Why is beef jerky so expensive? How much is it to make your own?!


Question:

Why is beef jerky so expensive? How much is it to make your own?

I love beef jerky its my favorite food, but the name brands are selling for 6 dollars for 4 oz (sometimes even 3 oz. now). Sometimes the store brands are $3.50.

How much would it cost to make your own? I dont have a dehydrator so add that to the cost. How do u make it? What kind of meat?

God im so hungry

Additional Details

5 days ago
im in tampa florida i never seen world kitchen or any 16 oz bags for sale :(


Answers:
5 days ago
im in tampa florida i never seen world kitchen or any 16 oz bags for sale :(

Good beef jerkey is simple to make. and inexpensive. About 5 dollars per pound for high quality. As opposed to 32.50 per lb. at the store. Dehydrators start at about 40 dollars IThink but in a pinch you could use your oven (not reccomended) Ok first the beef. I use rump roast it cheap with not too mutch fat, chuck is less expensive butt its fatty and tough. So buy a small to med. size "rump roast" (about 4 to 8 dollars but this will make a huge pile of jerkey) then have the meat department slice it thin. Tell them its for jerkey they will usually know how thin, and whitch way to slice it. Then for the marinade lets start simple. 1 bottle kikoman soy sauce (kiko is the best but other will do in a picnch) 1 bottle liquid smoke, all major grocery stores carry this its usually with the bbq sauce but if u dont see it just ask they do have it.

In a large bowl combine 1 bottle soy sauce 2 tbsp. liquid smoke 2 tbsp brown sugar (optional but a good idea) 2 tbsp garlic pwdr. 1 tbsp black pepper marinade about 1/2 hr to an hour. then lay jerkey on dehydrator trays until dry. It takes about 12 to 14 hrs or so in mine. Rotate the tray periodicly.

If you cant afford dehydrator (try the thrift store) use your oven just cover the bottom of your oven with aluminum foil and lay the meat directly on the racks. set oven on warm or as low as it will go. the jerkey will not be as tender but you do what you gotta do. It will take less time. If I remeber right its about 4 to 5 hours but watch it close dont get it to over done. if you like the way this jerkey turns out and you want more recpies jus i.m. me.... Beef 8 dollars, soy sauce 2 dollars, liquid smoke 1 dollar ...Endless piles and piles of delicous beef jerkey..PRICELESS.

Its expensive because, even though it doesn't look like it, its a LOT of beef. Its just dehyrdated obviously to look like less, but its the same price as if you bought the amount of beef it takes to make it fresh. Yeah.

because there is a lot of beef in those thin little strips, jerky starts out weighing a lot more than it does after its cured, you buy beef by the pound (or kilo) so it was a lot of expensve beef to start with.
You can do jerky with beef or deer meat, it's dried and smoked, but you would have to have a smoking shed to do it, and that would be more expense and trouble than a dehydrator.

If you have a food dehydrator, give me a jingle at my e-mail address and I will tell you how to make some Good Jerky!

Homemade Beef Jerky

Ingredients:
4 lbs london broil beef or flank steaks
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, more if you like it hot
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/4 cup soy sauce or low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup Frank's red hot sauce

Steps:
1. Trim all fat off meat.

2. Cut steak in to 4 inch strips.

3. The steak should be about 1/2 inch thick.

4. It's easier to cut meat partially frozen.

5. Pound meat lightly, you don't want it too thin.

6. Add all ingredients in a large bowl.

7. Mix well.

8. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (8 hrs)

9. Line cookie sheets with tin foil.

10. Place steak strips on sheets, don't overlap meat.

11. Set oven at lowest temperature. (150-175 degrees)

12. Bake six hours, turning after three hours.

13. Jerky is done when meat is dried out, depending on your oven.

Worth the wait!

Good luck and enjoy! =)

they sell them at dollar tree i think 3 or 4 oz for $1

I've used london broil and other less-expensive cuts of steak. Wait for them to go on sale. Slice it thin. Partially-frozen (or partially-thawed, depending on your viewpoint) meat slices thin more easily than fresh meat. Season it to taste. My favorite is a blend of salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Paprika is also good in this mix. Rub the seasonings into the meat, using a little water if needs be. If you have time, you can add a little water to your seasoning mix and let the meat marinate in it a few hours.

Lay the meat out on cookie sheets. Pop them into the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit and let them cook overnight. Yum! For whatever reason, this jerky keeps best in paper bags, not plastic. I've kept it for nearly a month and it was fine.

Wal-Mart sells a 16-ounce bag of World Kitchens brand beef jerky for around $8.50 . . probably cheaper than you can make it, since it takes around 3 pounds of beef to make 1 pound of jerky.
http://www.worldkitchens.net/products.ht...




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