To see the Excalibur dehydrator I currently use, click here. For a complete collection of dehydrators offered by Amazon, click here.
Hey Everyone! Thank you for all of the wonderful feedback on my Youtube Dehydrating videos! I’ve made another one for you this week on how I dehydrate ground beef in order to save money and space in my freezer! Dehydrated ground beef is shelf stable and rehydrates like a charm (I can’t tell the difference!).
Be sure and watch until the end to see what my ground beef looks like once it is rehydrated! Links to products I use in the video are below.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss future videos by clicking here.
Dehydrating is a wonderful way to preserve ground beef while leaving your freezer space free!
Other videos in this series:
- Making your own instant rice from bulk rice
- Dehydrating to save money and freezer space
- Affording groceries during times of rapid price increases
More money saving tips posts:
- Money Saving Tip: Rice, the Ultimate Budget Extender
- Money Saving Tip: Go Bananas!
- Money Saving Tip: Rethink Bulk
- Get 8 Meals From 4 Pounds of Ground Beef
LINKS TO PRODUCTS BELOW:
**I am using an Excalibur 9 tray dehydrator with a timer. You can read more about it by clicking here.
**The dehydrator fruit leather sheets I use (on the bottom, to catch the tiny bits) can be purchased at 9 for around $10 by clicking here.
**To vacuum seal my mason jars, I use a Foodsaver (Click here for the one I have) with a Wide Mouth Mason Jar attachment. I’ll do a video on both of those soon.
To see the Excalibur dehydrator I currently use, click here. For a complete collection of dehydrators offered by Amazon, click here.
Yum 
Good morning, Christy,
We’re still considering taking the plunge and purchasing a dehydrator. In your latest video on drying ground beef, could you do onions at the same time? Thanks for another great and informative video! P.S. I noticed we have the same loaf pan from your Italian Meatloaf recipe!
Cindy
You sure can! I might oughta warn ya though, whenever I dehydrate onions or peppers, I plug my dehydrator up outside on the back porch. If you don’t, the smell seems to permeate your house for DAYS! 😉
I actually have a Foodsaver machine, but I buy generic bags for A LOT cheaper online!!! eBay is a great place to find all the sizes that you are looking for.
Hi Christy, I’m new to your website, but have learned so much from you! I LOVE your dehydrator series and am looking forward to the next one! Let me say you really outdid yourself on the ground beef one! I told my hubs ” check this out! This is the best thing since shredded cheese! :)” He got a good laugh, you gotta love him!! I have a dehydrator like yours only smaller. We bought it 10 years ago to make our own venison jerky. I do have a question. If i want a lb. of meat how much dehydrated meat do i use? Can i do this with sausage? How about venison? My hubs a big hunter and tho i prefer beef i have found ways to like the venison too. Keep up the great work and amazing recipes! God bless! Joy
Love this video! Question…when sealing the dried beef in Mason jars, how do you seal them? Thanks for all the helpful tips, I’m thoroughly enjoying them!!!
To vacuum seal my mason jars, I use a Foodsaver (Click here for the one I have http://amzn.to/1rtmpU5 ) with a Wide Mouth Mason Jar attachment ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005TN7H/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00005TN7H&linkCode=as2&tag=soutplat-20 ). I’ll do a video on both of those soon. . I’ll do a video on both of those soon.
Thanks, Christy for that information! I have a Foodsaver and need to get the jar attachments. I have some oxygen absorber packets and wonder if they would do the trick until I get some jar lid attachments? I HATE I missed you in Asheville last week! We are only about 90 miles away but everyone in my house has been sick with the cold/sinus crud and I couldn’t make it. Thanks for all of your inspiration!
I think the oxygen absorbers would work just fine but I haven’t tried it. Let me know if you do!! I hate that you were unable to make it and hope that everyone is feeling better and on the mend!!
I have put oxygen absorbers in the jars with my dehydrated hamburger and the jars actually seal themselves just like in pressure canning. Wonderful!
