A bear walked though our yard while I was smoking some jerky

Communications Center Out Of Pod Experience
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…and all I could think is, “If it’s not in the house, it’s not ours.”

We finished and secured the jerky. It wasn’t very good, but that wasn’t the bear’s fault. We’re still learning.

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What part of the world do you live in? I see bears around when I stay in a cabin in the Catskills Mountains in New York, USA. I always try to think of them as just giant raccoons. Of course, a raccoon as a big as human could knock your head off, same as a bear, but…

My mom used to make jerky in the electric oven in her kitchen. Man, that was good stuff. We had some much of it that she started cooking the jerky in soups and stews. That was good too.

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I’m in sunny New Hampshire. We’ve seen several bears in the area but this was the biggest yet. I was ready to just ditch the beef and let him have it. Actually, I should’ve. At least something would have enjoyed it.

We have a lot of experience making jerky with an electric dehydrator and it turns out great. This was our second attempt with a smoker I built out of a Weber Smokey Joe and a 32qt Seafood/Tamale steamer. First attempt worked very well. Third attempt should be good too when we get around to it. Lessons learned etc… For a great recipe, look up “Cliff’s Fantastic Jerky”. It is, indeed, fantastic.

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Get yourself a mobile tractor unit and anchor it in the upstairs window. Your jerky will always be safe-ish.

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New Hampshire, eh? Sounds like a place where a bear might have a dang good life and be healthy as hell.

Enjoy that smoker, Lfod Shi. Sounds like you’ve already got the Way and the Fu mastered, just need another round, with no bears hanging around. Here’s a good one: Salmon cured in the fridge with salt and brown sugar for 24 hours. It would be good just like that, really. But if you slow smoke it for a day and get that pellicle (a kind of dry glossy patina) on it, then slice thin and arrange it all around a platter, with a little rosette of smoked salmon standing up in the center-- your girl(s) will go crazy. If you think ahead and have some wafer crackers around, that’s bonus points. You might get to have some too, if you hurry and all the smoke didn’t damp your appetite. :slight_smile: Watch for the bear, salmon smell might smell even better than jerky smell to that guy.

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