Because a certain person has taken it upon him / her self the task of hounding me more than once about an incorrect interpretation of what I was saying, at the same time possessing an apparent lack of scientific knowledge, I would like to take this opportunity to clarify a couple of points. First: the process for making jerky that I described was not intended just for ferret food, but also for human consumption. My intent was to describe a method for making jerky that is suitable for ferrets AND humans. Second: the heat treatment I described is NOT "cooking". What you are doing is Pasteurizing it. The idea is to bring it up quickly to the required temperature, VERY BRIEFLY, then immediately cool it so it does not "cook". As I stated before: making jerky is not about cooking the meat. It is about drying it. If you prefer to cook your jerky, that is up to you. But for traditional jerky that will have a reasonable shelf life, and is also safe for human consumption, it should be given two Pasteurization treatments: one before drying, and one after. Bring the meat up to temperature, then cool it as rapidly as possible. I would also like to repeat that the University of Alaska is one of the world's foremost authorities on preserving food. They know what they are talking about. [Posted in FML 7533]