Food safety · September 13, 2026
Safer homemade jerky starts before drying
A dehydrator removes moisture, but many machines do not heat raw meat quickly enough to destroy harmful bacteria before the surface dries.
The safety step
USDA guidance recommends heating meat to 160°F and poultry to 165°F before dehydration. After heating, maintain the dehydrator at 130–140°F during drying. Use a food thermometer rather than judging by color.
Use the appliance manual too. Tray load, strip thickness, airflow, and temperature accuracy affect the batch. If current USDA or Extension instructions differ from an older recipe, use the current guidance.
Cut and arrange consistently
Trim visible fat, cut strips to a consistent thickness, keep pieces separated, and rotate trays only if the manufacturer recommends it. Cool finished jerky before packaging so trapped heat does not create condensation.
Primary source: USDA FSIS, “Shelf-Stable Food Safety.” Reviewed September 13, 2026.