How long did you let it cure for? Recommended curing time is 24 hours for stripped meat and 12 hours for ground meat. Letting it cure too long will make it too salty as well.

If done correctly, you can cut the cure down by ½ tsp per pound of meat. The meat should still come out pink in the middle when it is finished cooking. If it comes out gray you need to add more cure.

Is there any way to speed up the curing process?

You can vacuum pack the meat after applying the cure and seasoning and this will cut the curing time down to about 6 hours for strip meat and 3 hours for ground meat.

Do I have to cure a test batch of jerky or snackin' sticks?

You must cure a test batch of jerky or snackin' sticks because curing the meat in the refrigerator for the amount of time indicated in the instructions allows you to cook the meat correctly.

How do you store the jerky when it is done?

Store it in the refrigerator for 1 month, or freezer for 6 months. Make sure it is sealed airtight.

Can you leave the jerky out of the refrigerator/freezer?

Our recommendation is to definitely refrigerate it due to the cure being an all natural preservative that cannot keep up with the bacteria in the world today. We have had customers that cook the jerky until the texture is that of leather (no moisture left) and sent it across country or overseas.

Can you freeze the jerky after applying the cure and seasoning and before cooking?

You can freeze the jerky before cooking and then let it thaw. As it thaws the cure will start working and should be cured before you cook it.

Can you cook it in the oven?

Yes, just follow the instructions on the sheet that came with your kit. Putting a fork in the door allows just the right amount of heat to escape and keep the meat at a good moisture balance.

My jerky turned out moldy, why did this happen?

Did you use a dehydrator?

A dehydrator does not cook the meat it simply removes the moisture from it. If the jerky is left long enough it can start to mold.

How hot does your dehydrator go?

If it does not go up to at least 180 degrees you will not reach the proper temperature of 165 degrees. This means the cure is not properly heated and there is the potential for a metallic tasting product. It could also possibly make you ill.

Did you store it in the refrigerator?

You need to store you jerky in the refrigerator or freezer in order to avoid it spoiling. It does not contain preservatives and must be kept cool in order to keep it fresh and safe.

Why does my jerky have a white crust after I dehydrated it?

The act of dehydrating the jerky has drawn out all of the moisture in the meat. The white crust you see is the cure being drawn to the surface.

I would like to be able to take my jerky with me to work or on a long trip, do I need to keep it refrigerated during this time?

We do not recommend you leave the jerky out of the refrigerator long than 8 hours. If you are going to be doing this we recommend you only take what you will eat otherwise you may end up with wasted or spoiled meat. If you can, try to take a small lunch bag or cooler that can be toted with you and a small amount of ice or an ice pack to put in with the meat.

Snackin’ Sticks Questions:

Can I use my jerky seasoning to make my Snackin’ Sticks?

Yes, the seasoning for the Snackin’ Sticks is exactly the same as the jerky seasoning and is interchangeable.

Do I need to soak my Snackin’ Stick casings?

No, doing this can actually cause the casing to weaken and split.

I can’t get my 21mm casing on my Link Master nozzle, what do I do?

Put a small amount of oil or cooking spray on the nozzle and pull out a small amount of casing and feed it onto the nozzle. It is supposed to fit snuggly so that it will not slip off easily.

Sausage Questions:

What is the ratio of pork to venison – refer to instructions, because some flavors have different ratios.

Can I switch the ratios around, say use more pork to beef or visa versa?

Yes you can, you will end up with a different consistency as well as some difference in flavor. If cutting down pork and adding more beef/venison you may want to add more water to help the moisture content.

How do I tie off the summer sausage?

Cut off the string from the first end and use it to tie off the second.

How much jalapeño, cheese, onion, or other items should I add to the sausage?

This is up to your taste, we don’t have any recommendations.

Are there other ingredients you would recommend adding?

Some things our other customers have enjoyed are mustard seed, garlic, onion, red pepper and cheese. We certainly suggest that you experiment and see what you like.

I want to boil the sausages; do I still add the cure? (Fresh Sausage – boiling, pan frying, grilling before smoking)

No, the cure needs to be slow cooked out (oven or smoker). Boiling will not let the change happen that the cure causes to take place in the meat and you DO NOT want to use the cure when you are not slow cooking because it can make you ill if the cure is not allowed to properly cook out of the meat.

I put the cure in my sausage but I want to make fresh sausage, do I need to slow cook it?

Yes. If you do not let the meat cure and then slow cook it the final product CAN make you sick.

Can I smoke them, then boil, pan fry, grill them?

Yes.

Fish Brines/Poultry Brine:

How much fish will the package of brine do?

As long as the fish is covered with the brine, than you can do as many pounds of fish as it will cover. We do not know the exact amount because the size of fish can vary.

My chicken/turkey/goose is not covered completely by the brine, do I need to use my second package of brine?

Yes, the bird has to be completely covered by the brine.

How long do I leave it in the brine?

Up to 24 hours.

Can I re-use the brine?

No. It will not have the potency of the first use if you re-use it, you may end up with a very fishy flavor or a weakly cured product, plus you risk contamination of the second batch.

Can I use a metal bowl?

No, the metallic taste will absorb into the fish.

How long do I smoke the fish for?

Until it reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees.

Can I mix extra items to add more flavor to my product?

Yes. The only item we do not recommend adding to your brine mixture is lemon juice. The acid in the lemon juice can cause a chemical reaction with the brine which in turn will ruin the brine and the meat.

Bacon Cure:

I would like to do a pork belly to make bacon, can I do this?

Yes, if you are using a smaller cut of meat shorten the curing time by about three days and leave in the water bath for 1 hour.

I am planning on smoking two different size pork butts. Do I need to cure the smaller one for less time?

No. You can cure them for the same amount of time because eventually the cure will have worked its way through all of the meat. The only difference will be the smoking time. The smaller of the two will likely need less time to cook.

Miscellaneous Questions:

Can I use the cure to make ham?

Yes, call customer service at 800-829-2285 and we will email the instructions to you.

My Jerky/Link Master Gun only pushes the meat a few inches and then starts slipping and won’t push the meat out further, what do I do?

Take a piece of sandpaper and run it over the metal rod a few times to rough it up a little. This should fix the problem.

Are the Snack Stick/Breakfast sausage casings gluten free?

They are gluten free, however they are not kosher.

Is the caramel color in your product gluten free?

Yes.