Dehydrator Recipes?

Shane72 · #1 06-30-2008, 06:17 PM

I just bought a food dehydrator and was wondering if anyone had any good recipes for their furry friends using one of these contraptions. Rocky loves the store-bought chicken jerkies but I don't feel very good giving him anything made in China, not to mention the stuff all over the internet about ill effects possibly caused by these treats! So one of the reasons I got it was for making him some homemade chicken jerky.

Most of the recipes I've seen call for using pre-cooked chicken (including the ones included with my unit) and no reputable sources say otherwise. However, the highest setting on my dehydrator is 160 degrees F and if it dries for 6 to 8 hours, wouldn't that kill the bad little bugs? I quote from Mary Bell's Complete Dehydrator Cookbook: "According to food-science researchers at the University of Wisconson, microorganisms are effectively killed when meat reaches 145 degrees F for 45 minutes", while she too recommends precooked chicken in her recipes... I'm not looking for expert opinions, just personal experiences and practices if anyone here dries chicken in this way.

Also, any other recipes would be greatly appreciated! Can't wait to fire this thing up!

kayboxer · #2 07-01-2008, 10:30 AM

We've made beef jerkey in our dehydrator and have never pre cooked the meat. I don't think ours says to, but my husband usually does it. You could try some fruit first and see how it comes out. That would make a great snack for your baby! As for recipies, I would just throw some meat on. No need to season it for the boxers, they don't care and they don't really need all that extra seasoning as some of it is not good for them anyway.

Shebby · #3 07-01-2008, 01:20 PM

Kay,
Can you please tell me how your hubby prepares the meat and what seasonings that he uses for the beef jerky. I want to make some.
Thanks,
Michelle

kayboxer · #4 07-01-2008, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shebby

Kay,
Can you please tell me how your hubby prepares the meat and what seasonings that he uses for the beef jerky. I want to make some.
Thanks,
Michelle

There is some marinade you can buy called "Dale's Seasoning". There is also some marinade that is teriyaki flavor (which I like) but they are both good. He merinades his meat and uses cyenne pepper if he wants it a bit more heated or uses just regular course ground black pepper.
He has tried homemade marinades but in his opinion the Dale's is just as good.

Shane72 · #5 07-01-2008, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayboxer

We've made beef jerkey in our dehydrator and have never pre cooked the meat. I don't think ours says to, but my husband usually does it. You could try some fruit first and see how it comes out. That would make a great snack for your baby! As for recipies, I would just throw some meat on. No need to season it for the boxers, they don't care and they don't really need all that extra seasoning as some of it is not good for them anyway.

Thanks for the tips kayboxer. By the way, I got one of the jerky guns for making beef jerky too! I definitely want to use it for all kinds of treats - fruits and jerkies alike! The books say it's OK to dry beef, etc. without precooking but because of salmonella, they recommend precooking chicken. I think I'll try baking the chicken first just to be on the safe side. If Rocky was on a RAW diet I wouldn't worry about it but since he's on kibble (EVO) from what I understand, digestion is slower which increases the risk of getting sick from salmonella. I guess 160 F just might not cut it for this bug. I could be off base though - certainly wouldn't be the first time

I think I can do beef, liver, etc without precooking. Looking forward to giving my boy (and myself) some healthy homemade treats!

Poetic_thing · #6 07-02-2008, 02:09 PM

If you are using the dehydrated foods for your dog then you would want to stay away from marinade mixes due to the spices/salt/dye content. If you do a search in this forum you will find this topic discussed many times over with tons of suggestions. Good luck and happy dehydrating

My crew LOVES when I pull out the dehydrator. Precooking is NOT a prerequisite for dehydrating.

Shane72 · #7 07-02-2008, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poetic_thing

If you are using the dehydrated foods for your dog then you would want to stay away from marinade mixes due to the spices/salt/dye content. If you do a search in this forum you will find this topic discussed many times over with tons of suggestions. Good luck and happy dehydrating

My crew LOVES when I pull out the dehydrator. Precooking is NOT a prerequisite for dehydrating.

Thanks for the help. I'm still a little iffy on the chicken though. I've got one recipe that calls for marinating the chicken strips in lemon juice, olive oil and crushed garlic. Then baking at 300 F for 30 minutes prior to putting the chicken in the dehydrator. That still sounds pretty healthy for Rocky and might be good for me too

I'm just looking for anyone who does chicken in a dehydrator to see how they do it. Beef, etc, I have no qualms with. As for other recipes, I've been able to find lots of stuff for dogs. Thanks again!

Shane72 · #8 07-05-2008, 08:44 AM

I just wanted to do a follow-up post. I made the chicken jerky with the garlic, olive oil, fresh lemon juice marinade followed by baking briefly and then dehydrating. It's actually a human jerky recipe and smelled really good so I of course tried some and it was really good. It's a little strong on the garlic (used fresh) but I love garlic and Rocky loves it too!

I'm making a batch now that I didn't marinade or pre-cook at all (of course this will be for Rocky only

I made the strips by flattening chicken tenderloins with a meat tenderizer hammer. This was more of a pain than slicing simi-frozen chicken with a meat slicer so I don't think I'll be doing it that way again after I use all the tenderloins. I'm going to dehydrate at 160 F for about 4 hours then drop the temp to around 140 F for another 4 hours. I'll post again once they're done.

Next I'm going to try some fruits!

Thanks again for the responses!

Shane72 · #9 07-18-2008, 05:48 PM

I just wanted to do another follow up post since I can't find anywhere on the web that addresses the best way to safely make plain chicken jerky.

So this is what I've found works best for me:

1. Buy bulk boneless chicken breasts.

2. Toss said chicken breasts into baking dishes and bake at 300 F for 30 minutes. This serves two purposes. Makes it much easier to slice the chicken (even easier than the tip to partially freeze before slicing) and it kills bacteria - both for Rocky's health and so I don't have to worry about salmonella on my slicer/dehydrator and counters.

3. Slice into 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick strips and put them on the dehydrator trays. If you don't have a food slicer just slice thin and try to be consistent.

4. Dehydrate at 160 F for 4+ hours - until done. Of course if your dehydrator doesn't go up to 160 F or it has no temp control it will take longer. Of course you could also use your oven if you don't have a dehydrator.

5. Mop drool off floor in area of dehydrator.

This produces a much nicer consistency than the stuff you find in pet stores and you get the peace of mind of knowing you're giving your pooch a healthy treat. They must taste a lot better too because I tried offering Rocky one of the store bought strips while I had a freshly dehydrated strip in my other hand and he showed no interest in the store bought strip.

I just keep a good amount in the fridge and put the rest in the freezer. Oh, and the beef jerky turns out great every time too! I'm loving the dehydrator!

kayboxer · #10 07-19-2008, 08:04 AM

Good! I'm glad it is working for you. I need to make some I guess for my babies. I hate it when you slide in the drool!