from Hellemans
1 tablespoon of Louisiana hot sauce
3 tablespoons of ketchup
Salt and pepper
1 clove of garlic minced
1 onion minced
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons of liquid smoke (found in grocery stores)

Cut meat into strips, remember that the meat will shrink. Mix seasoning together, and add to meat. If you have a convection oven, put the temp at 150 degrees. Put the strips of meat on a rack, that you will put over a pan. Place in oven, place a wooden spoon, so the oven door will not close completely. It takes between 6-8 hours. Turn the strips from time to time. Once the dehydration process is over, and the strips cool off, you may keep them in a glass jar or in the fridge for a long time. If you have a regular oven , put the temp at the lowest. You will need to keep the oven door open wider, turning the strips even more often, and the cooking time will probably vary. Hope you enjoy this jerky.


Jerky
4-6 lb of venison
4 tbs. salt
4 tbs. course black pepper
21/2 tbs. paprika
1/2 tbs. msg (optional)
1 tbs. (Morton's) natures seasonings
1/2 tbs. garlic powder
3 tbs. season salt (Lawrys)
1 cup Worcestershire Sauce
4 cup red wine vinegar
cayenne pepper to taste

Mix ingredients and let meat soak for 4 hours or more I prefer to smoke mine until dry but can be dehydrated in oven or dehydrator Seal in plastic bags if there's any left enjoy!


The Jerky Marinate
3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
4 tblsp liquid smoke
1/2 oz bottled garlic juice
or liquid from two crushed garlic cloves
2 lbs lean meat
Course ground black pepper
Louisiana hot sauce (optional)
1 level tsp. salt
1/2 cup dark brown sugar

After eliminating as much exterior fat as possible, cut a beef eye-of-round (London broil will do) into long strips approximately 1/3 to 1/2 inch square (slice with the grain of the meat). (Deer, moose, elk, and caribou are also fine, but use lean cuts and slice with the grain.) Mix all marinate ingredients, except the pepper. Use the following formula for the hot sauce:

1 shake for pussycats
2 shakes for good amigos
4 shakes for tough hombres
19 shakes for snotty neighbors and former spouses

Place marinate and meat in a zip lock bag. Squeeze out the air and seal. Place in a bowl/pan in the refrigerator for 2 - 24 hours (longer gives a deeper flavor).

Line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil and place wire cake racks in it. Spray the racks with a non-stick cooking spray (Pam, etc.). Lay the marinated meat strips across the racks and sprinkle liberally with very coarse ground black pepper. Place in an electric stove oven for about 7-8 hours on the very lowest warm setting (I like 11pm to am). Additionally, the oven door should be cracked open an inch or so to allow the moisture to escape (a metal kitchen spoon does fine). Overcoming (drying) will make the jerky dry and brittle, so be careful.

The beef in this recipe can also be dried nicely in a dehydrator.

This jerky needs no refrigeration for a least two weeks. After that, I don't how long it will keep because it always gets eaten too fast. However, I would use common sense. If green 'things' (literal interpretation: mold) start growing on it, toss it.

Tips:
1. Before slicing, put the meat in the freezer until just firm (2 hr.); it will slice much more easily and uniformly.

2. You can slice the strips of meat thin and wide, like bacon, if you like. However, don't make them too thin or they will be crisp.

3. An electric food slicer save time and gives a uniform thickness to the meat. Be sure not to set it too thin.

4. Make a small batch the first time and see whether your taste will want more/less garlic, salt, brown sugar, etc. The heaviness' of the Worcestershire sauce can be diluted with water, if need be.

5. Store in a zip-lock bag for freshness.

6. Be sure to cut WITH THE GRAIN of the meat when slicing!

7. Hide some if you expect to have any the next day. It will go fast!!!


Oregon Deer Jerky
2 cups: brown sugar
1 tsp: pepper
1 tsp: garlic powder
2 tsp: onion powder
1 tsp: ginger
1-1/2 tsp tabasco ( optional )
1 tsp: cajun ( luzianne or creole ) opt
1 tsp: liquid smoke
1/2 cup: soy sauce
1/2 cup: teriyaki
1/2 cup: worcestershire
1 cup: dry red wine
1/2 cup: hot water
Dash of oj
1 cup: salt

Mix all together in big pot put in meat ie (deer, elk, or a good cut of beef ) cut meat into thin strips and let set in brine for 2 or 3 days, use 3 pans of apple or cherry chips and smoke 10 hrs check and turn after 8 hrs the taste is worth waiting for. Brine marinates about 10 to 15 lbs of meat ENJOY!


