Jerky shooter

[bdidaho]

I just shot my first bear and I plan on making jerky or sausage out of it. I usually make jerky by slicing meat and hanging it in my smoker after I marinade it but I was was told the jerky shooters work pretty well with ground meat. I'm sure some of you have used them before, what do you think of them? BD

 

[skeet20]

shooter

I have used a shooter for years and like it better than slicing the meat. You get uniform pieces and I can get more in my dehydrater. You also get pieces with the same thickness so the dry more evenly.

 

[ardrhi]

I prefer the sliced meat, but I still use the jerky shooter a lot. It can be pretty hard to push lean meat through and cheaper models can pop apart. Adding some cold water to the meat helps, but increases the dry time.

 

[spook12]

I love my jerky shooter! The only down side is my wife can't keep it made as fast as me and the kids can eat it.

 

[putm2sleep]

we do both, but i prefer the texture of sliced. my kids do not care either way, like spook12 said.

 

[NChunter]

After I got a jerky shooter, that is all I use. It tastes the same and is a little easier to chew.

 

[DRAFTSTUD]

I am with NC, my teeth like the shooter stuff alot better! LOL John

 

[schmalts]

Like it, just don't over dry the stuff or it is crumbly. Test it after a few hours and take the stuff out as soon as it looks like it is dried enough. Dont wait until the stuff is all brown or it is over done. Freeze or fridge the stuff and it will keep longer. If you want it a little drier just leave the bag open in the fridge and it will air dry.

 

[Oak]

I do snack sticks with the shooter pretty much exclusively now, and I used to make a ton of hand sliced jerky. The sticks are just way easier to make. As schmalts said, don't overcook it. It is easy to do, because it will dry out a lot more after you take it out of the smoker/dehydrator/oven. It's a good idea to leave the bag open for a few hours after putting it in the fridge, or you will get a lot of condensation in the bag and it won't last as long. I usually make large batches at a time, vacuum seal it and freeze it.

 

[bdidaho]

Thanks for all the input . I think I'll try a shooter.
BD