First time jerky making prep

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I understand what your saying Charlie but most common household scales aren't accurate enough to measure 0.04 oz.  I have a Tor- Rey commercial scale and one level teaspoon measures .2oz all day long.  I am like you though, I like to weigh all my ingredients, Much easier to figure out percentages but it is much easier for most to follow measurements.
 
 
I understand what your saying Charlie but most common household scales aren't accurate enough to measure 0.04 oz.  I have a Tor- Rey commercial scale and one level teaspoon measures .2oz all day long.  I am like you though, I like to weigh all my ingredients, Much easier to figure out percentages but it is much easier for most to follow measurements.
I agree, most scales won't measure down that far in ounces and that's why I bit the bullet and got a good scale that measures in grams.  It does cost a bit for a quality one, but we do tend to pay for more for the quality products in this madness we call a hobby! 
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Now, like I told my son who's in college and wanted to make sausage at his buddies house out in Albuquerque, if you don't have (or can't afford) a GOOD scale, go get some quality measuring spoons and make sure to level them carefully...

Charlie
 
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The one thing that concerns me here is the bha and bht preservatives that are in the turkey sausage used to make the jerky... Adding another preservative like cure #1 to meat that already has preservatives in it.......I'm not familiar with bha and bht so I cant answer about adding the additional cure. My suggestion is to use fresh ground turkey and season/cure so there will be no question as to safety of the product
 
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You are absolutely right Charlie. I have heard many times (my recipe calls for 10 pounds of meat and I have 13 1/2 pounds. What am I supposed to do with 3 1/2 extra pounds of meat? ) I say get a good scale and you can add the extra ingredients to make a 13 1/2 lb. batch. Or vise versa you need 10 lbs to make jerky but I could only find a 8 lb piece of meat and it came out too salty.
A good scale will pay for itself in no time.
 
 
The one thing that concerns me here is the bha and bht preservatives that are in the turkey sausage used to make the jerky... Adding another preservative like cure #1 to meat that already has preservatives in it.......I'm not familiar with bha and bht so I cant answer about adding the additional cure. My suggestion is to use fresh ground turkey and season/cure so there will be no question as to safety of the product
That's exactly the reason I bowed out and said I couldn't answer him about making the sausage jerky...

I've looked those preservatives up and really can't find an answer I'm comfortable with that would allow me to tell someone to make jerky from meat that contains them...

Charlie
 
 
To get to the recommended 156ppm of cure, that should be 1 gram of cure per pound of meat.  That would be .035 oz of cure.

Now this is if you're using Cure #1 which contains 6.25% of sodium nitrite and 92.75% of salt.  (The pink stuff we get here in the states)

Charlie
 
Wow I hope that was a type O Mr. Cue

 Pink cure - 1 teaspoon per 5 lbs of meat.

 Morton Tender Quick - 1 Tablespoon per pound of meat.

 Be careful not to get confused between the two. 

Morton Tender Quick contains salt and sugar  and 0.5% nitrite and 0.5% nitrate. ( I don't know what % is salt and what % is sugar)

Pink cure contains  93.75% salt and 6.25% nitrite.

I would pick one and stick to it as to not get confused.  If you inter change the two your  product results will not come out the same using identical recipes. If you find a recipe that calls for cure#1 use cure#1.  If you use Tender quick as a replacement the finished product will be too salty.
Sorry, I wasn't clear on what I was saying. I was talking about the tender quick and meant tbs, not ounce. Seems like you guys got the science down with those precise weights and measures. I tend to avoid cures unless they come in a premixed pack like the Backwoods seasoning for these reasons, I don't have a precision scale nor the patience to figure these amounts out. I smoke at temps of 200°F to avoid bacterial growth and keep the stuff properly stored so it won't spoil. I would however like to learn how to cure meat the right way so thanks for pointing out that bad oversight.
 
Using cure is quite simple.....For cure #1 its 1 gram per lb of meat . If you don't have a scale to measure a gram add 1 tsp to 5 lbs of meat. With tender quick use 1 1/2 tsp per lb of ground meat and use 1 tblsp for whole meat like curing a ham
 
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The general amount of curing salt to use is 1 oz to 1 pound of meat. As for that sausage, it contained BHT/BHA and citric acid which all act as preservatives, not cures. These are added in place of cures like sodium nitrate to prevent the spoilage of fat. I have used store bought pork sausage that was preserved in a similar manner to make beef snack stix and cured with a Backwoods Seasoning and Cure packet with no ill effect, just be careful how much cure you are using as too much is toxic. Never exceed a ratio of 1 oz cure to 1 pound of meat.
Making a statement like this can be dangerous. if someone is using cure #1 and they listen to your post they will be treating 1 pound of meat with enough cure to treat 25 pounds of meat! That is why I commented and said I hope that was a typeO.  I just wanted to make sure you weren't misguided or given false information.   I hate to see any one get sick, poisoned or be afraid to use curing salts, This is a fun and rewarding hobby and I want everyone to enjoy it while being safe.