Deer Jerky
2 lbs deer sliced thin
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp whole pepper
3 dashes liquid smoke

Combine, marinate strips overnight in refrigerator. Bake in over at 150º until dry or put in dehydrator until it will snap.


Jerky Marinade
I've been making jerky for about three years, only when I get a wild hair to do so. I've found this marinade to work great! Everyone that tries my jerky or eats a steak off my grill loves it. Plus it's so simple I don't know why anyone else has not sent it to you.
It consists of "4" equal parts of
1. worcestershire sauce
2. teriyaki sauce
3. soy sauce
4. water or beer

For jerky I lay the meat on the trays and season to taste with black pepper and garlic and a lil' white pepper When my wife wants some I use the white pepper and garlic for a lil' brown sugar. I know this doesn't sound like much but trust me ya gotta try it it really is great.


Tree Branch Jerky
3 lbs. Deer venison
2 tbsp Liquid Smoke
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Tabasco Sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
3 tbsp Brown Sugar
1 tbsp Grey Poupon DiJon Mustard
1 tbsp Black Pepper
1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Salt

Marinate ingredients by hand kneading approx. 5-10 minutes in a large bowl. Place mixture/venison in-between 2 sheets of wax paper and roll out 1/4" slabs of jerky. Cut rolled jerky into pieces. Place jerky into dehydrator and let dry for 8-10 hours. I make all my jerky in a cheap $30 food dehydrator.


Deer Jerky
2 Lbs. Deer meat
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tblsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 Tsp. pepper
1 Tsp. Hickory smoke salt/or flavoring
1/2 Tsp. onion powder
1/2 Tsp. garlic powder

****** Optional******
Substitute Hickory smoke salt for 1/8 cup honey
******* Optional******

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and soak meat in the mixture overnight. Place meat in oven on oven racks; 150ºF for about 4 hours. Leave oven door open at top. I love this Recipe I hope you do!!! Signed Jerky Lover


Dixie Jerky
(More tobasco and cayenne may be added for real men and women!)
1- 10 oz. Soy Sauce . not sissy light
1- 10 oz. teriyaki sauce-kikoman's is my favorite
1/4 cup worsterchire sauce
2 tablespoons liquid smoke
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 table spoon honey
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon of your favorite sauce, mine is Trappey's

Mix in a large bowl, adding water or beer to cover whatever the pocket book allows!! Add thinly sliced deer or beef, turkey is good too
Let rest in fridge overnight or up to 18 hours

DRAIN AND ASSEMBLE ON DEHDRYTOR OR YOUR FAVORITE SUNNY SPOT, SAFE FROM CRITTERS OF COURSE AND DRY. *GET YASELF A GOOD BEER/HOMEADE WINE SOME HOOP CHEESE AND CRACKERS, AND SOME GOOD COUNTRY MUSIC AND YOU'LL BE IN HEAVEN.


Smoked Venison Jerky
Slice venison into thin wide strips. (Usually at time when cutting up deer) Freeze strips if you like for later. Lay strips out flat. Sprinkle with garlic salt to taste. Sprinkle some tableground pepper on your jerky while preparing. (This recipe is for smokers only.) Smoke jerky till done. I use alder chips or apple for wild game.


Hamburger Jerky
10 lbs of lean meat
1/3 cup of salt
1 tablespoon of cardomen
1 tablespoon of marjoram
4 tablespoons of tenderquick
1 tablespoon MSG
1 teaspoon red pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 bottle of liquid smoke

Mix and let stand for 1/2 hour. Press firmly into 2 9'x 13" pans and freeze for 8 hours. Take out of pans and slice into 1/4" thick slices and dehydrate or dry in oven set at lowest temp. possible for about 12 hrs. with oven door open.


