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http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/x6932e/X6932E00.htm#TOC

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Rome, 1990
© FAO 1990

Hyperlinks to non-FAO Internet sites do not imply any official endorsement of or responsibility for the opinions, ideas, data or products presented at these locations, or guarantee the validity of the information provided. The sole purpose of links to non-FAO sites is to indicate further information available on related topics.
Contents

Introduction

1. Slaughtering and raw materials for meat preservation

2. Simple techniques for production of dried meat

3. Meat preservation by thermal treatment

4. Impact of packaging methods on meat preservation

5. Basic methods of quality control

Table 1. Pistola system, primal cuts expressed in percentage of cold carcass weight

Table 2. F-values corresponding to various temperatures

Table 3. F-values in relation to temperature and time

Table 4. Decimal reduction rates during heat treatment

Table 5. Recommended thermal treatment for selected products
Illustrations

http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/x6932e/X6932E02.htm

2. Simple techniques for production of dried meat

Large page of instructions and diagrams for cutting the meat.

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http://www.paleofood.com/jerky.htm

Dried Meats: Jerky and Pemmican
For Marinades and Dry Rubs see chapter near beginning.
Jerky

Hans’ Jerky

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My main food is jerky made from ordinary ground meat (”organic” 10 % fat,
or game) as I buy it in the shop (sometimes frozen). I mix cautiously with
a little olive oil and seasoning (herb) or grated raw carrots. NO SALT.
Then I just spread “meatballs” onto the dehydrator wire mesh with the help
of a fork. Dry at 30 degrees C (=centigrades). Can be stored (above the
fridge) for at least a month without any spoilage.
Cheap, easy, practical, tasty!
From: Hans Kylberg

Hans’ Recipe for Dried Meat

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You can certainly dry meat in any dehydrator. In fact it is easier than
most veggies/fruits. Just cut thin slices, or do as I do: Buy lean
ground meat, mix with herbal spices (such as thyme), and smear with
a fork directly on tray mesh, making flakes 1 - 2 inches across and
1/16 - 1/8 inch thick.
From: Hans Kylberg

Basic Beef Jerky

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Use lean beef with as much of the fat trimmed off as possible.
(Actually, just about any meat should work — the original
recipe calls for buffalo.)
Cut into strips about 1/8” thich and 1” wide. (I tend to cut
mine a little thicker. Doesn’t really matter, just be
consistent.)
Marinate strips in sauce for at least 30 minutes. This
gives it a slightly salty taste and helps bring out the
flavor when dried.
“Jerk” or pull strips lightly and lay out on an ungreased cookie
sheet in a single layer.
Set oven at the lowest temperature, and keep it propped open
while drying the meat. It should not get above 140-150F
during the drying process. If you have a gas stove, you
might be able to get away with the heat generated from the
pilot light.
Dry the meat until it is tough and chewy. The original recipe
says 12 hours or overnight, but I’ve found that around 4
hours is sufficient in my oven. The drying time is really
dependent on your oven. I suggest testing a small piece
every hour or so until it gets to the right consistency.
DO NOT over-dry the meat. It tends to powder and loses flavor
if it’s over-dried.
I’ve experimented with spices a little - I’ve found that a mix
of curry powder, cumin, garlic powder, turmeric, and white pepper adds
quite a punch to the flavor. After marinating, coat the meat on ONE
side ONLY with the spice mix and then place on the cookie sheet.
(Since curry is rather over-powering, dipping both sides loses
the meat jerky flavor and all you taste is spice.)
The jerky keeps very well in an airtight container, or it can
be frozen (make sure it’s _very_ airtight).
(The basic recipe is from The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American)
From: the rec.food.recipes archives

Beef Jerky recipe

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For each pound of meat:
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. FRESH black pepper - Fresh flavor is important!
3 tsp. marjoram
Garlic powder - Optional

Sprinkle above ingredients onto a *THICK* steak. Pound in with mallet. Cut
beef into strips and lay on oven rack with aluminum foil underneath to
catch drips (If available, an arrangement like a roasting pan is perfect.
Heat oven to 150 degrees F and open oven door slightly to allow water to
escape. Cook 7 to 8 hours, or until the meat is dry and slightly brittle —
It should “splinter” when bent.
From: rec.food.cooking

Jerky

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We’ve made Jerky for years from beef and venison, and I believe this will
work for almost any kind of meat.
We cut the meat into thin strips, the thinner the strips the crunchier the
jerky comes out, maybe 1/4” thick will make chewy jerky. By the way, cut
all the fat off the meat as you’re stripping.
Lay out the strips on a cookie sheet lined with foil, turned up at the
edges so juice won’t get over everything. Lay out in rows and a single
layer. Sprinkle liberally with black coarse ground pepper, or spices that
you like the taste of.
Set the oven to WARM, and leave in the oven overnite, or 8-10 hrs. This
causes very slow drying. Store in a plastic container, jar, or can after
well cooled. Too much moisture left in the meat will cause mold, and
putting it away while warm will cause sweating inside the container.
From: moynes_r@qis.dofasco.ca (Richard Moynes) in rec.backcountry

