What is Turkey Jerky?
Turkey jerky is a variation of the popular beef jerky. It is dehydrated and dried slices of lean turkey, usually breast meat. Essentially, all moisture is reduced from the turkey meat, resulting in a dry, chewy, and an often spicy snack. Unlike beef jerky, turkey jerky tends to be lower in fat and can actually be quite nutritious. A serving of turkey jerky, about an ounce (28.34 g) can pack a walloping 16 grams of protein.
Turkey jerky quality varies. Much has to do with the amount of sodium added to the jerky. While turkey jerky may be high in protein, it may also be too high in salt. There are recipes which can produce spicy and lower sodium turkey jerky.
Many who enjoy turkey jerky find it more economical to make their own rather than to purchase commercial brands. Turning any kind of meat into jerky means significantly reducing the amount of meat served. After the moisture is removed from the meat, only about a third of the original meat remains. However, beef and turkey jerky are chewy, and they might take just as long to eat as they would in their original form.
Jerky is one of the earliest means of preserving meats. Small strips of lean meat would be salted perhaps, and hung to sun dry. Generally the sundrying method is not a good plan for turkey jerky. Turkey can have some fairly nasty bacteria lingering in it, and benefits from a quick cooking method, which includes boiling the turkey jerky in a marinade until it reaches 160 degrees. The turkey is then usually put in a food dehydrator. If one makes a lot of turkey jerky or enjoys dehydrated fruits and veggies, a good food dehydrator can be an excellent investment.
Turkey jerky, and all other types of jerky benefit from starting as lean meat. Fatter meats, like the dark meat of turkey do not dry as well as white meat will. Further, leaner cuts of meat are generally more nutritious, as they have a very low fat content, with a big dose of protein.
Turkey jerky was greatly popularized in the 1990s as an alternative to beef jerky, providing less calories and fat. Now one can find numerous different styles to try. A simple search of most grocery stores will reveal Cajun, Teriyaki, Black Pepper or many other forms of turkey jerky. A plethora of Internet recipes also exist which are sure to appeal to lovers of jerky.
Written by Tricia Ellis-Christensen
