How to make jerky and pemmican in a few easy steps

Jerky has been a staple food for travelers all across the world for hundreds of years. It's a delicious and nutritious snack food that is easy to carry and lasts for a long time. Here's a guide to making jerky:

The word jerky is derived from the Spanish word charqui which comes from the Peruvian ch'arki, meaning "dried meat."

• The jerky carried among the provisions of early travelers was meat with all its visible fat removed, cut into thin strips, sprinkled with salt when available and strung up on sticks or wire to dry.
• Some of Australia's early explorers made their horses and camels into jerky when the animals died during the long expeditions across inhospitable terrain.
• Jerky and its derivative, pemmican, were diet staples for the native peoples of North and Central America. A similar drying technique produced South African biltong.
• Almost any meat can be jerked, but lean beef and venison produce the best results.
• Jerky is nutritious survival food and is also light and easy to carry. It remains edible for months if stored in containers with a little ventilation. Today, jerky and pemmican are still enjoyed as tasty snack foods and are popular with campers and backpackers.

• Cut lean meat into long, wide slabs about two to three centimetres (one to 1/2 inches) thick and cure for three to six days in sweet pickle brine.
• Rinse the slabs well and leave them to dry in a cool place.
• Use a very sharp knife to slice the meat length­wise into 0.5-centimetre-wide (1/4-inch-wide) slices; slicing is easier if the the meat is first chilled to near freezing.
• Hang the sliced meat on racks and cold smoke at 25°C to 30°C (77°F to 86°F) for 12 to 36 hours.
• The jerky is ready if it snaps when bent rather than merely folding.

Native American women made pemmican from powdered air-dried venison or buffalo meat by mixing the meat with melted fat and cranberries or other bitter berries.

• Pound some jerky into a powder or run it through a meat mincer.
• Add finely chopped or ground seeds, nuts or dried fruit.
• Bind the mixture together with melted beef fat and roll it into balls.
• Store in a lidded container in a cool, dry place.

There you have it -- an easy guide to make your own jerky. Perfect for hunters or people who know hunters, jerky is a great way to make sure you make the most out of whatever you got during hunting season. Make a batch and take it on your next camping trip so you can enjoy nature the way explorers have for hundreds of years!

--------------------

Discover the smarter way to save time and money

Ready to start saving more on your groceries and pharmacy purchases? Download the FREE YP Grocery app today! It lets you create shareable shopping lists, automatically finds all the best deals and coupons, then delivers them right to you. No more manually scrolling through hundreds of flyers to find what you’re looking for!

Download the YP Grocery app now!