Jerky

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To make jerky, take a raw piece of beef round or chuck, quite lean
and slice it thin, across the grain. Lay the slices across the racks
of the dryer for two days and nights — test it by breaking a piece,
it is dry enough when it cracks in two when you break it. The smaller
and thinner you cut the pieces of meat before drying them, the quicker
they will get tender as you soak and cook them
(remember, its easier to slice thinly if the steak is partially frozen)
One pound of sliced beef dries to 4 ounces of jerky, making
A ratio of undried to dried meat of about 4:1.
Before drying the meat, you can season it with some combination of the
following spices: paprika, pepper, salt, or other concoctions. Garlic is
wonderful on jerky. I recommend
rubbing the meat with cut cloves of garlic before slicing it.
A marinade will change the taste slightly, and cause the meat to take
longer to dry. Marinating tenderizes the meat however.
From: THE HUNGRY HIKERS BOOK OF GOOD COOKING, by GRETCHEN McHUGH

General Jerky Method

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All recipes use 1 lb lean meat, thinly sliced. (3/16-1/4 in thick)
In a small glass bowl, combine all ingredients except meat. Stir to mix
well. Place meat 3-4 layers deep in a container, spooning sauce mixture
over each layer. Cover tightly and marinate 6-12 hours in the ‘fridge,
stirring occasionally and keeping the mixture covered.
I can’t really help with drying instructions, but i’d say somewhere between
7-10 hours, depending on how you like it.
From: rec.food.preserving

Salmon Jerky

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I slice the filets in 1/2 cm thin slices leaving the skin on (most of the
oil is underneath the skin so you don’t waste it neither oxydise it that
way ) put in the drier at body temperature and dry hard for storage and
half dried for delicacy to eat on the spot.
No need for anything else that will spoil the taste that is superb on its
own especially with coho or sockeye (the best species of salmon).
Dried that way the salmon keep its “instinctive stop” sharp and clear. If
your body metabolism don’t want salmon you will know it clearly if it want
it the taste is sublime.
When you season you can bypass this instinctive response and eat something
that will become a burden on your metabolism.
I am under the impression that putting salmon in Brine or lemon juice or
whatever which interfere in the osmotic balance between inside and outside
of the cells, will use up Enzymes as well as heat, triggering all kinds of
chemical reactions altering the originel nutrient content. By adding
honey or sugar even more so (proteins and sugars combine)
The oil is highly oxydable, so to store dry salmon keep in air tight jar
inside the fridge in darkness.. (it is why it is so important to leave the
skin on while drying .
Once dried insert a round ended knife between the skin and the flesh, you
can easily separate the two and scrape the skin to get the fat layer. (The
best when you need that kind of fat.)
From: jean-claude on the PaleoFood list

Pemmican

Chicken Pemmican

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Dry chicken in dehydrator, process in food processor; add melted coconut
butter/oil and put in paper muffin cups. I freeze these so I won’t eat them
all at once.
From: Susan Carmack

Coconut Oil Pemmican

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Susan Carmack wrote:
>I think I ate too much pemmican with coconut oil last night!
>But it tastes so good!

Yes it does. It is the most delicious dish I have ever had.
I mix in some thyme or dried lingonberries. Yum.
I can’t resist it, so I eat too much.
From: Hans Kylberg on PaleoFood list

Pemmican

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2 cups buffalo jerky or beef jerky, shredded
1 cup dried chokeberries or tart red cherries, chopped
6 TBSP tallow (beef fat)
Combine all ingredients and form into 6 patties. Refrigerate until serving.
From: dgkmom@pinn.net (Diane Karnbach)

Pemmican, According to Ray

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I make pemmican by grinding up several lbs of dehydrated eye of round
slices with a handfull of dried cherries in a food processor or blender
(or between rocks if you’re a purist). The meat should dried until
brittle to facilitate grinding and eliminate any moisture which could
facilitate bacteria or mold. To this I add tallow until the dried
meat is totally saturated. It’s then done. Total time (apart from
dehydrating meat) 15 minutes.
I save tallow from broiling (cheap) hamburger during the previous week. I
leave the broiling pan in the oven after the burgers are done for about
10 minutes at 350 then leave it in the warm oven until I do the dishes.
I then srain out the tallow into a bowl. As it now contains no water, it
dries hard and white (it can be substituded for wax in making candles).
If kept dry, pemmican will keep longer than you will live. Beware of
condensation in airtight containers. I keep mine in a cassarole dish
with a loose fitting glass lid on top of (not in) the refrigerator.
From: Ray Audette
Author “NeanderThin: A Caveman’s Guide to Nutrition”

MMMMM-——Meal-Master

Title: Hudson Bay Company Pemmican
Categories: Canadian, Info, Camping, Preserving, Meats
Servings: 1 info file

“There is little object in travelling tough just for the sake of
being tough.”- The Governor and Company of Adventurers of England
Trading into Hudson’s Bay, an early employee manual.

