Recipe: Savory Eggplant Jerky (2024)

FAQs

Do you have to blanch eggplant before dehydrating? ›

Pre-treating vegetables by blanching is recommended to enhance quality and safety.

Some oil may drip off during dehydrating, so place tray with solid sheet underneath mesh trays holding eggplant strips, and lay a couple paper towels on sheet. Dehydrate at 115 F for 12 to 18 hours, or until dry and fairly crisp. Cool eggplant jerky thoroughly, and then store in airtight containers or plastic bags.

Top tips for making jerky

The instructions are really quite simple, but here are a few tips to ensure you have the best possible jerky results: use the freshest meat possible. use lean cuts like top or eye of round. pat the jerky dry from any marinade before dehydrating to accelerate the process.

As the vegetables heat up during the blanching process, the enzymes begin to increase their activity before being deactivated by the high temperature. If the vegetables are not properly blanched, the enzymes will continue their activity even after cooling.

Most food can be dehydrated at home, with the general exclusion of dairy products and high-fat items. Unlike fruit, meat and most vegetables should be cooked first before dehydrating. Once you have a variety of dried ingredients, you can assemble them into meals.

Due to the potential for spoilage during and after dehydration, dairy products—including milk, butter, cream, sour cream, cheese, cream cheese, and kefir—should not be dehydrated in meals.

Using a jerky cure will inhibit bacteria growth and prevent botulism or other foodborne illnesses, as jerky is dried at low temps, not cooked. Cured jerky will also lengthen the shelf-life of your product.

Place the whole bag into the fridge to thoroughly marinate for up to 24 hours, but no fewer than 4 hours. The longer you marinate, the deeper your flavor and tenderizing action. The most convenient process is to simply refrigerate overnight and start your next step, the drying process, on the following day.

The acidic properties of vinegar work to weaken the meat's collagen tissue, making it less tough. Collagen is what gives meat its structure, but it's also responsible for making it chewy. By breaking down some of this connective tissue, vinegar makes your jerky easier to bite into.

Sometimes jerky can get a little too dry. Maybe you accidentally over-dried your homemade jerky, or forgot to seal that bag of your favorite store-bought jerky. Left with jerky that's tough, stale, and crumbly, you might be wondering, can you rehydrate jerky, and the answer is yes.

Does sugar make jerky more tender? ›

Adding sugar to your standard recipe will help maintain more moisture in the meat and improve the tenderness of the finished jerky. The sugar will envelop the water molecules and limit the growth of bacteria. The sugar will also prevent the moisture from cooking out of the meat.

However, most homemade jerky isn't nearly as tender as the store-bought kind. That's because commercial jerky producers use special equipment and curing preservatives to make their signature jerky.

Blanching kills the enzymes that cause eggplants to lose their texture and flavor over time. Eggplant also has a high water content, so it benefits from being cooked slightly before freezing.

While dehydration itself is a method of preserving food, blanching adds an extra layer of protection by reducing the number of microorganisms on the surface of the beets. Rehydration Quality: Beets that have been blanched before dehydration tend to rehydrate more effectively.

Older recipes call for salting eggplant to draw out the bitter juices, but today's eggplants are less bitter (unless very large), so salting is largely unnecessary. It will, however, help the spongy flesh absorb less oil and crisp up like a dream.

Unlike fruit, meat and most vegetables should be cooked first before dehydrating. Once you have a variety of dried ingredients, you can assemble them into meals. Some whole meals can be prepared and then dehydrated, like soup and risotto.