In November 2011, the Food and Drug Administration issued a cautionary warning regarding chicken jerky products made in China after receiving about 1,000 reports of illness associated with consumption of the product.
The treats have been linked to pet illnesses and even deaths across the United States and Canada. Despite exhaustive testing, the FDA has not found a contaminant causing illnesses. Although several brands of jerky treats were recalled in January after New York state agriculture officials found unapproved antibiotics in them, the antibiotics are not likely linked to the reported illnesses.
If you choose to feed your pet jerky treats, one option is to dry your own treats using a food dehydrator or your oven. This allows you to buy local, high-quality meats, giving you peace of mind about the safety of the ingredients.
The basics
Dehydration preserves foods by removing moisture, which inhibits the growth of microorganisms. You can dehydrate most raw meats, such as slices of beef, chicken, turkey, fish, or liver, as well as many fruits and vegetables, such as sliced apples, sweet potatoes, and carrots. Several brands of small dehydrators are reasonably priced and easy to use. These machines have stacked or slide-out trays that hold the food to be dehydrated. A motor provides heat and powers a fan that blows hot air over the food. A tray at the bottom catches excess moisture. You can also dry foods in your oven — on a cookie sheet — if it can be set at a low enough temperature. The lowest temperature for many ovens is 150 degrees Fahrenheit, and that’s fine. Prop the oven door open a few inches with a towel so hot air laden with moisture can escape. This works well, but because your oven is also heating the air in the kitchen, it uses more energy than a food dehydrator would.
Store dehydrated foods in airtight containers in the refrigerator or freezer. Protect these foods from moisture and humidity, or they will spoil.
The American Veterinary Medical Association advises pet owners who feed jerky treats to do so in small quantities and only on occasion, especially with small-breed dogs.
Chicken Jerky Strips
The thinner you slice the meat, the less time it takes to dry. Popping the meat into the freezer for about 15 minutes beforehand makes it easier to slice thinly.
Ingredients- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast tenders, sliced into strips about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- Rinse off chicken breast and remove any fat. Fat slows down the dehydrating process and makes your jerky spoil faster. Slice the chicken with the grain. This will help make the jerky even chewier.
- Lightly coat the chicken slices with vegetable oil to prevent sticking.
- Place the chicken breast strips evenly on the tray, leaving space between them and making sure they do not touch each other.
- Once they are all in the dehydrator, turn it on and set the temperature to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The jerky will probably take between three and 12 hours to fully dry, depending on how thick you cut your slices. Start checking it once every hour after the first hour. To check it, open up the tray and take one slice out. Cut it open with a sharp knife and examine the inside. You should see no moisture at all, and it should be the same color throughout. If it’s not finished, put it back in for another hour. Once it gets close, check every half hour.
- Once your jerky is done, store it in airtight containers. Write the date you made it on them. Out of the refrigerator, the treats last about 10 days in an airtight container. They’ll keep in the refrigerator for approximately three weeks. They can also be frozen for up to eight months.
From a fellow dog lover!
***I tried to dehyrate salmon....it was a disaster and the smell was awful....I don't suggest dehyrating fish
I have 2 dehydrators made by Excalibur, a 9 & 5 tray. I did a lot of research and all the forums kept mentioning the Excalibur as the "hunter's choice". The Excalibur dehydrators are square in shape, which gives you more overall square footage. The heater/fan is mounted in teh back of the unit for even dehydrating. I have never had to rotate the trays. They come with and without timers. If you don't get a timer, you can always purchase one at any drugstore or hardware store for about $10.00. One of my dehydrators has a timer and one does not. After I use my dehydrators, I put the trays in the lower portion of my diswasher and the tray screens in the upper rack. I run a cycle and all I do is wipe them dry. I use Clorox hard surface cleaner to wipe down the outside and inside of the dehydrator. I have paraflex sheets that I use for fruit roll ups...I use them to line the bottom of the dehydrator. You can also use some parchement paper. Even though the inside stays pretty clean...I just like to line the bottom. Excalibur Dehydrators are more expensive than most home use units, but the money you save by dehyrating your pets treats, will pay for the unit in no time. They make a very affordable 4 tray unit, great for 1-2 dogs. Of course, any dehydrator you get is fine. There are many on Amazon.
Dehydrator
With anything I dehydrate, I take the product from the dehydrator and put it into a large bowl. I put the bowl into the refrigerator, uncovered, for several hours or the day. This quick cooling down process will "draw" out any heat and keep your product from getting soggy from the humidity in the air.