Pemmican: pound a quantity of jerky until shredded. Cut fresh fat
into walnut sized hunks and try out over a slow fire or in an oven.
Pour the hot fat over the shredded jerky and mix into a sausage meat
like consistency [a 50/50 mix]. Pack mixture into waterproof bags.
Add dry berries if desired; do not salt. It takes 5 lb of meat to
make 1 lb jerky so pemmican isn’t overly fatty, just concentrated.

From Wilderness Cookery by Bradford Angier of Hudson Hope, B.C.,
published by Stackpole Books, 1961

Also:

Preserving game meat, not jerky: Cut meat into large strips, make a
rub of 3 pounds salt, 4 tb allspice and 5 tb pepper. Drape over wire
and air dry one month. Slice thin and eat raw or use in stews.

From Wilderness Cookery by Bradford Angier of Hudson Hope, B.C.,
published by Stackpole Books, 1961

Pemmican: try adding dried apricots, ground walnuts, allspice or orange
peel to the mix. Small seasoned pemmican balls make interesting
appetizers.

From The Complete Hunter Venison Cookery, Cowles Creative Publishing
Posted to rec.food.preserving by Jim Weller on 31 Jan 99

MMMMM-————————————————————————

>>>Here’s an idea I wanted to see what my canning mentors thought:<<<

Yep, sure can use that method..... IF:

1. You meticulously practice very good sanitation in the preparation of the ingredients.

2. You always smell the opened jar to be sure there is no off odor indicative of some spoilages. Remember, however some types of spoilage does not cause an odor such as C. Botulism. Old timers did this and expected to throw out a few that were bad.

3. You follow the standard 10 minutes of hard boiling of all canned goods and 20 minutes for corn, spinach, greens and meats. ALWAYS boil it to neutralize the toxin from C. Botulism spores.

From U.Fl.-
“Most outbreaks of foodborne botulism are the result of poor home canning mechanisms. Proper time, temperature, and pressure required to destroy spores as well as proper storage methods of home canned food products is necessary to ensure the safety of the consumer. According to the CDC, a pressure cooker can be used for home canning purposes merely because it can reach temperatures higher than boiling point (212°F) which is necessary to kill the spores.

While the botulinum spores are heat stable, the toxin itself is heat-liable, so heating a food to more than 176°F for 10 - 20 minutes before consumption can greatly reduce the risk of illness.”

Sooooo, Just remember saying Grandma always did this or that and not knowing the whole story can be dangerous.

Oh, keep in mind that your level of vulnerability to bacteria and toxins is linked to immune systems strength. Under a SHTF situation you will be stressed and your immune system will suffer, making you more vulnerable.

Guess the choice is up to the individual... More risk or less risk... I’ll take the less risk - thanks...

http://www.destitutegourmet.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=38

Dough has not lost its charm for me, I am not so keen on sour dough but I love peasant style breads, free form, make it up as you go along sort of breads. With this in mind I have put together a simple all purpose flat bread recipe that you can improvise with and adapt to suit yourself.
If you have attended a dg cooking class this year then you will recognise the basic dough as the one we make into Sciaciatta during the class.
If you have never made bread before then you can be confident of getting a good result if you follow this recipe, its easy, as bread goes its pretty quick, will make the house smell fantastic and makes 2 or 4 loaves.

Market day flat bread
I imagine that food like this would have been sold from market stalls for centuries before, packaging and bulk distribution took over. Each day the loaves would probably vary according to what was plentiful. Some would be a meal in themselves like a deconstructed pizza, others delicious in their simplicity for spreading with cheese, dunking in soup or snacking with beer according to Richard who is something of an expert when it comes to both snacking and beer.

6 cups plain flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 sachet instant dried yeast – (8 grams of instant yeast)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 ½ cups warm water

In a large bowl combine the sugar, salt, flour, yeast and oil. Stir in the warm water and mix to form a soft dough, turn it on to the bench adding more flour if needed, then knead until smooth and springy, 5-8 minutes.
Place dough into a clean greased bowl, cover with cling film and microwave on low power for 1 minute, rest the dough for 10 minutes then repeat. After the second rest the dough should have doubled in size. (Alternatively set aside in a warm place until doubled in size).
Punch the dough down, knead lightly and divide into two or four pieces. Roll and stretch the dough into oblongs and transfer to baking sheets. Add toppings of your choice and bake in a preheated oven at 210 ° for 20 – 30 minutes. Bread should be golden and sound hollow when tapped.

flat-breads2Ricotta, Basil, tomato and Parmesan:
Ricotta is a low fat soft cheese made from whey, spread it over the bread as a base flavour then top with slices of fresh tomato, basil leaves and grated parmesan cheese. Drizzle with a little olive oil.

