What to do with all of that leftover turkey meat? You've had it as a sandwich, you've had it as hash for breakfast, you've diced it up and put it in your salad- what else can be done to respectfully use the extra turkey meat? In the past, I have dehydrated beef liver as a treat for my doggy. Since my dog is not sensitive to poultry, I decided to dehydrate some turkey meat!
Preheat oven to the lowest temperature obtainable in your home oven - ours has a Warm notch on the dial, which is likely 180 degrees. Slice white and dark turkey meat 1/4 inch thick. Place it on a cooling rack that is on top of a baking sheet. This allows air flow throughout all of the surfaces of the meat. Place it in the oven and keep in for at least 2 hours. (A tip I learned, but haven't tried, is to keep the door slightly open; this allows even more air circulation around the meat.) Keep in mind that the meat must be absolutely dried out before considering it done. This will kill bacteria and prevent mold while stored.
Once the meat has reached a desirable texture, remove from the oven and allow to cool - OUT OF YOUR DOGS REACH. The turkey jerky can be stored in a glass mason jar for up to 2 weeks.
Ours turned out pretty well. I even smeared the thinest layer of cranberry puree on a few pieces as an additional texture and nutritional benefit for my doggy.
Give it a try and let us know what you think! Feedback is great, so anything that worked or didn't work, let us know :)
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