Why is beef jerky safe?

[dionalaniz]

I'm finally putting my food dehydrator to use. I've now made a couple batches of beef jerky i am amazed - it is truly the best tasting beef jerky i have ever had in my life. And, to boot, it's incredibly easy to make.

But here's my question.

Before learning to make beef jerky i had no idea that you started with raw uncooked beef and just dried it. How in the world is that safe? Why am i not infested w/ E. Coli? I've sampled both my batches (saved the rest for my hike) and i'm still alive and healthy, but i'm just wondering how this is safe? What kills all the bacteria and stuff?

BTW, i dry my beef jerky for about 10 hours at around 150 degrees F. in my dehydrator.

[Steve W]

You did cook it. 150 degrees for 10 hours. Low and slow, a great way to barbeque.

[Grimace]

Jerky and other dried foods that matter are safe because you are taking out the water inside the food. It's that water that harbors bacterias and viruses. Pretty tough to get ecoli from cardboard. Jerky directions also call for you to salt the meat before drying. The salt also works to kill bacteria before it is dried out.

[smokymtnsteve]

ARE YOU SURE IT IS SAFE?

[DebW]

If you dry chicken or turkey, you are supposed to cook them thoroughly first. So the 150 degrees must not kill all the bacteria, unless there is some difference in beef and poultry bacteria. When roasting poultry in the oven, it is supposed to reach an internal temperature of 180F, which is higher than required for beef.

[dionalaniz]

The marinating sauce recipes i've been using for my jerky don't specifically call for salt. They are usually based on soy-sauce or worstershire (sp?) sauce. I guess both of those have a lot of salt in them, but i don't think either has "curing salt" which is, i think, the kind of salt that kills bacteria.

Anyway, i'm following the directions that came w/ my dehydrator and instructions i've found on the internet. I just find it amazing that dehydrating at such low temperature makes it safe.

But man - it sure is delicious!

[snuffy smith]

E-colli is not in the meat it would be on the meat. Poultry on the other hand harbors different bugs.Also salt dosen't kill any bugs it pulls moisture from the meat by osmosis.

[snuffy smith]

OK salt is salt.Curing salt refers to the size and shape of the grains.Most of the bugs found in meat are killed at 160*.You are right about the salt in the marinade.

[squirrel bait]

Not to get to far away from jerky but is the fully cooked bacon in the cooler section, several brand names(JimmyDean is one) safe?I mean can you transport it unopened in your food bag for aday or two? Forever? It says refrigerate after opening.

[bam_bam]

Quit worrying about E. Coli! That is the least of your problems. It has to be there to begin with. It just doesn't appear out of thin air. Worry about the wild animals who will smell your "great" jerky and want some of it worse than you do! I'll tell you geniuses something right now, all of you need to give up hiking and watch TV for outdoor adventures. Consume VEGGIES on hikes....NOT MEAT products!!! Veggies are more natural and blend or "camouflage" into the environment. Animals ignore them. Meats...especially jerky...are asking for trouble. Spicing and saucing amplifies the meat "frequencies" which is like sending out smoke signals to wild animals. You are the same geniuses that get mugged by mountain lions and can't figure out why. Duh.....look in your hand.

The moral: If it grows...stow it. If it breathes...leave it.

[okpik]

Consume VEGGIES on hikes....NOT MEAT products!!! Veggies are more natural and blend or "camouflage" into the environment. Animals ignore them. Meats...especially jerky...are asking for trouble. Spicing and saucing amplifies the meat "frequencies" which is like sending out smoke signals to wild animals.

So the fact that bears are primarily vegitarian and that most lower species on the food chain for predators are herbavors has no bearing on it. I say smell like a big piece of grade A prime meat and let them know who is atop of the food chain. or just use bear bags like I do

[bam_bam]

They are indeed! However, veggies are what they are used to smelling. Not meats. Yeh, use bear bags. But, you won't believe the people that don't. They use ziplocks which come open or they just hide jerky in their packs. When I think of this I think of that movie where they stuffed a steak in a students backpack so that the police dog would chase him down the hall.

So the fact that bears are primarily vegitarian and that most lower species on the food chain for predators are herbavors has no bearing on it. I say smell like a big piece of grade A prime meat and let them know who is atop of the food chain. or just use bear bags like I do

[Frosty]

Quit worrying about E. Coli! I'll tell you geniuses something right now, all of you need to give up hiking and watch TV for outdoor adventures. Meats...especially jerky...are asking for trouble. Spicing and saucing amplifies the meat "frequencies"

You are the same geniuses that get mugged by mountain lions and can't figure out why. Duh

Sending out meat frequencies, huh? So a bear canister acts like a ground, then, to short circuit the meat frequencies? Is it specific to bears, do you think? Do we need a mountain lion canister attuned to mountain lion frequencies?