Thyme, bacon and goat’s cheese:
Spread the dough with tomato paste, scatter with chopped bacon, crumble with goat’s cheese (feta) and sprinkle with fresh or dried thyme.

Garlic and Parmesan:
Brush the dough with olive oil, sprinkle with 3 chopped cloves of garlic, grated parmesan and rock salt – excellent with a cold beer according to the expert.

Grape and chocolate: grape-flat-bread2
I love this, using the fat purple grapes from our vine; the family aren’t so keen, try for your self or improvise with other fruit.
Press the fruit over the surface of the dough, scatter liberally with chocolate chips and brown sugar. Serve warm.

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http://www.outdooradventurecanada.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=648

I have this one listed in my recipes as Breakfast Bars, but they make a good healthy snack anytime.

4 eggs
1/3 cup honey
6 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
1 cup wheat germ
* 1 cup husked sunflower seeds
* 1 ¼ cup mixed nuts
* 1 ¼ cup dried-coconut meat

* OR substitute 3 ½ cups of any type of your favourite “Trail Mix” type mixture from the bulk food section.

Preheat oven to 350 deg.F. Mix eggs and honey together, and then stir in remaining ingredients to make a thick batter. Spoon mixture into an 8 inch pan greased with cooking oil, margarine, or butter. Bake for about 30 minutes or until lightly browned, and then allow to cool. Divide into evenly sized bars. Yields approximately 12 bars.

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Okay, this one is quick and easy to do.

I have tested it on posh muesli with lots of nuts and exotic
fruit, cheap basic muesli and low fat - lots of rice pops in
it type muesli and all worked well. The mixture makes 18 bigger
than bought ones bars so you may want to cut them in half.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), makes 18 big bars.

5 cups muesli
1½ cups plain flour
½ cup sugar
200 g butter
5 tbsp golden syrup
1 tbsp baking soda
¼ cup boiling water

Melt the butter and golden syrup together in a saucepan or
microwave. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water and add to
the butter and syrup. Pour the liquid into the muesli mixture
and mix thoroughly. Using wet hands press the mixture into a
well greased sponge roll tray and roll firmly over the top
with a can or jar to compress the mixture. Run a knife around
the edges of the tray to neaten and firm the edges. Bake in
a preheated oven for 12 minutes.

Cool in the tray before slicing.

OH..... I should have said where that recipe came from. It’s from http://www.destitutegourmet.com

http://www.outdooradventurecanada.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1588

So I have stopped fighting it and let my inner “Wild Child” come out and tried working up a couple of recipes since I got into dehydrating. This one worked fantastic at home but I waited till I had a chance to test it on a campfire.

Candied Apple Bannock!

Ingredients (bannock for one person)

1 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tbsp lard
1/4 tbsp salt

These ingredients are packaged into a ziplock at home before heading out

one dehydrated apple in slices
3 packets vanilla sugar
4 tbsps sugar
3 ounces of medicinal spirits
for this attempt I used St. Remy Brandy, I have tried Courvoisier and Grand Marnier, both excellent!
Dab of butter

First, pour 2/3 of the medicinal spirit into a cup and sip...enjoy the flavor and continue to sip as needed!

Next

Add remaining spirit and a small drop of water to a ziplock and toss in apples to let them soak up the flavor!

Open packet of Bannock mix and add 2 packets vanilla sugar. Add small amounts of water and knead in ziplock to form a dough, separate dough into two equal sized balls and flatten to form each into a thin pancake.

Sip the cup of spirit!

Places the flavored apples onto one of the dough peices, put the second dough on top and seal the edges, the leftover liquid from the ziplock of apples will help seal the dough together over the apples!

Place two pans over the fire.
In the first add 4 tbsp sugar and the remaining vanilla sugar, aong with a quarterish or so cup of water and bring to a boil, let this simmer till it has reduced by about half, while this is reducing, melt butter in second pan and place bannock dough in. When bannock is browned on bottom, turn the pan on its side in the coals to finish baking. When bannock is done remove and let cool slightly, by now the sugar mixture should be reduced to about half and will be forming big bubbles

(you could at this point let the sugar stay on the heat till it caramelizes but I have never had the patience to wait. Spoon the hot sugar liquid on top of the bannock and let cool!

This sugar liquid will crystallize into a rock candy within seconds of being taken off the heat, so add two cups of water to remaining suar mix and let boil again to make the cleanup much easier to deal with!

Enjoy!

