-----Original Message-----
From: Beckwith, Gary <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wednesday, December 09, 1998 11:12 AM


>1. I'm not particularly crazy about eating jerky, so I was thinking instead
>of drying out the meat and then re-hydrating it when I'm ready to eat it.
>Has anyone else tried this with meat - or with vegetables?


yup...works pretty good, especially if you're making soup or stew. but be
sure to rehydrate and cook at the same time...otherwise it can spoil pretty
quickly.

>2.  Is it necessary to remove all the fat from meat before drying it out?


yes. if there are tiny traces, don't panic, but try to use very lean meat
and remove any visible fat. fats and oils in the meat can retard the drying
process, and the fats themselves can go rancid once the meat is dry. my
roomate once tried to help me out by making a batch of jerky for me. he knew
i marinated the meat in spices before i dried it, so he did the same...but
he made the marinade with oil. the batch was virtually inedible.