If you are lucky enough to have more game than you can cook at once there are several ways to preserve your harvest. The most important aspect is to follow food safety guidelines so no one gets sick.

One popular way to preserve the harvest is to make jerky. Colorado State University conducted extensive studies on the safest way to make jerky at home. They found that the traditional methods did not provide adequate destruction of E. coli 0157:H7. Illness from salmonella has also raised questions on homemade jerky.

One of their recommended methods, “Hot Pickle Cure” is easy to make and delicious. All safe methods for making jerky require cooking the meat before placing it in the dehydrator or oven. USDA currently recommends that meat be heated to 160 F before the dehydrating process in order to destroy pathogenic microorganisms.

To make jerky using the Hot Pickle Cure method follow these steps:

• Keep meat in refrigerator until it’s ready to use (If meat has been frozen, thaw in refrigerator).
• Slice as evenly as possible into1/4 inch X 1 inch wide pieces
• Sprinkle evenly with a mixture of 3 T. salt, 2 T. sugar and 2 tsp. of spices (i.e. pepper, onion and garlic powder)
• Pound with mallet
• Place meat in flat pan (be sure NOT to use aluminum)
• Cover and refrigerate overnight

The next day:

• Make a brine by dissolving ¾ cup salt, ½ cup sugar and 2 Tbsp. spices (i.e. pepper, onion, garlic powder)
• Bring brine to boil
• Place about 10 pieces at a time in the boiling brine for 1 ½ to 2 minutes. THIS HAS BEEN LABORATORY TESTING TO PROVE THAT IT WILL KILL E. COLI 0157;H7 AND SALMONELLA
• Remove with slotted spoon and place FLAT on dehydrator trays or oven racks.
• Place racks in pre-heated dehydrator or oven that maintains a temperature of 145 F. Use a thermometer to be sure that the temperature stays at 145 F. Do not rely on the temperature settings!
• Dry 8 – 10 hours. The meat should crack when bent in half, but not break into 2 pieces.
• Let cool. To ensure safety and protect flavor, it is best to keep jerky in the refrigerator or freezer.

There are major safety concerns with ground meat jerky because:

• Ground meat, in general has more potential for food borne illness because the surface area of ground meat is mixed throughout the product, the bacteria are more difficult to destroy.
• USDA recommended the minimum internal temperature of 160 F PRIOR TO DRYING because of the safety concerns.

Another method of preserving that extra game is canning. What a convenience food!

• Use only good quality, properly cleaned and cooled game
• Place raw cubes of meat in a canning jar
• Do NOT add water, but salt is optional
• Wipe edge of rim and place on new canning lid

All canned meats must be processed in a pressure canner, one with either a weighted gauge or a dial gauge. The pressure canner will insure a sufficiently high temperature to kill all bacteria that causes spoilage and food borne illness.

Process pints for 75 minutes or quarts for 90 minutes at 11 pounds pressure. The complete instructions are in the “Safe Home Canning of Fruits, Vegetables and Meats” available at your local Extension Office.

Some people say they have a concern about actually using the pressure canner. The key is to remain in your kitchen the whole time you are using a pressure canner. Now is not the time to go out and rake leaves or talk on the phone. Watching the gauge to make sure it does not get too high is a safety factor when using a pressure canner.

Freezing game is probably what happens to most of the extra meat. Use good quality freezer packing material to prevent freezer burn. If you are freezing the trimmings to use later for sausage, meat sticks or ground meat be sure to follow these guidelines:

• Clean it first –take off the hair, leaves, etc.
• Leave the trimmings whole—do not grind
• Freeze in food grade packages—processors have said they people bring them trimmings frozen in garbage bags. These are often treated with insect ides so you don’t get bugs in your wastebaskets.
• Don’t put in 5 gallon pails, even if they are food grade because it takes too long to freeze and so long to thaw that people might be tempted to hurry up the process and thaw at room temperature.

Peer reviewed by Suzanne Driessen, University of Minnesota Extension Educator, Food Science, June 23, 2008.