Kirk

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Hey WC......I tried the stuffed bannock idea again this weekend up in Algonquin PP...this time with mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce....Pizza Pockets on the campfire....just yummy!

www.thecampfireonline.com

http://www.bushcraft.survivalbill.ca/phpBB3/index.php

All about backpacking, camping and all that goes with it:

http://www.outdooradventurecanada.com/forum/default.asp

Camp cooking:

http://www.outdooradventurecanada.com/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=10

For sale, cookbook for camping:

http://www.aforkinthetrail.com/

Sample recipe:

http://www.wildernesscooking.com/fork/trail-food.htm

Blueberry Banana Energy Bars

This recipe appeared in the May 2008 issue of Backpacker Magazine. In the magazine the recipe was titled Blueberry-Banana Peanut Butter Bars. Laurie’s trail bars were included as part of an article called “The Perfect Menu” by Dorothy Foltz-Gray abd Elizabet Kwak-Hefferan

Makes 10 servings

1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 cups high-energy cereal or cereal made of strong flakes, crushed
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup dried banana chips
1/3 white chocolate chips

At Home
Break the banana chips into smaller pieces and set aside. Heat the honey and brown sugar in a large pot and let simmer for 1 minute. (Boiling too long will make the bars brittle.) Remove the pan from the heat and add the peanut butter. Stir until the peanut butter is well incorporated. Add the crushed cereal, blueberries, almonds, and banana and chocolate chips and combine well.

Coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan with vegetable oil. Scoop the mixture into the pan and pack down evenly. Freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer the pan contents to a cutting board. Allow to return to room temperature and then cut into 10 bars. Wrap bars in waxed paper and store in ziplock bags. The bars will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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http://www.wildernesscooking.com/fork/trail-baking.htm

Peach Gingersnap Cake

I adapted this recipe from one of my favorite childhood treats, my mom’s hot water gingerbread. The peaches pair nicely with the spice, and using commercially prepared dried peaches eliminates the need for a dehydrator. A dollop of vanilla pudding is a delicious topping for this dessert.

Makes 3-4 servings

1 tablespoon powdered egg
1/8 cup white sugar
1/8 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup dark molasses
1/2 cup dried peach slices
1/4 cup hot water

At Home
Package the powdered egg in a small ziplock bag. Combine the remaining dry ingredients and pour them in another ziplock bag. Place molasses in a small leakproof jar. Put the peaches slices into another freezer bag. Place the freezer bags and the jar of molasses in a larger ziplock bag. Pack the butter with the other butter you are taking on your trip.

At Camp
Chop the peaches into pieces and put them in a little boiling water. Let sit until they’re rehydrated and then drain. Meanwhile cream 1/8 cup of butter and 1/8 cup of sugar together. In a separate cup or bowl, mix the powdered egg and 1 tablespoon of water, stirring until all the lumps are gone. Add egg and molasses to the butter mixture and then beat until well combined.

Give the dried ingredients in the ziplock bag a good stir and then add them to the butter mixture. Stir until combined. Slowly add 1/4 cup hot water while stirring. When well combined add the drained peaches.

Line the bottom and sides of a pot or pan with parchment paper. Pour the batter in the pan. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool slightly before serving.

Tip
If you have leftovers, wrap them and eat them for breakfast the next day.

http://www.bwca.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=forum.thread&threadId=11138&forumID=18&confID=1

02/14/2006 12:56PM

Lots of good stuff here:

http://www.freezerbagcooking.com/

I get a lot of my backpacking recipes from this site.

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f you learn how to dehydrate just one thing, learn how to dehydrate hamburger. Then a whole bunch of supermarket foods open to you, mainly in the form of Hamburger Helper: Stroganoff, Spaghetti, Oriental Rice, the list goes on. Put your hamburger in a zip lock. Get rid of the Hamburger Helper box - ie repackage the ingedients along with the directions. Rehydrate the burger in a pot (cover with warm water for at least an hour. Drain most of the excess water off. Then simply follow the directions using a pot instead of a pan, starting at the point after the hamburger has been browned. Maybe a little extra water.

Here’s how to dehydrate the meat:

1 # of Ground Meat (beef, venison, turkey).

Brown in frying pan or cook in microwave till all redness is gone. Drain off all fat. “Flash off” meat (Add 1/2 cup water to cooked meat, bring to a boil, and drain off all fluids. This process is to reduce fat to as little as possible.). Repeat flashing off process two or three times. Spread crumbled, cooked ground meat on tray. Dry in dehydrator for up to eight hours or overnight turning meat occasionally to ensure even drying (this can be done in an oven as long as the temperature is under 150 degrees and door is opened a bit to vent moisture). The stuff looks and feels like large pieces of ground coffee.

