I mixed up 2 five pound bags of sliced meat for jerky yesterday(with cure). Took 1 bag out to put smoke on it, then into the dehydrator to finish. Well the dehydrator crapped out on me....so had to put it back in the smoker to finish drying. What a pain! My question is.......Can I put the other bag in the freezer with cure and all? There is no way I want to keep rotating the racks all day long agin! HWMBO said I had to get a new dehydrator because this has been to much work for me. I said, but dear the one I want is like $300 he said if you want it, get it! Being the dutiful ;) wife that I am, I got online asap to order the Cabelas 80L It's not due in until Nov 1. So what can I do with the meat?
freeze it!
people do it with different cured things and something happens that doesn't allow them to finish.
I remember one person had several bacon bellies he couldn't smoke and was told it would be ok to freeze.
Ditto with Sonny
The oven works if yours can go down to 160 degrees.
You could also use the Alton Brown method of using a few furnace filters (non-fiber glass type) and a square fan.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/beef-jerky-recipe/index.html (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/beef-jerky-recipe/index.html)
Thanks guys....I threw it in the freezer. Waiting anxiously for my new toy. :)
SiF,
I've frozen leftover jerky mix numerous times, and never had a problem. Back in the "Old days" when I didn't have the Cabelas 80l, I was always running out of room, so I'd throw the extra in a zip-lok bag, then into the freezer. When I had about 5 of those zip-loks stockpiled, I'd thaw them all, and make a pot-luck jerky (different flavors, ya know). Always turned out OK.
Jeff
That sounds like a good idea~