 This is a good place to learn how to break free of the bagged seasoning kits.  I bought my Tor-Rey scale for $89. on sale it is approved for sale and trade. I have a 1 gram weight and 1 1/2 pound weight to check the calibration to make sure it is accurate.   I'm sure some of the scales under 50 dollars may well be accurate enough . If you want to get in this hobby deeper a good scale is a must and you can tweak any recipe to your liking or batch size and call them your own.   For instance you want to make jerky, if your recipe is weighed out you can produce the same results every time with any amount of meat  1 pound or 15 1/2 pounds.

 Scott
 
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 The question about BHT and TBHQ

TBHQ is a highly effective antioxidant.[sup][1][/sup] In foods, it is used as a preservative for unsaturated vegetable oils and many edible animal fats.[sup][2][/sup] It does not cause discoloration even in the presence of iron, and does not change flavor or odor of the material to which it is added.[sup][1][/sup] It can be combined with other preservatives such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). As a food additive, its E number is E319. It is added to a wide range of foods, with the highest limit (1 gram/kg) permitted for frozen fish and fish products. Its primary advantage is enhancing storage life.

It is used industrially as a stabilizer to inhibit autopolymerization of organic peroxides. It is also used as a corrosion inhibitor in biodiesel.[sup][3][/sup] In perfumery, it is used as a fixative to lower the evaporation rate and improve stability. It is also added to varnishes, lacquers, resins, and oil field additives.

The US National Institutes of Health report that BHA is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen based on evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals. In particular, when administered in high doses as part of their diet, BHA causes papillomas and squamous cell carcinomas of the forestomach in rats and Syrian golden hamsters.[sup][5][/sup] In mice, there is no carcinogenic effect,[sup][5][/sup] and even evidence of a protective effect against the carcinogenicity of other chemicals.[sup][4][/sup]

When examining human population statistics, the usual low intake levels of BHA shows no significant association with an increased risk of cancer.[sup][6][/sup] The State of California, has, however, listed it as a carcinogen.[sup][7][/sup]

Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), also known as butylhydroxytoluene, is a lipophilic organic compound, chemically a derivative of phenol, that is useful for its antioxidant properties. European and U.S. regulations allow small percentages to be used as a food additive. While there may be some dispute in BHT's use in the human diet, the chemical is widely used in industry wherever oxidation in fluids (e.g. fuel, oil) and other materials must be treated, and free radicals must be kept in check.

So I would say it is safe to add nitrite to the meat.  The question is If you think either of these is safe to consume.
 
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Using cure is quite simple.....For cure #1 its 1 gram per lb of meat . If you don't have a scale to measure a gram add 1 tsp to 5 lbs of meat. With tender quick use 1 1/2 tsp per lb of ground meat and use 1 tblsp for whole meat like curing a ham
 
Making a statement like this can be dangerous. if someone is using cure #1 and they listen to your post they will be treating 1 pound of meat with enough cure to treat 25 pounds of meat! That is why I commented and said I hope that was a typeO.  I just wanted to make sure you weren't misguided or given false information.   I hate to see any one get sick, poisoned or be afraid to use curing salts, This is a fun and rewarding hobby and I want everyone to enjoy it while being safe.

 This is a good place to learn how to break free of the bagged seasoning kits.  I bought my Tor-Rey scale for $89. on sale it is approved for sale and trade. I have a 1 gram weight and 1 1/2 pound weight to check the calibration to make sure it is accurate.   I'm sure some of the scales under 50 dollars may well be accurate enough . If you want to get in this hobby deeper a good scale is a must and you can tweak any recipe to your liking or batch size and call them your own.   For instance you want to make jerky, if your recipe is weighed out you can produce the same results every time with any amount of meat  1 pound or 15 1/2 pounds.

 Scott
Good info and thanks again for catchinn/correcting my mistake. I still have a lot to learn.
 
The general amount of curing salt to use is 1 oz to 1 pound of meat. As for that sausage, it contained BHT/BHA and citric acid which all act as preservatives, not cures. These are added in place of cures like sodium nitrate to prevent the spoilage of fat. I have used store bought pork sausage that was preserved in a similar manner to make beef snack stix and cured with a Backwoods Seasoning and Cure packet with no ill effect, just be careful how much cure you are using as too much is toxic. Never exceed a ratio of 1 oz cure to 1 pound of meat.

Mr. Cue.. you can go back to this post and edit it so that it reads correctly... that way there won't be a mishap if somebody that's just starting out reads it and try's to follow those instructions....
 
MrCue, I feel certain that my reply and Jerky Nut's reply were not made to belittle or slam you, we only made the observations we did so as to protect you and many others.

Yes, this hobby (madness?) that we all have can get quite confusing when you take into consideration all of the variables we have to work with.

As I've been told in the past, I tend to sound like an old chemistry professor, but take notes, notes, and more notes....  Refer to logs, tables, calculators and personal findings...  NEVER change more than one thing at a time when trying to iron out a recipe...