Put the dried meat in a Baggies sandwich bag (you might have to use two separate bags). Squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible and it tie shut with a simple knot (don’t use a twistie — it can puncture the bag. Put that bag(s) in a second bag. It should be a zip-lock freezer bag. Store in freezer until the trip.

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I also wanted to make you aware of two other Helpers that are even easier — Chicken and Tuna Helpers. There is the foil pack tuna and now foil pack chicken available in the supermarkets. So you can avoid dehydrating altogther!

Once you’re armed with dehydrated hamburger, foil chicken, foil tuna, powdered milk, and dried eggs (health food stores or co-ops), you can just wander the supermarket ailses and find all types of dried/dehydrated foods that will work for you.

Oh! One more thing that might be useful - tomato paste. Cover your dehydrator tray with a fruit leather sheet or plastic wrap. Spread a 6 oz. can of tomato paste about 1/4 inch thick. Dry 6 - 8 hours. After 4 hours, peel up tomato leather and turn over (this speeds the drying process). Tear it into small pieces and store in a zip-lock bag in freezer.

With the tomato paste and dehydrated hamburger you can add it to Bear Creek Darn Good Chili mix or a spaghetti sauce packet (gravy section). You’re good to go.

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n January this year I did a winter camping trip off the South Brule Road (see trip reports) and I dried venison burger as above and it was wonderful. I also tried dehydrating diced venison chops, diced chicken breast, and sliced venison polish sausage. First I cooked the chops and chicken on a George Foreman grill and then cut it into cubes. I re-hydrated the diced meat in my instant pasta and rice dishes on the trail. I wouldn’t do the chicken again as it was pretty chewy. Maybe I didn’t let it soak long enough in water to rehydrate but that really isn’t an option winter camping anyway. The sausages I boiled first, then sliced and dried. They worked out great and I will do them again along with the burger and chops. I imagine beef would work about the same as venison if the fat is removed first.
I need to try that tomato paste idea - it sounds great.

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Guys,
On your dehyrated burger do you use leaner burger such as gound chuck, ground round or just regular hamburger?

Bruce

You want the leanest burger possible, and you want to rinse out every bit of fat you can after it’s cooked. The fat is what will cause it to go rancid.

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Other links to dehydrate meats and foods for camping here:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&q=+site:bwca.com+dehydrating+meat&ei=uHYpS6ncCYOHlAeGj-CjBw&sa=X&oi=forum_cluster&resnum=7&ct=more-results&ved=0CCYQrQIwBg

When I checked the brined foods search, it didn’t answer all my questions, so I went further and am now hopelessly lost:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&q=dehydrating+meat&revid=680460666&ei=0HUpS_uiLcTalAeMz-GcBw&sa=X&oi=revisions_inline&resnum=0&ct=broad-revision&cd=7&ved=0CEEQ1QIoBg

At end Dry Dog food recipes link:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&q=dried+meat+recipes&revid=680460666&ei=0HUpS_uiLcTalAeMz-GcBw&sa=X&oi=revisions_inline&resnum=0&ct=broad-revision&cd=1&ved=0CDsQ1QIoAA

http://www.google.com/search?q=brined+meats+for+long+storage+time&btnG=Search&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&sa=2

http://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+dry+meat&btnG=Search&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&sa=2

Here’s an idea I wanted to see what my canning mentors thought: this is from a survival group and I’ll just post the idea here - he said you don’t need a pressure canner for meat, a cooker would do.<<<

I wouldn’t take the chance, unless there was no other way to save the food and there is always drying the meat.

A flat rock and a round one to fit your hand and once it is dried, you can grind it up.

I would think that some where along the line, you would loose food value, with the extreme cooking times.

And there are so many reports of illness and death from home canned foods that come out of Russia, in ProMedMail, that I doubt they have the home pressure cookers and may well use his methods.

Read up on salted meats and brined meats, as those methods were still in use when I was young, we rarely had pork that did not have a crust of salt on it..........

LOL, this will keep you busy and out of trouble:

http://www.google.com/search?q=salted+meats&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

http://www.google.com/search?q=brined+meats&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

http://www.google.com/search?q=Read+up+on+salted+meats+and+brined+meats&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Welcome to the thread.

Thank you for posting the link for Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

It is a excellent company.

Purr Baby is growing and getting to be the ruler of this house.

She runs and gets on as if she had all 4 legs.

She keeps attempting to tell me when it is bed time, as she prefers the big bed to sharing a small desk chair.

I thought that I saw TT once, but he spooked and ran before I got more than a quick look.

You are right, time to think seeds.

The year went so fast and it is not sticking in my brain, that it is gone and time to think of planting seeds.

Thank you for the seed links, they will help everyone.

Weekly Harvest Newsletter

Sustainable Agriculture News Briefs - December 16, 2009

Weekly sustainable agriculture news and resources gleaned from the Internet by NCAT staff for the ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service Web site. The Weekly Harvest Newsletter is also available online.