I did the same with dehydrated chicken and ham.
where in the world do you buy oxygen absorbers? This might be a dumb question but I have never heard of them. Thanks.
I ordered my oxygen absorbers from Amazon.com. They are used a lot by “preppers”, people who like to be prepared for anything.
I love my Excalibur dehydrator!!! Mostly I use it to make chicken jerky for my dogs. LOL After so many dogs got sick from jerky from China I thought the investment in the dehydrator was well worth the money. I was not aware you did dehydrating recipes. I know now and will check all the recipes.
I put parchment paper in the bottom of my Excalibur to catch the drips!
Thanks Christy!!!
Parchment paper!! Excellent idea, thanks!!
I can’t wait to try this with ground beef. I already dehydrated all of my frozen vegetables & leftover celery and I love it. I have even already used some of it. I and my freezer love this. I also have to do the rice too. Thank you so much Christy.
My only problem is that I have one of the older round dehydrators and it holds so much less than yours. But, it still works!
Dear Christy,
I’ve used my dehydrator more in the last two weeks than I have in the two years I’ve had it!!!
I’ve done your vegetables, your rice and a HUGE can of hominy. We like hominy in soup and this makes it so convenient. It reconstitutes in the soup and is so good.
Will be doing the ground beef next.
Thanks so much
JIll
you have made me a believer!
thank you christy!
Hi christy! Great video on making shelf stable beef! I just wanted to mention something that I ran into when I learned to do this. When you rinse the beef you really need hot water and it doesn’t hurt to use some drain cleaner In your sink after rinsing a few batches of the beef. The fat that rinses off the meet can build up in the sink pipes over time and if you have a septic tank will also clog your lines.
Thanks so much for the video, looking forward to more!
Angela
I have a question, how do you evacuate the air from the Mason jars? do you process them the way one would do for regular canning? I have a food vacuum unit but have no purchased any jars to go with it. I am loving this idea, would rather have food in jars than in the freezer!!!
I have a special thing that does that, I’ll put you a link here after my book signjng.
Love your dehydrating videos! Can you do the same with bulk sausage?
It really depends on fat content. If it is a lean sausage, absolutely! You just don’t want anything that is going to be greasy.
HI,
Never thought about dehydrating ground beef, great idea!
🙂
if I don’t have a vacuum sealer for my mason jars the dehydrated hamburger can go into the freezer in a small ziplock bag correct?
The freezer would certainly work but once cooked and dehydrated it is fine at room temp as well. I like to store it in glass jars but plastic bags would also work.
Thanks for the dehydrating videos. I am researching putting meals together in a vaccum bag for better storage. Soups, stews, stroganoff, anything I can find. Do you have recipes for these? There is a wealth of info out there, but we really trust you because we feel we know you.
You should offer a book on dehydrating.! I would buy it, and probably some for gifts as well!
I bought one of the Excalibur 9 tray dehydrator, Love it! I am dehydrating pork and chicken today. Is it best to put the meats into jars or sealed bags? The beef jerky I did is already gone….LOL Thank you and see you tomorrow.
I personally thing it is best to put it into jars. But that is my personal preference.
So far I have dried the frozen vegetables and the rice, at your suggestions, with great results. Now I need to try the beef too! thanks
I can’t wait to hear what you think Joanne!!!
I just ordered the dehydrator just like yours and should get it in 5-8 days! Can’t wait!!! Thank you so much for your videos! I love them all!
You are going to love it Linda!!!
Christy thanks so much for the ideas on dehydrating. I have an excalibur but haven’t used it yet – chicken I guess – cluck cluck – anyway could you do a visdeo on fruits especially peaches so we can learn to make you mothers or grandmothers peach fried pies!! Thanks CJ
I will add that to my list CJ!
hello, how long is the dehydrated beef good for?
Thanks!
