Originally Posted By: catmandoo
For those who have been around Pond Boss for a while, you may know me as enjoying many kinds of "gourmet" wildlife (including roadkill).

Last night I was given an old, but "new in box" 500 watt dehydrator with five drawers (NESCO FD-60 Snackmaster). The box had been opened, but it appears the plastic bag the dehydrator was in, and the bag with the manuals/warranty, etc., had never been opened. The box had obviously been subjected to some water damage, and had very obviously been invaded by mice and chipmunks/squirrels, etc, based on the acorns, turds, etc.

The box, the bags, and even the paperwork all went into my burn pit. I took the unit totally apart and soaked everything in hot soapy bleach water for a few hours last night, except for the motor and heater. I cleaned them manually with spray bleach and a sponge. The manual was available for download from the factory.

I've currently got 3 lbs. of venison jerky in it. Normally I'd do this in one of my smokers. I'll see how it turns out much later tonight.

The manual has several recipes for dried fish and fish jerky using non-fatty fish, like bluegill, crappie, bass, etc. It does not recommend fattier fish like catfish, trout, salmon, etc.

I'm just wondering if anyone has tried this, and how it has worked out. If so, have you used it for other wildlife snacks?

Thanks,
Ken


Ken,
Yes...you are embarking on a fun endeavor. I will try to smoke or dry just about anything from goose / Pork link sausage to dried fish. A few months back I dried some red fish fillets, cut into strips. I used a dehydrator for the process. IIRC I dried the 1/2" thick fillets somewhere between 16-20 hours. I season the fillets with a creole seasoning after soaking a short period of time in a #2 cure solution. The cure (normally used in smoking sausage) will knock down any bacterial issue, should one arise. Dried fish is a high protein snack. It can be added to any soup or gravy as well...great flavor....and yes stay away from fatty fish. I have a propane fired smoker as well. It can also be used to dry foods without the sawdust medium. I have also dried venison back strap in the oven with the door ajar...best to do that in the winter...
Charlie

...when in doubt...set the hook...