{"id":967,"date":"2020-07-23T23:44:32","date_gmt":"2020-07-23T23:44:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.k9learning.com\/?p=967"},"modified":"2020-07-24T00:08:18","modified_gmt":"2020-07-24T00:08:18","slug":"how-to-make-homemade-dehydrated-chicken-jerky","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.k9learning.com\/index.php\/2020\/07\/23\/how-to-make-homemade-dehydrated-chicken-jerky\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make Homemade Dehydrated Chicken Jerky"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
It\u2019s the 5th month that we are still under Shelter in Place order with limited business reopen. While I am not fully back to provide in-person dog behavior consultation and training, I continue to use this time to improve my knowledge on canine behavior by attending webinars and online workshops. As much as I can read and observe from my canine learning materials, I still need other things to spice up my daily routine which leads me to explore the fun of homemade dog treats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
My dog, Bailey, always enjoys homemade treats more than store-bought. Chicken jerky is one of the few items he would eat if I get it from stores. Because of his age (going to be 11 years old in 3 months!) and teeth condition, I notice he doesn\u2019t like store-bought chicken jerky as much as before. He would still eat them but requires the jerky to be cut into small bits for easy chewing. So, I decide to make homemade jerky for him so I can control the thickness and hardness of the jerky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you need to make homemade chicken jerky:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A dehydrator (I have this one: Nesco\nProfessional 600W 5-Tray Food Dehydrator, FD-75PR)<\/li>
2 packs of frozen chicken breasts<\/li>
8-12 hours drying time depending on the\nthickness of the meat<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
You can use pretty much any meat protein that your dog likes to make into jerky. I have tested with beef, chicken, chicken hearts, chicken gizzards, smelts, calamari and squids. I used to get these ingredients from a local Asian supermarket but due to COVID-19, I haven\u2019t been to my favorite Asian supermarket for as long as we are in SIP. Because these proteins are raw, it is recommended to freeze for at least 3 weeks to minimize any potential parasite risks. Store-bought, human-grade meats are pretty safe because most of them are pre-frozen, but I still like to freeze it for 3 weeks before I get it ready for jerky. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once the meat is\nfrozen for 3 weeks, I take the meat out of freezer to defrost. While it is\nsemi-frozen, that\u2019s the time to cut the meat into the desirable thin layers. After\nthe 2 packages of chicken breasts are all cut to size, place them on the dehydrator\ntrays with space between each piece.\n\nThis time, I made some thin chicken chips and\nchicken twists, just for fun.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\nRaw chicken pieces are ready for DH~<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
The temperature to dehydrate protein is set at 160\u00b0 F\nor 71\u00b0\nC. Depends on how thick the pieces are, it would take at least 8-12\nhours for chicken. For oily meat or fish, you will need to keep it for longer\ntime. If you are doing bully sticks, it can go up to 36 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNesco Professional 600W 5-Tray Food Dehydrator, FD-75PR<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
So, while the meat is in the dehydrator drying, I have time to listen to quite a few webinars and learned about dealing with dog-dog aggression cases and helping fearful and anxious dogs through play.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAfter 4 hours in the dehydrator,the meat is already looking like a jerky but still soft in some parts that are thicker.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
I kept checking on the meat and finally, they looked DONE after 9 hours!<\/p>\n\n\n\nChicken jerky & chicken twist<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Once the jerky is done, let it cool on a cookie rack for at\nleast 2 hours. Don\u2019t rush to put them into a plastic zip-loc bag or a mason jar\nwhile the jerky is still warm. This would make it go rancid quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I like to let the jerky cool off for at least 2-3 hours, sometimes overnight, before I store them in a zip-loc bag or a cookie jar. Since it is a relatively big batch when I make jerky, I usually leave 1\/3 of the portion out for a week to use. Keep the 2\/3 portion in an air-tight container for up to 6 weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBailey did a quality control and loved it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It\u2019s the 5th month that we are still under Shelter in Place order with limited business reopen. While I am not fully back to provide in-person dog behavior consultation and training, I continue to use this time to improve my knowledge on canine behavior by attending webinars and online workshops. As much as I can … <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.k9learning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/raw_chikcen.png\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.k9learning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/nesco.png\")
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.k9learning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/bailey_qa.png\")