Home Preservation of MeatsSausage and Jerky Recipes

Homemade Turkey SausageSince truly low fat sausage is hard to find, here’s a recipe for sausage you can make from ground turkey. It is a delicious sausage that can be formed into patties for breakfast, or browned to use on pizza or is soups. The sausage can be frozen for canned for later use.

For 16 For 48

2 lbs 6 lbs extra lean ground turkey breast1 tsp 1 TB black pepper1 ½ tsp 1 ½ TB sage1 ½ tsp 1 ½ TB thyme1 ½ tsp 1 ½ TB rosemary¼ tsp 1 tsp Red pepper flakes¼ tsp 1 tsp Cayenne¾ tsp 2 tsp salt½ cup 1 cup applesauce, unsweetened

Mix all ingredients together very thoroughly. Use hands if necessary. Divide sausage into 4 equal quadrants in the bowl. From each quadrant, make 4 (small batch) or 12 (large batch) 2” size balls. Flatten balls to make a sausage patty, or brown crumbled sausage in skillet.

Freezer: Separate each patty with wax paper and freeze in a Ziploc bag. Freeze crumbled sausage in Ziploc bag.

Canning: Place ground sausage in canning jar and add 2 TB liquid. Or, shape sausage into patties and pan fry or bake until browned. Stack sausage patties in jars to within 1 inch from top. Add 2-3 TB liquid (fat/water combination) to each pint. Process at 13 lbs. pressure for 75 minutes (pints).

Summer Sausage (From Boyd Bateman)

5 lbs hamburger (higher fat hamburger makes better sausage; use 80/20 or 90/10)5 tsp liquid smoke2 ½ cups water2 ½ TB mustard seed5 ½ TB curing salt (Morton Tender Quick Salt)1 tsp black pepper5/8 tsp garlic powder (heaping ½ tsp)1 ¼ tsp onion powderMix well! Shape into 4 - 2” logs and place on sheet of foil. Roll into foil and twist ends. Refrigerate for 24 hours.Pull out of fridge and punch holes on side with knife or fork (be careful not to cut foil into meat)Place rolls on rack in oven with hole down. Place a foil lined cookie sheet on a lower shelf under rolls to catch drippings. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 325 F.Cool logs at room temperature for about ½ hour. Remove from foil, Place logs in Ziploc bag or vacuum seal. Will store for up to 6 weeks in fridge.

Original Jerky Recipe – Slab Jerky: From Boyd Bateman

5 lbs of meat (boneless roast works well. Cut cross grain into ¼ inch thickness)1 cup soy sauce½ cup honey3 TB brown sugar2 tsp dry mustard1 tsp garlic powder2 tsp black pepper3 tsp tender quick curing salt4 TB liquid smoke4 TB Worcestershire sauce

Warm mixture on stove or in microwave so that honey mixes well with everything else. Stir and mix in bowl or marinate container. Let meat marinate for 24 hours in fridge and occasionally stir during that time.Place on dehydrator or smoker until dry. Place the meat strips on drying racks. Do not overlap the strips to ensure good air circulation. In the dehydrator, use a temperature of 140 F – 160 F for the first 3-4 hours. The temperature may be reduces to as low as 130 F after 4 hours until dry, if desired. Test jerky for drying by cooling a piece. When cool, it should crack when bent but not break. There should be no moist spots. Cool and cut jerky into 2 – 4” pieces with kitchen scissors before storing. Jerky may be refrigerated or frozen in an airtight container to increase shelf life and maintain flavor.

Ground Meat Jerky (From Boyd Bateman)

5 lbs meat (use hamburger, ground turkey, etc)Eastman Original Jerky powder (from Wal-Mart)

use 1 oz cure and 1 oz seasoning1 cup water8 TB Yoshida’s marinade3 TB liquid smoke

Mix everything well and refrigerate for 4 hours. Use jerky shooter. Place jerky in dehydrator and dry as instructed above. Dry time 5-8 hours depending on dryer and thickness of jerky.

Yoshida’s Jerky5 lbs meat (cut into ¼ inch thickness)If using ground meat, reduce marinade recipe by 25%

2 cups Yoshida’s sauce (original, teriyaki, or Hawaiian)4 TB liquid smoke2 tsp black pepper1 TB Morton Tender Quick5 TB brown sugar

Refrigerate for 24 hours before drying. Follow drying instructions above.

Honey Lemon Jerky5 lbs meat (cut into ¼ inch thickness)If using ground meat, reduce marinade recipe by 25%

1 cup lemon juice1 cup honey1 cup Yoshida’s sauce – Original1 TB Tender Quick3 TB brown sugar

Refrigerate for 24 hours before drying. Follow drying instructions above.

Turkey Jerky

5-6 lbs ground turkey (standard amount in a Costco large package)5 TB liquid smoke10 TB soy sauce1 tsp Tabasco1 2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce7 ½ tsp mesquite flavoring (or 1 TB cowboy barbeque rub from Spice Hunter)3 TB brown sugar5 TB onion powder3 TB garlic powder5 tsp kosher salt or Morton Tender Quick

Combine all ingredients for marinade. Add ground meat and stir thoroughly. Marinate in fridge for 20 - 24 hours. Drain off excess marinade. Press through jerky shooter onto dehydrator trays. Set dehydrator at 145-155 F. Check jerky after 4 hours. It should take between 5-8 hours to dry. Jerky is dry when it is leathery and pliable. It should bend but not break.