10/27/2026
🥩🔥 HOMEMADE FORMED JERKY — PART 2 IS HERE! 🔥🥩
We mixed it, seasoned it, and formed it in Part 1. Now we’re moving on to the drying and smoking process!
We’re using our PS Seasoning jerky kit, and here are the package instructions for the different methods:
🔥 SMOKEHOUSE METHOD
Preheat your smoker to 170°F. With smoke on, dry for approximately 4–6 hours, or until the jerky shrinks about 50% by weight. Smoking times vary depending on your equipment.
💨 DEHYDRATOR METHOD
Dry at 160°F for approximately 4–6 hours. Rotate the racks and blot the surface occasionally until done.
🍖 CONVENTIONAL OVEN METHOD
Set the oven to 180°F. Place the wire racks on cookie sheets and prop the oven door open about 1 inch for ventilation. Bake for 1 hour, flip the jerky, then turn the strips every 30 minutes until done.
These times are general guidelines, and the thickness of your jerky, moisture content, humidity, and equipment all affect the final result.
⚠️ Food safety matters! Ground-meat jerky needs to reach a safe internal temperature before drying is considered complete. The package instructions alone do not establish that the finished product is safe, so follow validated food-safety guidance for ground-meat jerky.
And there you have it — another step toward making your own jerky at home!
👇 WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Do you prefer the smoky flavor from a smoker, the convenience of a dehydrator, or the oven method? Tell us below!
Missed Part 1? Go check out our tutorial on how to mix and form your own jerky.
Follow Frederick’s Meat Market in Roaring Spring, PA, for more meat-processing tutorials, tips, and good old-fashioned butcher know-how!
