The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-12-17
How to Make 'Jerky'
BY !. n. SHELDON


In these days of the growing scar
city Of wild life there is one phase
OF the preservation of game animals
which to the writer's knowledge has
been somewhat overlooked. Preserve
the life of the creature as well as pos
sible but when it has been taken the
next important step is to preserve the
meat or to make it possible to use
every edible part Of the animal.
There is perhaps not sportsman
but who is acquainted with the term
jerky, though doubt If more than a
few know how to prepare it, especi-
ally so far as to make it palatable
for the home table.
Thousands of deer are killed every
season and thousands of pounds of
their carcasses are left in the woods to
appease the appetites of the carni-
vorous element or to rot, as the case
may be. Usually the head is taken as
a trophy, and part of the animal is
consumed in camp, perhaps one hind
quarter and the tenderloins; the rest
is left for want of an available means
of preserving it until cold storage is
reached.
In most instances the game is found
too far from a shipping point to make
it convenient to bring home the entire
carcass in fresh state, hence the de-
STABILITY of curing the excess meat in
camp to eat at leisure during the win
ter months. To have venison out Of
season is rare and unusual dish and
little time spent in camp will pro-
vide many enjoyable dinners at home.
A baked jerky pot pie in January
(when the law keeps our rifles at
home) is most satisfying and deli
cious treat; helps out on the high cost
of living and breaks the mononotony
of the firing domestic varieties.
Jerky is made in number of ways.
Some tribes of Indians cut the meat in
strips and hang it from poles to dry in
the sun; method that serves the pur-
pose of the semi-civilized but as can
be judged. not the most sanitary. 1t is
subject to flies and other unwhole-
some elements of the air.
The Apaches smoke it over a
smoldering fire, and have seen guam
titles of venison hanging over cedar
poles curing in this manner. Some
mountaineers sprinkle the strips with
pepper to keep the flies from attacking
the meat while in its fresh state, then
hang it from the cross beams of their
cabins. but like the crude method Of
the Utes, cleanliness is in a measure
disregarded, while at the same time
the pepper makes it too much of a
Mexican dish to suit the tastes of the
more fastidious.
AS a result Of the foregoing and
some other unsatisfactory methods OF
making jerky, which have witnessed
and praotised, the following recipe is
the most practical and satisfactory
one have learned of; gained by OBJ
servance of the Apaches' better way
of curing meat in the wilderness:
The construction Of a green wood
frame can be erected in a few minutes
without nails or other hardware if
neither is at hand. A spool of nickled
wire is not essential but makes the
job easy and swift. The meat Is cut in
strips, averaging about eight inches
long and one inch thick; each piece
is first rolled in pan of salt-not
rubbed in, but pust sufficiently so as
to cover the surface lightly. Place
each piece of meat in bucket or
other convenient receptacle as sailed;
by the time the last piece is treated
in this manner a brine has formed
with the contents so that each and
every piece of meat is entirely fly
proof, as we'll as cured to the first
degree of the process. A fire having
been strated under the frame so as to
produce a generous bed of Goals coy
ering the entire space within the frame
is now ready to turn the fresh meat
into jerky. String the meat on the
wires (cut to fit the frame) and
stretch across tight When the meat
has thus been placed the last proceed
ure is to place few green limbs OF
aspens or other deciduous trees on
the hot Goals. This will produce the
required heat and smoke and if proper
ly cared for will not permit the blaze
to mount higher than about IL inches,
which sould be retained for about ten
hours, according to atmospheric con-
ditions. The cured meat can then be
put into canvas bags and other con-
venient retainers.-Forest and Stream