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HOMEMADE TURKEY JERKY

Course Snacks

Ingredients

  • turkey breast
  • salt & pepper
  • kabob skewers

Instructions

  • Place the turkey breast in the freezer about 30 minutes before you start, then lay some tin foil in the bottom of your oven. Preheat your oven to 200° Fahrenheit. Cut the turkey breast into very thin slices – the thinner the better! Then lay them flat and sprinkle both sides of them with salt and pepper (not too much, just a tad more than what you’d put on steamed veggies).
  • Skewer the turkey slices at one end, giving them plenty of space to breath. Then, lay the skewers across the top rack of your oven and let them hang down. Leave the oven door open about an inch or so to allow the moister to get out; try propping a wooden spin in it to create the gap.
  • Depending on your oven it can take anywhere from six to ten hours to finish. You should check the jerky periodically as it cooks. The trick is to take them out before they turn black but after all the moisture is gone from them – they will be completely hard to the touch without a hint of raw meat texture (picture what grease-free, perfectly crunchy bacon would feel like and aim for that).

Notes

Store-bought jerky is loaded with unnecessarily high levels of salt and sugar – not to mention the price tag. Making jerky at home is a great way to insure your snack is healthy, inexpensive and tailored to your taste.
Most homemade jerky recipes require a dehydrator, but this spectacularly simple recipe calls for no such monstrosities. Turkey is a great low-fat, high-protein snack for the trail, which will keep you energized and give you something to chew on. Feel free to try it with other lean meats as well, just make absolutely sure they are cooked all the way through!