Dehydrator Recipes: Making Your Own Healthy Treats

[Diane Margetts]

 

After reading some of the comments about making healthy treats with a dehydrator, I couldn't resist and put a dehydrator on my Christmas list!! For Dakota's treats I have sliced chicken breast and lean pork tenderloin to about 1/4". I cooked the meat about half cook and then put it on the dehydrator. It's going to take a few experiments to finally figure out the right timing--if I remember right, I dehydrated the meat for about 6 hours (it would take a lot longer if it was totally raw. The strips shrink down to about the width of a piece of beef jerky so you wind up with about a half of the bulk quantity you started with. The good news is Dakota is completely crazy about it! He thinks it's the best treat ever--don't know if he has a preference for chicken or pork!

I also had a bag of apples and Asian pears that needed to be used so we cored and sliced them to 1/4 inch. They took 6-8 hours to dry. Now I did these for my husband and I to snack on BUT Dakota loves the apples and pears almost as much as the meat!

Looking forward to hearing if any of you have actual dehydrator dog treat recipes!

[Diane Margetts]

That is good news!

[F, Calla & Luca]

This is great, so many good recipes and suggestions.

[Sandra Griffith]

I also looked it up and was wondering whether you would recommend the original or junior size Weston jerky gun?

[Diane Margetts]

Don't know. Ours says it's a "Jumbo" Jerky Gun. and holds about 1 lb of meat. It's by Nesco; model number BJX-5. It's $15 on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Nesco-BJX-5-American-Harvest-Jumbo/dp/B001795P3K

My husband actually made the jerky--he said it was really easy to use; he recommends keeping the hamberger cold so it molds easily to fit into the tube.

[Dana]

I was wondering if a cookie press gun would work with ground meat for making jerky.  It would be the same principle as a jerky gun - any thoughts?

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

I don't see why not... does a cookie press compress the cookie dough though?  I don't have one so I have no idea.  I would think a jerky gun would do a little "squishing", but a cookie gun you wouldn't want it to do that.

[Dana]

I haven't used the cookie press in years &  after searching for it high & low (literally, kitchen & basement - LOL!) last night, my husband reminded me I sold it at a garage sale but if I remember correctly it works the same as the jerky gun -  you fill the barrel, press the trigger & the plunger presses the dough out. Since I have neither - I think I'll get the jerky gun!!  

The Turkey Jerky recipe I posted should work well with the gun & would save time in 1. trying it get it even when spreading it out in the pan & 2. not having to slice it mid-way through.

[Christine & Camus]

Can the seasoning packs be used for treats for the Doods?

[Diane Margetts]

You would have to check the ingredients--generally jerky-products can be pretty salty, and some are really spicy  . . .

[Christine & Camus]

Thanks.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Here's a discussion from November (which I think is where Diane decided to get a dehydrator, lol) and there is some info about using the jerky gun:

http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/dehydrated-treat-ideas?gro...

[Adrianne Matzkin]

is there a jerky gun that is recommended or one that should be avoided. The Weston is $40 and the Nesco is $15. One review on Amazon said that the Nesco tube cracked. I don't want to throw out money but don't want to overspend either.

Thanks