Jerky Gun Guide: How to Use a Jerky Cannon for Ground Meat Jerky
A jerky gun turns ground meat into uniform jerky strips and sticks. Here's how to load it, which nozzle to use, and how to avoid the mistakes that ruin a batch.
Author: Cole Hartley
Cole Hartley is the founding editor of JerkyNest. A lifelong pitmaster and small-batch jerky maker, he has spent years slicing, marinating, and drying everything from eye of round to venison and biltong. He writes every guide here from hands-on testing, buys the bags he reviews, and is just as quick to tell you which jerky to skip.
Jack Link’s vs Archer vs Tillamook: Beef Jerky Brands Compared
Three of the most-searched beef jerky brands, compared on ingredients, texture, sourcing, and price. Here's how Jack Link's, Archer, and Tillamook actually differ.
Beef Jerky Sticks vs Strips: Which Should You Buy?
Jerky sticks and traditional strips are made differently and serve different purposes. Here's how they actually compare on texture, convenience, and value.
Organic and Zero-Sugar Beef Jerky: What to Actually Look For
Organic and zero-sugar labels on jerky mean different things and aren't always what they seem. Here's how to actually evaluate them before you buy.
Wet vs Dry Biltong: Which Should You Make?
Biltong isn't one texture — wet and dry styles are genuinely different products. Here's how they compare and how to control which one you end up with.
Can You Make Jerky from Ground Turkey? Yes — Here’s How
Ground turkey jerky skips the slicing step entirely using a jerky gun instead. Here's how the process differs from whole-muscle jerky and how to get it right.
Turkey Jerky vs Beef Jerky: Nutrition Compared
Turkey jerky is leaner, but is it actually the better choice? Here's how the calories, protein, fat, and sodium really compare between the two.
Exotic Meat Jerky: Bison, Elk, Venison, Salmon, and Beyond
Beef dominates the jerky market for obvious reasons — it is widely available, consistent, and a known quantity. But some of the most interesting jerky comes from less common meat sources that offer different flavor profiles, nutritional advantages, and sourcing stories. Here is what to expect from the main alternatives. Bison jerky Bison is the […]
Low-Sodium Jerky: What to Look for and Best Options
Standard beef jerky is high in sodium — often 300–600mg per ounce, which is 13–26% of the recommended daily intake in a single ounce of a snack. That sodium comes from two sources: sodium as a flavor component and sodium as a preservative. For anyone watching sodium intake, finding genuinely lower-sodium jerky requires knowing which […]
How Long to Dehydrate Beef Jerky (Temperature & Time Guide)
Dehydrating time and temperature are the two variables that control whether your jerky comes out perfectly chewy, disappointingly soft, or inadvertently brittle. Getting this right requires understanding what you are actually doing to the meat, not just following a single time recommendation that may not match your dehydrator, your meat thickness, or your humidity level. […]