Jerky
I tend to just throw a little of whatever I have in to make jerky.
However...this combination of ingredients lends the meat an excellent flavor. Wouldn't know what to call it since I made it up. Take 1/2 c. of worchestire sauce and 1/2 c. of Teriyaki sauce. Any brands will do. Add 2 tbsps. of McCormick montreal steak seasoning, some salt, garlic powder, coarse ground pepper, lemon pepper, and cayenne if you like it hot. If you like hot/sweet then throw in some brown sugar too. I don't measure these other ingrediants. I just add till it looks and smells good. Cut meat into thin strips and marinate over night in the fridge.

Drain in colander and then on paper towels. Place in dehydrator and don't forget to turn and rotate trays every couple of hours. Should be ready the next day depending on how thick the slices are and what kind of dehydrator you have. I have a 4 tray and it is usually ready in 24 hours. The oven is quicker from what I have been reading but I have never tried it. You can cut down on the liquid and grind the meat with these ingredients as well and send them through a "jerky shooter" too.

Tastes great!! I don't know how many pounds this makes, I only know it is about a 1/4 a deers entire hindquarters. It is also more than will fit on four racks so I just leave the rest marinating in the fridge until time to make another batch. Good luck!


Venison Jerky
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup hickory-smoke BBQ sauce
2 T brown sugar
2 t liquid smoke
2 t tabasco sauce
21/2 t black pepper
1 t onion salt
1 t garlic salt
1 t garlic powder

Blend all ingredients. Marinate meat overnight. Place on dehydrator
racks. Cook until desired dryness.


Hot DAWG deer jerky
This is a marinade I made up several years ago. It is not for the faint of heart. However you can alter the spice acceding to personal taste.
This will marinate about 10 pounds of venison.

Hot DAWG deer jerky:
1 TB mint sauce
20 shakes Frank's red hot sauce
2 TB Lea & Perrins steak sauce
1 bottle Allegro hot & spicy marinade
2 TB molasses
1/4 cup ground cayenne pepper
1/8 cup garlic salt
1/8 cup onion salt
2 TB seasoned meat tenderizer
1 tsp. dried mint crushed
20 shakes teriyaki sauce
3 TB McCormick Caribbean jerk seasoning
3 TB brown sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
20 shakes worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients in a plastic jug and shake well.
Place in fridge overnight and occasionally shake a few more times.
Take a deer backstrap and slice into 1/4 inch thick strips going with the grain. A fillet knife works well for this. Place venison in marinade and
shake well to coat. Place in fridge overnight. Remove from marinade and place in dehydrator for approximately 5 hours.


Deer Jerky
2-3 lbs meat (cut in small pieces)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp accent
2 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp liquid smoke
dash red pepper

Put in crock pot on low for 2 1/2 hours.

Remove and spread on cookie sheet and put in preheated oven at 175 degrees for 50 minutes. Leave oven door cracked
Note: leave in oven longer if you want the meat drier


JERKY
3 LBS DEER OR BEEF SLICED 1/8 THICK
½ CUP WATER
1/3 CUP SOY SAUCE
¼ CUP A-1 STEAK SAUCE
½ TSP BLK PEPPER
2 TSP ACCENT
2 TSP TOBASCO SAUCE
2 TSP LIQUID SMOKE
2 TSP WORSTER SAUCE
2 TSP LAWERYS SEASONED SALT
1 TSP SALT

MIX SPICES IN A LARGE BOWL, ADD MEAT AND MARINATE OVERNITE, MIX NOW AND THEN.

DRY IN A FOOD DEHYRADOR OR IN YOUR OVEN WITH JUST THE PILOT LITE ON, MINE DRYS ABOUT 16 TO 20 HRS.

http://www.bowhunting.net/susieq/jerky.htm

starting a camp fire with magnifying glass ( Video)

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/888898/ho ... ing_glass/


How to Start a Fire Using a Drop of Water

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1272923/h ... _of_water/

many more videos at the link after your video is done playing

for all you back packers and light campers

How to Build a Lean-to

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer

This easy-to-build shelter will help you stay warm and dry in the wilderness.

