Im considering buying a food dehydrator to make beef jerky, does it come out as good or better than the store?

Answer 1

you can get excellent results with a home dehydrator. my husband makes it quite often to the delight of friends and family. you can buy jerky-making kits, but often they are too salty. he constantly makes up his own flavors using just what we have in the house. he often makes asian-flavored jerky with soy sauce, 5-spice powder, and ginger, for example, or Caribbean jerk jerky. hubby will often do a few batches at once, and have "blind" taste tests w/friends, which is fun for everyone.

cuts of meat do matter. you can splurge and buy great steaks and make wonderful jerky, but that's kind of a waste. but if you buy the cheapest steaks out there, your jerky will reflect the steak's less-than-perfect nature (too stringy, too tough, not flavorful enough, etc). we buy when better cuts are on sale, and freeze it until he's ready to make it.

for those who said it's too dry/hard, you've let it dry too long. it's a taste-and-see process, where you sample several times throughout the drying time to get it the right consistency.

the dehydrator we have is one that was mentioned by someone else: round, stackable trays. we also dry garden produce, so it's not like this thing is only used for jerky. it's a more economical way to make those expensive dried tomatoes that are so yummy!

Answer 2

I have been using a dehydrator to make jerky for years. I forget the name of the dehydrator I have, but it's the type with the round trays that stack up, and it seems to work pretty well and you can commonly find extra trays for cheap at garage sales or thrift shops.

I think it comes out a lot better than the stuff from the store - you can make it as dry or moist as you want, and can make any flavor you like. If you like to eat a lot of jerky, you end up saving a lot of money as well.

Answer 3

I personally have never made jerky from the dehydrator but have tasted it that my friends made. Not only os it more healthy, I think it tastes WAY better than that stuff you buy pre-packaged. Of course, the seasonings you utilize will make or break the taste but when you do your own, there are no limitations! EXPERIMENT AWAY!

Answer 4

i have used a dehydrator to make beef jerky and it came out really hard, i think the store brand stuff is alot better

Answer 5

my hubby & brother both use a dehydrator to make their jerky & it always comes out really good. i think it tastes better than the store because you can flavor it anyway you like.

Answer 6

If you use it right then the jerky will be GREAT.

I make deer jerky in my oven and it comes out very tender and juicy. Its better to make your own, that way you can season it how you want it.

Answer 7

BETTER!!! you can make lots of different flavors, and you can make the jerky more or less dry depending on how you like it. you should definately get one.

Not to mention all the other delicious foods that you can dry!!!

Answer 8

A 16-ounce bag of World Kitchens beef jerky is around $8.50 at Wal-Mart . . probably cheaper than you can make it . . taste is entirely a matter of personal preference.
http://www.worldkitchens.net/Products.htm

Answer 9

I have used and I like it a lot, mostly because I can put the flavors that I like.

Answer 10

it is less dried out and more juicy than the stuff u buy in the store