Jerky

[JG3]

How long do you cook rabbit jerky in the oven? Obviously until it’s dry and done and that varies, LOL, but whats the ballpark park of hours for belly flaps you didn’t cut smaller? I’m only seeing recipes that cut them up online and so time would be shorter. Cooking at 225/250f.

 

[JG3]

And how do you tell When it’s done? I think I over cooked my first batch Oven recipes ranged from 1-8 hours so I was checking it every hour, and by 3 it was black and over cooked.

 

[kusanar314]

Your heat seems really high. You aren't COOKING the meat, you are drying it. My dehydrator does meat at around 155-160ish degrees.

 

[JG3]

Your heat seems really high. You aren't COOKING the meat, you are drying it. My dehydrator does meat at around 155-160ish degrees.

My oven only goes as low as 170 and all the oven jerky recipes online and in this forum said 200-250F.

I will have to try a dehydrator or smoke it.

 

[eco2pia]

I would say lowest temperature is best, but 170 is fine. also, you know it is done when you twist a piece and it turns white--the connective tissue is popping loose from the muscle fibers, looks papery. It should be almost crisp, rather than "chewy". Chewy will happen as it cools, and draws moisture in from the air.

--edit to add: this also varies with local climate. in humid areas it will remoisten, in arid climates you might want to go for less "crisp".

If you don't use pink salt (nitrates) store it in the fridge, in an air tight container. Rabbit jerky is only unique due to flavor, any jerky recipe should give similar advice about done-ness and storage. The reason it is hard to give an exact drying time is that it can be affected by ambient humidity which varies by season and across the country.

 

[JG3]

I would say lowest temperature is best, but 170 is fine. also, you know it is done when you twist a piece and it turns white--the connective tissue is popping loose from the muscle fibers, looks papery. It should be almost crisp, rather than "chewy". Chewy will happen as it cools, and draws moisture in from the air.

--edit to add: this also varies with local climate. in humid areas it will remoisten, in arid climates you might want to go for less "crisp".

If you don't use pink salt (nitrates) store it in the fridge, in an air tight container. Rabbit jerky is only unique due to flavor, any jerky recipe should give similar advice about done-ness and storage. The reason it is hard to give an exact drying time is that it can be affected by ambient humidity which varies by season and across the country.

Thanks for the info!
We will still eat this stuff, it’s overdone, but still edible. Trial and error i Guess. Next time I’ll try 170. today I had to leave I’m the evening too, so couldnt be watching it all night if it took too long.