Making Safe Jerky at Home Jerky is a nutritious, convenient meat product you can make at home. It is made by drying thin strips of lean meat to about one-fourth their original weight. In the past, the preparation and heating recommendations for jerky have been quite general. We then conducted inoculation studies and taste panels on various alternative treatment methods. Based on these results, we are providing directions for three of the most promising methods evaluated.
All methods involve a pre-treatment prior to drying.
While not as safe as the Hot Pickle Cure method, they produce much safer results than the traditional method. General Guidelines Use only lean meats in excellent condition. Keep meats refrigerated or frozen until use. If marinating meat in seasonings, store in the refrigerator. Don't save marinade to re-use.