Share The Harvest: Please forward this newsletter to friends and colleagues who might be interested in the latest sustainable agriculture news, funding opportunities, and events.

News & Resources
* Publication Addresses Climate Change and Ecosystems
* Website Provides Information for Berry Growers
* Online Greenhouse Training Course Available
* New Publication Links Student Gardens and Food Service
* Report Compares Conservation Program Participants
* LSU to Establish Biofuels Institute

Funding Opportunities
* Kentucky Nonpoint Source Pollution Grant
* First Nations’ Community Food Projects
* Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative

Coming Events
* Wisconsin Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Conference
* Practical Farmers of Iowa Conference
* Virginia-North Carolina Shepherd’s Symposium

News & Resources

Publication Addresses Climate Change and Ecosystems
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/%21ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB/.cmd/ad/.ar/sa.re
trievecontent/.c/6_2_1UH/.ce/7_2_5JM/.p/5_2_4TQ/.d/1/_th/J_2_9D/_s.7_0_A/7
_0_1OB?PC_7_2_5JM_contentid=2009%2F12%2F0611.xml&PC_7_2_5JM_parentnav=LATE
ST_RELEASES&PC_7_2_5JM_navid=NE
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in cooperation with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), released The Effects of Climate Change on U.S. Ecosystems today at the climate talks in Copenhagen, Denmark. Based on a wealth of source and review literature, the report concludes that climate change is already affecting U.S. agriculture, land resources, water resources, and biodiversity, and will continue to do so. The report identifies the effects climate change is having and is expected to have on natural resources and ecosystems services in the U.S. over the next several decades.

Website Provides Information for Berry Growers
http://www.extension.org/pages/N.C._MarketReady_Lauches_Blackberry,_Raspberry_Portal
Farmers in North Carolina have a new online resource to help them grow their blackberry and raspberry operations. The Blackberry & Raspberry Growers Information Portal (http://www.ncsu.edu/enterprises/blackberries-raspberries) was launched recently by N.C. MarketReady, a program of N.C. State University, with a grant from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission. N.C. MarketReady developed the Blackberry & Raspberry Growers Information Portal as a one-stop shop to bring together on one Web site all the resources pertaining to business management and production of blackberries and raspberries in North Carolina.
Related ATTRA publication: Organic Culture of Bramble Fruits (http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/bramble.html)

Online Greenhouse Training Course Available
http://www.extension.org/pages/Greenhouse_Crop_Production_Training_Course_Offered_Online
A self-directed online course is being offered for greenhouse employees nationwide, according to Charlie Hall, Texas A&M University Ellison Chair in International Floriculture. The course provides introductory-level information about the greenhouse industry plus learning models on greenhouse crop production from beginning to end, controlling insects and diseases, and shipping and handling procedures, Hall noted. Videos are used throughout the course sections, and the instruction is available in both English and Spanish with transcripts available for downloading.
Related ATTRA publication: Organic Greenhouse Vegetable Production (http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/ghveg.html)

New Publication Links Student Gardens and Food Service
Student Gardens and Food Service (PDF/989KB) (http://www.circleofresponsibility.com/uploads/documents/student_garden_guide_final_-_food_service.pdf) is a guide written by Bon Appétit Management Company, a leader in sustainable food service, to help student gardeners establish a successful relationship between the campus food
service team and the student garden. The company hopes that through this relationship, student gardeners will gain a significant new market to which they can sell their produce.The publication offers suggestions and stories from fellow student gardeners who have worked with staff members of Bon Appétit, and found unique ways to create a thriving partnership.
Related ATTRA publication: Bringing Local Food to Local Institutions (http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/farmtoschool.html)

Report Compares Conservation Program Participants
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eib62/
USDA Economic Research Service has released Participation in Conservation Programs by Targeted Farmers: Beginning, Limited-Resource, and Socially Disadvantaged Operators’ Enrollment Trends (PDF/1.1MB) (http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB62/EIB62.pdf). This report compares the natural resource characteristics, resource issues, and conservation treatment costs on farms operated by targeted farmers with those of other participants in the largest U.S. working-lands and land retirement conservation programs. Some evidence shows that targeted farmers tend to operate more environmentally sensitive land than other farmers, have different conservation priorities, and receive different levels of payments.

