Storing Meat for our Animal Friends

As I've been preparing things for our food storage, I've tried to take our animal friends into account. After experimenting with canning, as well as cooking-chopping-dehydrating (a messy proposition!!), I've finally settled on what I think is best.

It happened partly because I realized the freezer door had inadvertently been left open, and some of the meat had partially thawed, then re-frozen. Our loss is the dogs' gain!! I cleaned out the freezer, and thawed out the meat. The best way to deal with it, I've discovered, is to grind it, fry it, then dehydrate it. It'll keep fine for quite a while this way, even longer in the fridge or freezer. I happened to have chicken, pork and beef from the freezer, all of which I ground up and fried together. The dogs wouldn't leave the kitchen until the last of it had been put away -- they've learned it can be quite rewarding to "help" me when I'm working...

The meat is much easier and faster to deal with once it's ground, and it's cleaner and neater, too. As a bonus, you can pour off the liquid and put it in the fridge until the fat solidifies. Skim it off, and what's left is a nice broth to warm up & pour over their kibble!

If you don't have a grinder, you can chop it, either raw or cooked, in the food processor. It'll be easier if you put it in the freezer until it's partially frozen first. Or you can chop it by hand. If you're chopping by hand, again you'll want to either partially freeze or cook it. And if you don't have a dehydrator, you can use the oven, on the lowest possible setting. Either way, once it's dried and put into jars, it'll stay good at room temperature for quite a while. This is a great use for recycled jars -- I use the ones mayonnaise comes in, but any clean jar with a lid will do. If the meat has a relatively high fat content, like pork, you might want to store it in the fridge or freezer for a longer shelf life.

When you're ready to use it, you can either rehydrate it (equal parts meat & warm water) or use it as is -- but don't forget it's concentrated! You can also do as my husband did, and add some dried carrots or other veggies, for a little extra nutrition -- dogs are omnivores & a well-rounded diet is as good for them as it is for us -- but there are a number of things they shouldn't have, onions and garlic among others, so please check with your vet or other reliable source first. Either way, your animal friends will love it!!