Storage: Any product I dehydrate gets stored in the freezer or refrigerator. If I store in the freezer, I use my FoodSaver vacuum sealer to seal the bags. With the chicken tenders, I do not vacuum out all the air because the ends of the tenders will puncture the bag. I also leave some air in the bag for Turkey Jerky and fruit, which are not hard and might squish together, if the bag was completely vacuum sealed. I never leave any dehydrated product stored at room temperature. If you dehydrate any product and will not be freezing it, just store in the refrigerator, in a sealed container.
***As with any pet treat, always supervise until your pet has finished.
Chicken Tenders for your dog
Boneless chicken breats (do not add any seasoning): Freeze the breasts for about 2 hours. This will make slicing them easier. I cut the breasts into 1/4" strips as your chicken will loose 3/4 of its weight. If you slice the strips too thin, they come out like chicken crackers....and it will take seconds for your dog to eat it. Lay the strips evenly on your dehydrator screens, not overlapping them. I start to dehydrate the chicken tenders at about 3-4 pm and let them dehydrate overnight. In the morning they should be done. Inspect each piece and if you see any white, squishy spots....flip those pieces over and let them dehyrate longer. The tenders might feel a little oily, but they should be a nice transluscent golden color..and they should be hard. Put all the tenders into an open bowl (do not cover). Put the bowl into the refrigerator, uncovered, for several hours or for the day. This will "draw" out the heat and completly dry any surface oil up. I then use my FoodSaver vacuum sealer to package the tenders that will be frozen into packages. With the chicken tenders, I do not vacuum out all the air because the ends of the tenders will puncture the bag. Whatever my dogs will be eating, I keep in a zip lock bag in the refrigerator. These tenders are full of natural juices. I only give my dogs 1 a day as a treat. They are not to be given as a meal. As with any pet treat, always supervise until done.
Turkey Jerky for your dog (cats like them too)
Ground Turkey (do not add any seasoning): You will need a Jerky Shooter/Gun to make your jerky. I have a Jerky Shooter from Gander Mountain, but you can find them on Amazon as well.
Jerky Shooter
My Jerkey Shooter comes with 2 tips...a wide flat one and a round one (like a slim jim). I like to use the wide flat tip. Fill the shooter with ground turkey. Shoot the turkey onto your dehydrator screens in a long a strip as you can. Do not overlap the strips. Dehydrating varies..about 8 hours. The jerky should be dark brown, not pink. When you break a test piece..it should be brown on the inside. The strip will be firm but flexible. Take a pair of kitchen scissors and cut the strips into bite size pieces, into a large bowl. Put the bowl, uncovered into the refrigertor for several hours or the day. Follow the storage instructions above.
***for a variation...bake and puree sweet potato to mix with the raw ground turkey
***I use a bottle brush to clean out the Jerky Shooter.
Cinamon Apples for pets and people
Any type sweet apple, peeled and cored: Dehydrated apples can be sliced in rings or in wedges. For the dogs, I like to use one of those apple slicers that will core and wedge the apple into 8 wedges when you push it down onto the apple. I then cut each apple wedge in half...so you will have 16 wedges per apple. Put all the apple wedges into a large bowl and dust with cinamon. Place apple wedges on your dehydrator screens. Apples contain a lot of moisture, so dehyrating times vary, about 8-10 hours...but it will take all day. Or, you can put them in early evening and let them dehydrate all night and check in the morning. The inside should not be mushy. While still warm, they will feel a little rubbery. When you feel they are done, once again, put them into a large bowl and coold down in the refrigerator.They will get firm when cold. Follow the storage instructions above.
Banana Chips with or without cinamon
Peeled Bananas: cut into pieces 1/4" to 1/2" max...make all pieces consistant in size. Lay pieces on your dehydrator screens. If you want to use cinamon, sprinkle on the banana slices while they are on the screens, before you put into your dehydrator. Bananas also contain a lot of moisture and will take time to dry out, about 8-10 hours. Taste one to make sure it's done to your liking. If you feel the inside is mushy (thicker pieces)...just dehydrate longer. They will also be rubbery when warm. Transfer all the pieces into an open bowl, cool down in the refrigerator to cool down. They will harden up when cold. Follow the storage instructions above. Here is a link to a great banana slicer if you make a large quantity like I do.
Banana Slicer
A link to fantastic Fast & Easy Dehydrator Recipes from Excalibur..click on the "Bone" icon for a few pet treats
Recipes
© 2011