I'm a newbie here, but I've lurked long enough to know that you and I both have landed in a great place to increase our knowledge!

Now, back to regularly scheduled programming...

Charlie
 
CrankyBuzzard is correct, My intent was not to make you feel bad or bust your chops. I make mistakes to. I am here to help but I'm also here to learn, and seek help and advice.
 
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The cajun sausage turkey jerky turned out tasting horrible. Far too salty tasting and just not a good overall flavor. The sticks also took much longer to dehydrate than the strips. I ordered some cajun seasoning online and we will see how that turns out with just ground turkey jerky and cure in strips Sunday night most likely.
 
Sorry to hear that Falco78. Been their before. If you use ingredients that have salt in them it's hard to figure out the salt content . Such as soy sauce,Cajun seasoning, old bay seasoning or any thing like that.
 
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Sorry to hear that Falco78. Been their before.
Take heed and realize, as one begins in this journey, he shall make a few things that even the dog won't eat....

My dog hates me since I tend to experiment a LOT!

Hang in there bud, you made one good batch, you can make many more!

Charlie
 
 
 The question about BHT and TBHQ

TBHQ is a highly effective antioxidant.[sup][1][/sup] In foods, it is used as a preservative for unsaturated vegetable oils and many edible animal fats.[sup][2][/sup] It does not cause discoloration even in the presence of iron, and does not change flavor or odor of the material to which it is added.[sup][1][/sup] It can be combined with other preservatives such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). As a food additive, its E number is E319. It is added to a wide range of foods, with the highest limit (1 gram/kg) permitted for frozen fish and fish products. Its primary advantage is enhancing storage life.

It is used industrially as a stabilizer to inhibit autopolymerization of organic peroxides. It is also used as a corrosion inhibitor in biodiesel.[sup][3][/sup] In perfumery, it is used as a fixative to lower the evaporation rate and improve stability. It is also added to varnishes, lacquers, resins, and oil field additives.

The US National Institutes of Health report that BHA is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen based on evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals. In particular, when administered in high doses as part of their diet, BHA causes papillomas and squamous cell carcinomas of the forestomach in rats and Syrian golden hamsters.[sup][5][/sup] In mice, there is no carcinogenic effect,[sup][5][/sup] and even evidence of a protective effect against the carcinogenicity of other chemicals.[sup][4][/sup]

When examining human population statistics, the usual low intake levels of BHA shows no significant association with an increased risk of cancer.[sup][6][/sup] The State of California, has, however, listed it as a carcinogen.[sup][7][/sup]

Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), also known as butylhydroxytoluene, is a lipophilic organic compound, chemically a derivative of phenol, that is useful for its antioxidant properties. European and U.S. regulations allow small percentages to be used as a food additive. While there may be some dispute in BHT's use in the human diet, the chemical is widely used in industry wherever oxidation in fluids (e.g. fuel, oil) and other materials must be treated, and free radicals must be kept in check.

So I would say it is safe to add nitrite to the meat.  The question is If you think either of these is safe to consume.
 
The cajun sausage turkey jerky turned out tasting horrible. Far too salty tasting and just not a good overall flavor. The sticks also took much longer to dehydrate than the strips. I ordered some cajun seasoning online and we will see how that turns out with just ground turkey jerky and cure in strips Sunday night most likely.
IMHO I would not add a preservative to something that has a preservatives in it....  looks like your results show that....  Using the fresh ground turkey and seasonings with cure will be the way to go......I would get some chicken thighs and mix in some of the skin and fat so the turkey isn't so lean........
 
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If I were set on making turkey jerky, I would go to the grocery store get a boneless breast.  Go to the meat counter hand it to the butcher and ask them to slice it 3/16" thick slices.  I know they will slice beef for you but I'm not sure about poultry cause of cross contamination issues and regulations.  If not bring it home and slice it with a knife.  Find a jerky marinade recipe and soak the strips in it. add your spices and their you go.   The only reason I make jerky out of ground meat is to use up any leftover venison burger. But if you want to use ground turkey I would buy a cheap table top grinder and use breast meat and grind it my self. Or find a local butcher that sells ground turkey.  No need to add fat for jerky keep it as lean as you can that keeps it healthy.  Packaged meat is always loaded with preservatives to extend shelf life and retain it's color.
 
Do you have any information on shelf life if I vacuum seal the jerky?  If properly cured, and I vac seal it, does it need refrigerated or can it sit in the cupboard?  I've made jerky from venison burger many times and from backstrap.  It never lasts long, but I just got the vac sealer so I'm tempted to make a larger batch.

Thanks.
 
If you used the proper amount of cure it would grow mold and become too dried out to eat before it would become unsafe to consume.  The longer it sits out the more it dries out and looses flavor. If you make a big batch vacuum seal it keep it out of direct sunlight,  it will still be good a year  from now.  Although it will dry out a little over time even though it is sealed.  Also I wouldn't freeze it, it will get freezer burnt in time also. This is all from personal experience, their is nothing I know of in writing on this matter.
 
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