LSU To Establish Biofuels Institute
http://www.extension.org/pages/LSU_AgCenter_Establishes_Louisiana_Biofuels_Institute
The LSU AgCenter has received the go-ahead from the Board of Regents to begin establishing the Louisiana Institute for Biofuels and Bioprocessing. ‘The LSU AgCenter made a major commitment about five years ago to funnel resources into bioenergy research because of the critical need,’ said David Boethel, LSU AgCenter vice chancellor for research. ‘Louisiana is uniquely positioned for production of biofuels because of our diverse agricultural and forestry production sectors.’
Related ATTRA publication: Biodiesel: The Sustainability Dimensions (http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/biodiesel_sustainable.html)

> More Breaking News (http://attra.ncat.org/news/)

Funding Opportunities

Kentucky Nonpoint Source Pollution Grant
http://www.kentuckyagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=952&yr=2009
The Kentucky Division of Water (DOW) is accepting grant proposals for projects that will help improve water quality by reducing or eliminating nonpoint source pollution (NPS). Funding is available for projects that involve watershed-based plan development and implementation in impaired waters as well as protection of special-use waters with identified threats.
Proposals are due February 1, 2010.

First Nations’ Community Food Projects
https://www4884.ssldomain.com/firstnations/forms.asp?active_page_id=226&id=21
Ten tribes and/or Native American nonprofit organizations that are developing or expanding community food-related programs will be selected to participate in this USDA Community Foods Project-funded project. As with all First Nations initiatives, our goal through the Community Foods Project Competitive Grants Program (CFPCGP) is to assist Native communities to control their assets and build the capacity to direct their economic futures. The project will focus on the following priorities:

1. Increase awareness and understanding of the USDA CFPCGP within the Native American community;

2. Increase the pool of well-qualified Native American applicants within USDA’s CFPCGP;

3. Increase the organizational capacity of Native American CFPCGP grantees and potential applicants to carry out their programs effectively; and

4. Promote the use of community food assessments within Native American communities as a critical aspect of mapping community assets, and planning long-term solutions to address food security issues, and to promote sustainable, local, community-based food systems.

Proposals are due January 8, 2010.

Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=50276
The OREI seeks to solve critical organic agriculture issues, priorities, or problems through the integration of research and extension activities. The purpose of this program is to fund projects that will enhance the ability of producers and processors who have already adopted organic standards to grow and market high quality organic agricultural products. Priority concerns include biological, physical, and social sciences, including economics. The OREI is particularly interested in projects that emphasize research and outreach that assist farmers and ranchers with whole farm planning and ecosystem integration.
Proposals are due February 9, 2010.

> More Funding Opportunities (http://attra.ncat.org/funding/)

Coming Events

Wisconsin Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Conference
http://www.wisconsinfreshproduce.org/WFFVC/
January 3-5, 2010
Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
Open to all fresh produce growers and ag tourism operators — apples, berries, grapes, & vegetables. This conference features a wide variety of workshops, a large trade show and networking opportunities.

Practical Farmers of Iowa Conference
http://www.practicalfarmers.org/events/annual-conference.html
January 8-9, 2010
Marshalltown, Iowa
This year’s conference will celebrate the roots of Iowa sustainability by looking at the inspirations and techniques that have grown out of our dedication to Iowa’s farms and communities.

Virginia-North Carolina Shepherd’s Symposium
http://mdsheepgoat.blogspot.com/2009/12/annual-va-nc-shepherds-symposium.html
January 8-9, 2010
Blacksburg, Virginia
Friday’s program will be Sheep Management 101, an all-day hands-on clinic for beginning shepherds. The Shepherd’s Symposium on Saturday will include presentations on successful lambing, genetic improvement of parasite resistance, on-farm disposal of animal mortality, lamb marketing, ewe nutrition, and lamb carcass fabrication.

More Events (http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/)

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ATTRA Organic Small Grains Webinar Now Available

A 90-minute webinar produced by staff working on the ATTRA project is now available for viewing on the ATTRA website (http://www.attra.ncat.org/video/#small_grains).

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New & Updated Publications

Organic System Plans: Livestock Production
http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/new_pubs.php/2009/11/30/organic_system_plans_livestock_productio

Aquaculture Enterprises: Considerations and Strategies
http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/new_pubs.php/2009/11/18/aquaculture_enterprises_considerations_a_1

Building Sustainable Places
http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/new_pubs.php/2009/11/11/building_sustainable_places

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Question of the Week

What are some sources of information on building a walk-in cooler?
http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/question.php/2009/12/14/what_are_some_sources_of_information_on_

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Website of the Week

Farm Energy Alternatives
http://attra.ncat.org/wow/

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Ask a Sustainable Agriculture Expert

Submit questions to our professional staff online
http://attra.ncat.org/ask.php

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ATTRA Spanish Newsletter

Subscribe to Cosecha Mensual (http://attra.ncat.org/espanol/boletin.php)
(Monthly Harvest), ATTRA’s Spanish-language e-newsletter

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Subscribe to the Weekly Harvest
(http://visitor.roving.com/optin.jsp?m=1011223551022&ea=)

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(http://attra.ncat.org/newsletter/archives.html)
Digital versions of recent Weekly Harvest and ATTRAnews newsletters are available online. ATTRAnews is the newsletter of ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.
(http://attra.ncat.org/)

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