Things You'll Need:

Step 1 Select a good spot to build your lean-to. Build in a fringe area, neither in the center of a field nor a dense thicket, but somewhere between these areas. Choose an area at least 50 yards from a body of water, as evaporating water tends to add extra chill to the air.

Step 2 Find a fallen tree or a large, long rock to build your lean-to against. You can also tie a branch horizontally between two trees a few feet off the ground. There are hundreds of variables to making a lean-to; the important thing is that you have a sturdy brace to lean your structure against.



Step 3 Lean stout sticks along the horizontal brace of your lean-to. Crawl beneath them to make sure there is enough room to sleep under. There shouldn't be too much extra room, but it should be long enough to cover you completely.

Step 4 Pile smaller branches and twigs on top of your stout branches, leaving only an opening at either end exposed.



Step 5 Pile all manner of debris - moss, leaves, pine needles, dried fern or whatever nature makes available - on top of your structure.



http://www.ehow.com/how_12580_build-lean-.html

Hammock Camping Overview

1. Why would I sleep in a hammock?
Comfort and convenience. How many times have you woken up after sleeping on rocks and roots and wished for a more comfortable bed? Maybe you bring an inflatable mattress that weighs over a pound, and still leaves you with sore shoulders in the morning, an aching lower back, and hip pointers. For me, these things aren't an issue when I sleep in my hammock. Since the hammock supports my whole body, instead of just an inflatable pad supporting my hips and shoulders, I don't get sore spots and it relieves the pressure on my lower back. The first few times I slept in a hammock I had a little lower back pain, but once I learned a few tricks like putting a clothing-filled stuff sack between my legs, the pain went away. I don't even toss and turn when I sleep in my hammock, because there are no pressure points to relieve.

Hammocks are extremely convenient when setting up camp. While others are still clearing their tent site of rocks and roots, or trying to find a level spot, I can just string it up and stake out my tarp. It only takes a few moments to find two suitable trees, and no ground clearing is necessary. I've slept right over rockpiles and on 45° ridges before, and some folks have slept OVER a running stream! It's the ultimate in Leave No Trace and stealth camping.

Check out this site! Clark under a rock ledge.

Photo by Outdoor Equipment Supplier

2. How do I sleep in a hammock?
The proper way to sleep in a hammock is on the diagonal. The hammock should have a fair amount of "sag" so it's not pulled tight. The amount of sag will vary by person and by hammock model. With my homemade hammocks without a fixed ridgeline, I like to have my hammock supports make about a 30° angle off horizontal. If a hammock has a fixed ridgeline, the length will determine the level of sag.

Once the sag is comfortable, climb in and lay with your feet on one side of the centerline and your head on the other side...diagonal across the center of the hammock. You should be able to lay almost completely flat this way.

But I'm a stomach sleeper...

Sleeping on the diagonal of a properly pitched hammock makes you lay almost flat, so it's possible to sleep on your stomach. I usually spend a few minutes on my stomach before I get up in the mornings. Sometimes I pull myself to the top of the hammock and use the edge as a pillow while I lay on my stomach and look out from under my tarp, too.

I'm a side/stomach sleeper at home, but I find that after a night or two in the hammock, I'm more comfortable on my back and side. It's simple to sleep on your side in a properly pitched hammock, too.

One great thing about hammocks is the many positions you can sleep in that you don't get on the ground. Sleeping on the ground, you're either on your back, stomach, or one side. In a hammock, you can sleep somewhere in-between each of these positions. For example, I often sleep about 45° onto my right side...not quite a side sleeper, but not on my back, either. It's a very comfortable position that I can't get comfortable in if I'm on the ground.

Here's a picture of Youngblood at the Southeast Hammock Hangers Association in Hot Springs, NC, sleeping on his stomach. Actually, he's only almost on his stomach...the bottom of his body is in one of those "half-side" positions.


Youngblood sleeping on his stomach Photo by Coy

3. That's great for summer, but it's too cold for winter. How do I stay warm?
That picture of Youngblood sleeping on his stomach? That's snow on his tarp. A handful of hammock campers claim comfort at temperatures below zero. I was so warm with a wind chill of -10°F at Winnemucca Lake that I had to open the PeaPod. Risk has slept comfortably in his hammock at -10°F with a 10mph wind. That's a wind chill of 28°F below zero!! Most people don't like tent camping that cold, but it can be done even more comfortably in a hammock.

