Dehydrating Beef Tendons Using a Dehydrator

Dehydrators are cheap to buy and even cheaper to run and it's very simple to learn how to dry treats for dogs!  I've been wanting one for ages so I decided to just jump in and get one.  I've been really impressed with this new toy and recommend any dog owner that enjoys baking homemade dog treats for their dog to buy one. Jerky treats are ideal for me as they are clean, dry and ideal for shoving in my pocket while out dog walking and dogs go crazy for it!  Just make sure that if you're buying a dehydrator that it can dry meat, some only dry fruit as they don't get warm enough.

I've used my dehydrator for years.  Click the image to get yours on Amazon.

IMPORTANT READING

While researching how to make jerky for dogs I see that there's recipes out there on the web that place raw meat including chicken on the dehydrator while on other websites they tell you to precook the meat first to kill pathogens.  A dog becoming sick from such things as Salmonella is rare as their digestive tract is very small so bad bacteria usually gets killed before it can harm the dog.  But note that the top temperature of a dehydrator is usually around 70c (160f) which is not enough to kill such pathogens as Salmonella and E. coli.  Therefore after drying raw meat I always put it in the oven for 10 minutes at 150ºC to make sure all pathogens are killed.

Oregon state University researched how to make homemade jerky safe and they say that:

"Jerky can be considered "done" and safe to eat only when it has been heated sufficiently to destroy any pathogens present and is dry enough to be shelf-stable.  Shelf-stable means the the jerky can be stored at room temperature and will not support microbial growth."

Oregon state University's method for destroying pathogens:

"Post-drying heating.  Placing dried meat strips on a cookie sheet in an oven preheated to 257ºF [126ºC] and heating the strips for 10 minutes effectively eliminates pathogens.  This method produces the most traditional jerky."

So after drying any raw meat I place the jerky in the oven for 10 minutes just to be sure.  It doesn't change the jerky in any way and gives me peace of mind.  Many recipes (mainly for human consumption) use salt or vinegar soak to deal with pathogens in raw meat but both can cause stomach problems in dogs and I want to keep these treats pure and simple.

HOW TO DEHYDRATE DOG TREATS

1. Always wash your hands before you start.
2. Food that has less fat lasts longer as fat can't be dried and will spoil the food faster, so if you're planning to store the treats for long term then trim any fat off the meat before you dry it out.
3. Drying times vary a lot.  Temperature, thickness's of food, amount on trays and different machines all affect timing.  Your user manual will help and you'll soon get to know when it's done by texture, look and from general experience.  The above dehydrator is cheap and perfectly good and what I use but if you want the 'Rolls-Royce' of dehydrators check out Excalibur.
4. Place dehydrated jerky in the freezer (no defrost required) but you can learn more about storing jerky here.
5. Cut meat as thin or as thick as you want but the thicker it is the longer it takes to dry.
6. A very sharp knife for cutting thin slices.
7. You'll be surprised how much food shrinks when dehydrated. Just remember that this is concentrated food and don't give too much – it's a treat!

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Source: https://www.bdws.co.uk/dehydrated-dog-treat-recipes/

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