If you ever find yourself lost in the wild, knowing the basics of food preservation can help save your life. People have been drying meat without the aid of modern technology for thousands of years. If you are able to get your hands on wild game, preserving the meat can provide you with food for days or even weeks. The only tool you need to dry meat is a good knife. Nature provides the rest.
Instructions
Preparation
1. Field-dress the game by slicing into the belly and removing the internal organs.
2. Remove the animal's hide.
3. Trim off all the visible fat and connective tissue with your knife.
4. Remove the meat from the bone.
5. Slice the meat into thin strips. Slice with the grain of the muscle. The strips must be uniform in thickness for even drying. Thinner strips dry faster, so slice the meat as thinly as possible. Strips 1/4 inch thick or less are ideal. The strips should be from 8 to 20 inches long if possible.
Drying
6. Find a small tree or shrub with several branches at least 3 1/2 feet above the ground.
7. Break the tips off several branches. Leave a minimum of 12 inches of space between the tipped branches. A branch that is more than 1/4 inch thick but no bigger than half an inch is best. Smaller branches will not be able to support the weight of the meat as it dries.
8. Hang the meat on the branches lengthwise by using the branches like a meat hook. The branch of the tree should pierce the meat 1 inch from the top of the strip. Remove any leaves or other branches that touch the meat. The air needs to circulate freely around the strip of meat.
9. The drying time depends on several factors. Meat dries fastest in warm, dry conditions. Depending on the thickness, it can take up to four days for meat to fully dry. The meat is fully dry when the surface appears wrinkled and leathery. The texture will turn from soft to firm and finally hard. The color of dried meat will be dark red to almost black. It will have the appearance of beef jerky. When protected from dirt and moisture, dried meat can be stored for up to six months.
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