There are no stupid questions..just stupid people

Hmmm.

Anyway, this got a bit off the topic. I also dehydrate beef after only marinating it, but cook turkey first. Breast meat only; fat content is critical to storage lengevity. I haven't done chicken.

Mostly I like dehydrated pineapple slices and apple slices soaked in pineapple juice (from the pineapple slice cans).

Tom

[Moon Monster]

You are already infested with e. coli (in your GI tract all the time); it's only when they get out of control or when your immune system is supressed that they bother you. The stuff in your fellow hiker's communal gorp bag and on beef that would get you is llikely something else. Still, what's said above about the bad stuff native to commercial beef being on the surface is true--it gets there in the slaughterhouse from contact with stuff that also contacts the carcasuses' GI tracts. That's why beef can be served rare and be safe since even when rare the surface is cooked. The bad nasties indigenous to poultry and some pork are throughout the meat so the center of that meat needs to come to a certain temp. to guarantee that those bugs will be killed.

150 deg. does cook with time. So does salt. So does vinegar (which can be in some jerky marinades). "Cooking" does not neccessarily imply heat; it's just a method of curing or denaturing proteins. Pickling is also cooking, and it does not remove the water--it just raises the acidity to a level that makes proteins (including those in bad nasty bugs) fall apart. But, desicating (drying) can also deprive bad nasties of a liveable environment, so straight drying without any other method can also with time cure some thinky sliced meats. Sunlight/UV exposre can also speed the curing process. But, as I understand it, most jerky making uses a combination of curing methods.

[okpik]

.......................

[Patco]

I did an extensive web search and only found one report of anyone being attacked by beef jerky. Actually the jerky had stalked this young fellow for about 8 days before attacking him while waiting for the school bus. This happened in Oregon in the late 80's. They caught the jerky and it is serving 15 to 20 in the state penn. I carry jerky on my hikes. It has only damaged my wallet.

[torch]

I did an extensive web search and only found one report of anyone being attacked by beef jerky.

You need to expand your search. While that much publisized incident is one of the rare instances of wild jerky attacks, captive-breed jerky are around humans enough that they have lost their fear of people. Attacks by captive jerky occur on a much too regular basis. Something needs to be done! Where is "60 minutes" when you need them?!

[Needles]

Veggies are more natural and blend or "camouflage" into the environment. Animals ignore them.

Veggies are more "natural" than meat? Animals ignore them? Seems to me the animals most frequently encountered on the AT are mice, and they certainly don't ignore vegetable based foods. Of course they don't ignore meat or toilet paper either, so if you want to have the fewest possible problems with animals while hiking you shouldn't bring meat products or vegetable based foods. This works well since there isn't a lot left to eat after you eliminate the vegetables and meats from your diet and so you might be able to do without the toilet paper as well. Finally, the secret to safe hiking!

Meats...especially jerky...are asking for trouble. Spicing and saucing amplifies the meat "frequencies" which is like sending out smoke signals to wild animals.

Meat "frequencies"? Did you really type out the phrase "meat frequencies"? Didn't you feel the uncontrollable urge to brust out in laughter as your fingers were typing out those words? I know I felt that urge as I read them. Could these meat frequencies possibly explain why I sometimes hear static on my car radio as I drive by the McDonald's closest to my house? Sometimes I hear static while driving past the roaming bands of hippies so common around here, could this mean there are "tofu frequencies" as well? Does the department of homeland security know about this? What would happen if evil doers started directing these frequencies at all of us and caused us all to be attacked by packs of toy poodles (one of the largest carnivorous animals most of us would be likely to encounter on a regular basis)

You are the same geniuses that get mugged by mountain lions and can't figure out why. Duh.....look in your hand.

Could someone remind me when the last hiker on the AT was attacked by a mountain lion? Oh yeah, that's what i thought.

[Ramble~On]

Bam Bam Please !!!!!!!
Eat your veggies. But beware of the ever present risk of "Eaticus Vegitarianis"
aka "Appalachian Mountain Vegitarian Shelter Mouse" The species avoids meats and preys only on vegitarians and their food bags.

I've been making jerky for years....In fact, I'm eatting some right now

And it is GOOD.
I've never had any problems from making, storing or eatting jerky.
If you dry it enough and keep it in ziplocks,,,it lasts a LONG time.

Other than jerky I dry VEggies, Fruits etc.
I like to add some "Bam" to my lipton meals so I dry out salsa on the little dehydrator sheets until it turns into a "fruit roll up" looking thing.
Experiment with your dehydrator and your own taste buds and you can figure out all kinds of kick-butt trail food.
Dried Salsa rehydrates really well and adds some kick to Lipton Meals.

[Patco]

You've got me excited about making trail food now! I want to know all there is about dehydrating meat, veggies, everything! Spill your guts and fill me in.