Owner Manual

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together.
Feel free to experiment with your recipes. Single fruit flavors will work just fine, but
there are lots of various fruit combinations that combine to make flavorful snacks
(Strawberry-Banana, Pineapple-Orange, Mixed Berries, etc).
Meats-Fish-Poultry Dehydration Tips
Dried meats are best when made for upcoming camping and backpacking trips. When
reconstituted they yield a tasty meat, somewhat like fresh cooked.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Except for jerky, cooking of all meats and fish before
drying is required to ensure safety. Do not store dried meat, fish or poultry
longer than two months.
Use only very lean meats and cut away as much fat as possible. Meat should be
marinated before drying to add flavor and to tenderize it. The marinade should contain
salt, which helps extract water from the meat and also helps preserve it, but it should
not have any oil. Most marinades contain some sort of acid (like tomato sauce or
vinegar) because the acid breaks down the fibers making the meat tender.
Slicing meat while partially frozen will be easier, especially if you want very thin
slices. A food processor or a specialized meat slicer will also do a great job. You can
tell your butcher that you are making dried meat or jerky and they will be glad to
thinly slice it for you.
When drying meat or game for stews, soups, etc., remember that these types of meats
must be cooked prior to drying. Cook, cut into small cubes and then place the slices in
the dehydrator. Dry until all moisture has been removed from the meat; anywhere
from 2 to 8 hours. When ready to use in your favorite stew, simply rehydrate by
soaking in water or broth for at least 1 ½ hours, or until tender and about the size they
were before dehydrating.