Salmon jerky is easy to make and tasty and is a nice alternative to standard meat jerky for anyone who avoids meat.  I am thinking of this for our next canoe trip.

It is also quicker than meat jerky since the relatively delicate fish does not benefit from either a long marinade or a long drying period.  This is a one-day project taking about 10 hours total to complete, and is adapted from a recipe from Brod & Taylor who make a dehydrator.  I discovered that my fancy toaster oven has a dehydrator setting and I used it successfully.

1.25 lb. fresh salmon, skinned and any bones removed

¼ cup soy sauce

1 Tbs. molasses

1 T. fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

¼ tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. liquid smoke

Put the salmon in the freezer for a couple of hours to partially freeze and then cut it into even ¼ inch slices.  Put them into a gallon Ziplock baggie.

In a small bowl, mix together the other ingredients and pour them over the salmon in the baggie.  Expel the air from the baggie, seal it and flip the baggie a few times to ensure that all the pieces have been coated by the marinade.  Place the baggie flat in the refrigerator for 3.5 hours, flipping it occasionally.

Drain the marinaded salmon in a colander and put it on a layer of paper towels.  Cover with a second layer of paper towels and press lightly to dry.  Spread the salmon out on two sheets of baking parchment.

Set the dehydrator at 145 degrees and dry for 3-4 hours until dry but not crunchy.  Flip individual pieces over at about the 2/3 mark to promote even drying.  Smaller and thinner pieces may be done before larger and thicker pieces.  If so remove them from the dehydrator and let them cool at room temperature while the other pieces continue drying.

When all the pieces are properly dried, allow them all to cool to room temperature.  Store in the refrigerator in a sealed baggie until ready to consume.