Click Here for warm hammock camping! (Lots of pics) http://www.tothewoods.net/HammockCampingWarm.html

Click Here for an article on Four Season Hammock Camping! http://www.tothewoods.net/HammockCampingFourSeason.html

4. How do I stay dry in a hammock?
Most hammockers use tarps to stay dry. If you've read Ray Jardine's Beyond Backpacking, you know that sleeping under a tarp can actually keep you drier than sleeping in a tent. The same principles apply to hammocking, but it's even more comfortable and dry because you're off the ground, above worrying about runoff, drainage, wet duff, etc.
Click Here for dry hammock camping! (Lots of pics) http://www.tothewoods.net/HammockCampingDry.html

5. What about bugs?
Camping bug-free in a hammock is just as easy (or hard) as camping with bugs in any other shelter (except maybe an air-conditioned house). Some hammocks come with integrated bug nets, and others require users to buy aftermarket nets or make their own.

Click Here for bug-free hammock camping! (Lots of pics) http://www.tothewoods.net/HammockCampingBugfree.html

6. How do I hang my hammock?
Hammocks have to be hung. (Well, they don't have to be hung...you can use them as a bivy on the ground...but work with me here.) There are several different suspension systems, and which one you choose is limited only your creativity. Most people choose based on their priorities - convenience, weight, bulk, expense, etc. As long as it's safe and doesn't damage the environment, just do what works!

Click Here for info on hammock suspension (Lots of pics) http://www.tothewoods.net/HammockCampingSuspension.html

7. How do I make my own hammock?
The internet is full of ideas for making your own hammock, but I wanted to consolidate a simple set of instructions for a newbie to begin hammocking. Start here to make your first hammock, then check out the Homemade Gear page to make your accessories.

Click Here to make your own hammock (Instructional pics) http://www.tothewoods.net/HomemadeHammock.html

8. How does the weight compare to a ground setup?
If you compare hammock and ground setups with comparable features (bug protection, tarp size, comfort, etc), the weights are pretty close. It's possible for hammock setups to be lighter, but for the systems that most folks carry I think a hammocker will generally carry a few more ounces than a ground dweller. That's a small price to pay for the benefits of a hammock, IMO. Here's a chart comparing the weights of some ground and hammock setups for different temps.

Click Here to compare ground and hammock setups. http://www.tothewoods.net/HammockGroundWeights.html

8. Where do I put my stuff?
Organizing your stuff and keeping it out of the rain is a little different than a big tent with a large vestibule, but it's not too difficult. Some options:
My favorite...get a gear hammock. I've made two types: a Pack Cover Gear Hammock http://www.tothewoods.net/HomemadeGearP ... mmock.html and a kids hammock. http://www.tothewoods.net/HomemadeGearKidsHammock.html

Slowhike made Storage End Caps http://www.tothewoods.net/HammockCampin ... torageCaps that hang on the end of the hammock...great idea.

Put your stuff in a compactor bag or pack liner under your hammock. The tarp will keep it dry, and the bag will protect it from ground moisture. This is easiest and lightest if you already carry a bag liner.

Hang it with your bearbag. Kind of a pain if you realize you need something after it's hung.

Clip it to the end of your hammock with a 'biner. The tarp will keep it dry unless you get windblown rain. Very easy to get to your stuff, though.
Sleep with your extra stuff and stick your non-framed pack under your legs for insulation.

Get a Clark and put your stuff in the pockets. Or sew your own pockets into your hammock.


Slowhike's Storage End Caps Photo by Slowhike


Gear Hammock Pack Cover Directions Here http://www.tothewoods.net/HomemadeGearP ... mmock.html or Buy One http://www.jacksrbetter.com/JGHPC.htm


Kids Hammock and Hammock Sock Directions Here http://www.tothewoods.net/HomemadeGearKidsQuilts.html

8. Other Stuff
What am I forgetting? What would you like to see? Email me and I'll put it up when I get a chance.

http://www.tothewoods.net/HammockCamping.html