How long should I keep Jerky using ground meat in the Dehydrator?
 

So im using ground meat to make Jerky for the first time. I usually use roast which takes about 8 hours in the dehydrator. Should ground be the same? Or less?

Also, does the jerky need to be stored in the fridge? I never refrigerated it any other time using roast.

Thanks

Are you using a cure? If so it should last as long as any other cured meat!
It should not take 8 hrs. in a dehydrator, I do mine in about 3-5 hrs depending on which machine I use as one is a bit hotter than the other! turn it about half way through the cooking, blot the melted fat off the top of the strips once or twice.... watch it closely after about 3 hrs because I have learned that it goes from edible to shoe leather quite quickly LOL!!!! Don't for get to add a bit of liquid smoke to your meat......one more thing I add a bit of water when i'm mixing the meat it helps in distributing the spices and makes it flow out of the gun better

Store in a paper bag when consuming product, and keep in the frig if you can. Freeze your backup supply in plastic, when you thaw out a bag full remove from plastic and place in paper, this will keep it dry and prevent mold from growing.

I never had any last long enough that I needed to worry about it spoiling. Seems the shelf life on a bag of homemade jerky at my place is about 2 days tops! And then it is time to make some more.

I am not sure if it is humidity or what but I see huge swings in dehydrating times. I usually mix up ten pounds at a time of ground and run two dehydrators. I usually fill the trays as much as I can, I squeeze the strips onto the tray right next to each other so there is really no space left on a tray when I start it. I have some batches that are done in 4-5 hours and some times it is 7 hours or more. This is done with the same amount of meat in weight with the same mixes each year. Not sure why but I don't plan anything else on jerky day because i don't know when i will be done.

I ground up 10 pounds of venison at a time and make jerky. It is gone within a week. I have to hide my jerky in the back off the freezer if I want any to last.

I have been noting that ground jerky dehydrates faster in winter months. Must be the low humidity. In the summer months it has taken 11-12 hours and now it takes 8-9 hours to acquire the same consistency.

If yer not gonna eat in a few weeks vac seal and freeze. Never had to freeze more than 9 months at our home. Tasted great , even then!