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How to Dehydrate Minced Beef
Wow, was this an eye-opener for me!
I have canned mince (and don't really like the texture), I've frozen it raw and cooked (and it is great like this) but I had never, ever thought to dehydrate it!
In my quest to make more of our pantry shelf-stable a lot of searching has happened on canning, bottling and drying foods. Most of the research covered fruit and veg, or ready made meals. And then I found that a lot of the true preppers dehydrated minced beef!
Oh my mind was almost blown! All I could think of was how much freezer space would be freed up if I could dehydrate mince. How convenient it would be to have it as shelf-stable food storage.
So of course you just know I had to try it.
So I did. Wayne thought I was having another "mad mummy greenie hippie earth mother" type moment, but as the true support he is, he kept his vocal opinion to himself and just let me see the eye-rolling.
Guess what!
You can dehydrate minced beef.
And it rehydrates to look exactly like freshly browned mince.
And it tastes just like freshly browned mince.
I know, blows your mind too.
If you want to free up freezer space, have more shelf-stable food storage and eat mince, try dehydrating it.
There are just a few things to do to get it ready to dry, and then you let that wonderful machine do it's work.
Step 1. Brown the mince. Make sure it is cooked all the way through - no pink bits.
Step 2. Drain and rinse under HOT water. This is an important step so don't skip it. The aim is to remove ALL the residual fat from the cooking. You don't want any fat on your dehydrated mince - over time it will go rancid and the meat will be wasted. Use paper towel or clean tea towels to pat dry and absorb as much moisture and fat as possible.
Step 3. Let the mince dry. I spread it out on a baking sheet lined with a clean tea towel and let it dry for about half an hour, just to make sure it wasn't holding any water.
Step 4. Spread it out on your dehydrator trays. Use the fine mesh to stop it from dropping through as it dries and shrinks.
Step 5. Set the temperature to 70 C - this is the temperature for doing jerky. Set the timer (if your dehydrator has one) for 8 hours. Every four hours, stir the mince around and check that it is drying evenly. After 8 hours, check to make sure it is dehydrated. Depending on the size of the nuggets of beef, it may need a little more time. To be sure it's completely dehydrated it needs to be rock hard; break a larger nugget open and make sure it is dry all the way through. The colour should be even and absolutely no pink, or damp areas. Let it cool and then jar or bag. For long term shelf storage, vacuum seal it.
This meat, if vacuum sealed, is shelf-stable and good for up to four years. I say up to because the storage conditions will affect it. Keep it cool, and out of direct light for the longest shelf life.
To use:
Cover the amount you think you'll need with boiling water. Put a plate over the bowl and let it steam for 10 - 15 minutes. Drain. You'll be left with cooked mince, ready to add to your recipe. It doesn't shrink a lot when dehydrated, so if you normally use around a cup of mince, then a cup of dehydrated mince will rehydrate to around the same quantity.
This mince looks freshly cooked and even better, tastes freshly cooked when it is rehydrated.
I have canned mince (and don't really like the texture), I've frozen it raw and cooked (and it is great like this) but I had never, ever thought to dehydrate it!
In my quest to make more of our pantry shelf-stable a lot of searching has happened on canning, bottling and drying foods. Most of the research covered fruit and veg, or ready made meals. And then I found that a lot of the true preppers dehydrated minced beef!
Oh my mind was almost blown! All I could think of was how much freezer space would be freed up if I could dehydrate mince. How convenient it would be to have it as shelf-stable food storage.
So of course you just know I had to try it.
So I did. Wayne thought I was having another "mad mummy greenie hippie earth mother" type moment, but as the true support he is, he kept his vocal opinion to himself and just let me see the eye-rolling.
Guess what!
You can dehydrate minced beef.
And it rehydrates to look exactly like freshly browned mince.
And it tastes just like freshly browned mince.
I know, blows your mind too.
If you want to free up freezer space, have more shelf-stable food storage and eat mince, try dehydrating it.
There are just a few things to do to get it ready to dry, and then you let that wonderful machine do it's work.
Step 1. Brown the mince. Make sure it is cooked all the way through - no pink bits.
Step 2. Drain and rinse under HOT water. This is an important step so don't skip it. The aim is to remove ALL the residual fat from the cooking. You don't want any fat on your dehydrated mince - over time it will go rancid and the meat will be wasted. Use paper towel or clean tea towels to pat dry and absorb as much moisture and fat as possible.
Step 3. Let the mince dry. I spread it out on a baking sheet lined with a clean tea towel and let it dry for about half an hour, just to make sure it wasn't holding any water.
Step 4. Spread it out on your dehydrator trays. Use the fine mesh to stop it from dropping through as it dries and shrinks.
Step 5. Set the temperature to 70 C - this is the temperature for doing jerky. Set the timer (if your dehydrator has one) for 8 hours. Every four hours, stir the mince around and check that it is drying evenly. After 8 hours, check to make sure it is dehydrated. Depending on the size of the nuggets of beef, it may need a little more time. To be sure it's completely dehydrated it needs to be rock hard; break a larger nugget open and make sure it is dry all the way through. The colour should be even and absolutely no pink, or damp areas. Let it cool and then jar or bag. For long term shelf storage, vacuum seal it.
This meat, if vacuum sealed, is shelf-stable and good for up to four years. I say up to because the storage conditions will affect it. Keep it cool, and out of direct light for the longest shelf life.
To use:
Cover the amount you think you'll need with boiling water. Put a plate over the bowl and let it steam for 10 - 15 minutes. Drain. You'll be left with cooked mince, ready to add to your recipe. It doesn't shrink a lot when dehydrated, so if you normally use around a cup of mince, then a cup of dehydrated mince will rehydrate to around the same quantity.
This mince looks freshly cooked and even better, tastes freshly cooked when it is rehydrated.