Love this – ground beef takes up so much room in my freezers! I have that same dehydrator and love it! I mostly use it for vegetables, especially onions – I can’t eat onions any other way and dried onions are so expensive compared to growing my own, slicing on my V-slicer, separating all the rings (I can usually get 3 large onions on the 9 trays) and drying outside for 24 hours (if you really enjoy the smell of onions, dry them in the house). Definitely need to know how to evacuate the air from the canning jars!!
It is so easy Susan! I will try to get a video up very soon!
I can to Southern Plate your the good food memories (and recipes to re-create them). But now I am picking up money saving tips too! Thanks. I do have one question, I know you love bacon grease, but where is the lard? Lard is so easy to render and fried food are actually less greasy when fried in it- plus my butcher gives me the fat for free!
ok too late at night… that should read: I came to SP for the good food
Oh Wow! They seriously give it to you? Do you go to a store or a processing plant or a small butcher shop? I am curious now!!
Great idea, I never thought about dehydrating beef. This would be a time saver when you start to make a meal. And you don’t have to worry about it going bad like raw meat. Thanks!
🙂
Hi Christy,
I have to tell you that, because of your video on dehydrating frozen vegies, I bought a dehydrator just like yours. I LOVE IT!!!! I’ve made so many fun and delicious things with it. I get cases of apples thru our food coop and they are even better dried than fresh. I also use the peelings and cores to make applesauce which dehydrates into fabulous fruit leather. I’ve made beef and chicken jerky, but I didn’t think of dehydrating ground beef. What a great idea.
Just a note…I dehydrated some frozen corn today. I thought I’d try flavoring it first. I used several different seasonings to see what we like best. My favorite is bar b que sauce. What a wonderful snack. You are so right…dehydrated corn is delicious…with or without seasoning.
Thank you so much for all your wonderful ideas, recipes and videos. I am a faithful follower of your site and look forward to what’s next.
xo
Oh my goodness, I am going to have to try the BBQ corn! I am so glad to hear that you are enjoying the site and thank you so much for being such a supporter!!
I have been watching your videos on dehydrating veggies, rice and ground meat, and tonight I just had to buy a excalibur !!! Can’t wait to receive it and start. I quess the food saver will be next. LOL Thanks for all your good information.
after watching your videos on dehydrating vegetables, I bought an Excalibur, and I am trying beef jerky, my husband said that had to be the first thing. Enjoy your videos and will make all of the food items, and look forward to more ideas !! Thanks
I am 72 years old and because of my youngest daughter (who wants to be self sufficient) I am getting into dehydrating, big-time gardening, chickens and next milk goats. What fun! I wish you would put your videos in recipe form so they can be printed. If you have, I apologize. I am computer illiterate. Thanks for all the preparedness ideas and recipes. I feel this is something that is needed and dehydrating is an excellent alternative to freezing in case the electricity is down. Again, if the recipes can be printed I apologize. Please continue the ideas.
I also am going the self sufficient way with my daughter and relearning so much my parents learned from my grandparents in Wisconsin. I am in FL now and have a whole new adventure with self suffiency in a totally different climate. I am so happy to have discovered southern plate.com. This is our first year trying to raise enough food here to be self sufficient.
Hi and thanks for the wonderful videos! Just a quick question as I don’t have a vacuum sealer would the beef be ok in a jar with just a oxygen absorber pad? I really can’t wait to give dehydrating mince a go 🙂
I cook the ground beef I’m going to dehydrate by simmering it. I drain off the stock/fat after cooking the beef and reserve it for use in soups, gravies, or for a treat added to dry dogfood when I’m feeding my dogs.
I freeze the stock and then thaw it as needed.
With this method, while it takes a while longer to dehydrate, I can buy the cheaper higher fat burger and don’t have worry about the fat (which seems to be on sale more often). The burger tastes fine and I get the benefit of also making stock.
–I’ve found that I get a better product when I’m dehydrating chicken if I cook it by simmering first also.
Thanks so ugh for sharing your tips David!!!