Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I could not find anywhere that sells beef jerky that's gluten-free (no soy sauce). The ones that are gluten-free have sugars and don't taste very good. So, I'd like to try making jerky and dried fruits at home. Thank you.

flag	asked Jan 5 2011 at 0:27 milee 13●1●3

David Leitner · Accepted Answer · 2011-01-05 01:41:52Z UTC

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Nesco FD-75PR 700-Watt Food Dehydrator is compact, powerful, and recommended by Kevin Kelly at Cool Tools: http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/004590.php

and has almost 300 positive recommendations on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Nesco-FD-75PR-700-Watt-Food-Dehydrator/dp/B000FFVJ3C

Don't have one yet but it is on my wishlist!

answered Jan 5 2011 at 1:41

David Leitner
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I've got this one. It's good stuff.. dries evenly.. I'm not sure what else its supposed to do :) – tylerw Jan 5 2011 at 5:32

I have the 500-watt version of the Nesco and it works wonders as well. I dry aged my meat in the fridge before making jerky and pemmican and it all came out quite tasty. – TexasPrimalSurfWahine -TPSW- Jan 5 2011 at 14:59

Ambimorph · Answer 2 · 2011-01-05 00:40:46Z UTC

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I use Lex Rooker's device. It's inexpensive to make (although maybe a little more than the advertised $10) and run, silent, and works perfectly. I haven't tried the screens for fruit, but that looks easy, too.

answered Jan 5 2011 at 0:40

Ambimorph
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	me too. i also made the screens and used them when pears were in season. – texasleah Jan 5 2011 at 3:16
	I just made one! I can't wait to see the results. – Goose Mar 6 2011 at 21:20
	Mine works great, takes about 2-3 days for beef, a little less for venison, don't know about fruits. I was aided by a wood stove in the next room. – Ebice Mar 7 2011 at 6:50

Jason · Answer 3 · 2011-01-05 01:47:09Z UTC

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I use my oven at 200 degrees as a dehydrator.

answered Jan 5 2011 at 1:47

Jason
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	I use my oven as well, but lower than 200. – W8liftinmom Jan 5 2011 at 5:21
	I don't recommend the oven. I used mine for awhile before building the box, and it was just okay a couple of times. Often I got hard, overcooked strips of meat. It took up the oven for too long, which I tend to use daily for broiling, and I think it was very expensive to run, especially compared to a a light bulb. That said, it takes no investment since you already have one, and can give you an idea of whether you want to spend the money or effort to get a better set up. – Ambimorph Jan 5 2011 at 20:25

Helen · Answer 4 · 2011-03-05 22:10:49Z UTC

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I have an Excaliber and I just love it. It has 9 shelves and the heating element and fan are at the back so there is no need to rotate the shelves if you don't want to. Plus, it has a thermostat that's adjustable from 85 degrees up to 145 degrees so its useful for making everything from yogurt to beef jerky. Oh, and I've had it for about 10 years and its still going strong...all-in-all great purchase.

answered Mar 5 2011 at 22:10

Helen
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	The Excalibur is the Porsche of food dryers. Great for large amounts of food at one time, and has the heat and airflow to do the job right. – Lacey Mar 5 2011 at 22:22
	Started with the Nesco but went to a jumbo Excalibur and I love it! I bought the Nesco to make sure I'd actually use it but it really was too small for my needs. You cannot do better than the Excalibur that's for certain. The Nesco works fine and is a good place to start. – Shari Bambino Mar 5 2011 at 22:36
	gotta speak up in support of Excaliber - love mine. – Aaron Mar 5 2011 at 23:24

Bill · Answer 5 · 2011-06-28 03:03:45Z UTC

The NESCO brand is probably your best bet. You can get extra trays to double your drying space. I like to rotate the trays about every hour for an even dry. One thing to remember about drying fruits; cover them with a light coating of lemon juice, it acts as a natural preservative.

You can also get Gluten-free Grass-fed Beef Jerky here: www.nomadjerky.com

James · Answer 6 · 2011-01-05 00:54:30Z UTC

1) What's your budget. 2) How much space do you have to spare. 3) What's your timeframe for drying. 4) How much hassle do you want to do with it?

Personally, starting off, I'd go with what Ambimorph has or the Alton Brown setup. If you've got a big family and want to go whole hog on it, get the more expensive ones. I'd stay away from the Ronco types. Fragile and noisy.

Marquel · Answer 7 · 2011-01-05 00:56:27Z UTC

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Go to stevesoriginal .com. All paleo. All Gf. All amazing products.

answered Jan 5 2011 at 0:56

Marquel
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Eric · Answer 8 · 2011-03-05 21:53:50Z UTC

My next kitchen appliance will be a dehydrator. I always thought store bought jerky was good stuff until I read the label and found it contained a whole bunch of crap. I can't wait to dive into the world of making my own beef jerky!

I've seen the Nesco brand recommended at a few sites.

Dillon Dooger · Answer 9 · 2013-04-10 17:19:30Z UTC

hey guys I'm looking for a little help before I purchase a dehydrator. I've ever dried food before or done jerky or anything but I want to get into it. I've been looking around for dehydrators and I'm leaning towards the nesco american harvest FD-37 that I found on this site best dehydrators and i'm curious what you guys think of nesco dehydrators or if you have suggestions of other brands I should consider? Any help would be great before I make a purchase, thanks guys.

Anyone have tips for a good dehydrator to make jerky and dried fruits at home?

9 Answers