Artisan Jerky Workshop: Meat, Fruit and Vegetable Jerky

Artisan Jerky Workshop: Meat, Fruit and Vegetable Jerky

Comm Ed - Culinary | Available

13000 Interstate 30 Little Rock, AR 72210 United States
CAHMI, Comm Ed Kitchen
Beginner
11/10/2026 (one day)
5:30 PM-8:30 PM on Tue
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$85.00

Artisan Jerky Workshop: Meat, Fruit and Vegetable Jerky

Comm Ed - Culinary | Available

Bring the Harvest Home Through Drying Meats, Fruits & Vegetables into Craft Jerky

Have you ever wanted to make your own jerky, but thought you needed specialized equipment or years of experience? Ready to discover how one of the world's oldest methods of food preservation can transform meats, fruits, and vegetables into flavorful, hand-crafted jerky with incredible taste, texture, and bite?

Join Chef Jules Carney of The Leaping Pig Charcuterie for a highly interactive, 3-hour journey into the craft and science of dehydration. This hands-on workshop provides the foundational techniques, food safety principles, and practical experience needed to confidently make exceptional jerky at home - whether you use a dehydrator, smoker, pellet grill, or simply your kitchen oven. You'll learn how salt, sugar, smoke, airflow, and temperature work together to safely preserve food while developing the rich flavors and satisfying textures that define outstanding jerky.

What You Will Master:

  1. The Classic Cure (Traditional Beef Jerky): Learn the fundamentals of selecting lean cuts, proper slicing, seasoning, marinating, and drying to produce tender, flavorful beef jerky with the perfect chew.
  2. Sweet & Savory Curing (Pork Jerky): Discover how pork creates an entirely different jerky experience while learning how seasoning, smoke, and careful drying work together to produce rich flavor and exceptional texture.
  3. Texture by Design (Vegetable Jerky): Learn how vegetables such as king oyster mushrooms and zucchini can be transformed into craft jerky with a satisfying bite - not by imitating meat, but by understanding how moisture removal, seasoning, and drying create remarkable texture.
  4. Whole Fruit Drying (Fruit Jerky): Discover how whole slices of seasonal fruits such as watermelon and cantaloupe can be transformed into intensely flavored fruit jerky. You'll compare whole-fruit drying with traditional fruit leather techniques while exploring how simple methods, including light brining and careful dehydration, concentrate flavor while creating a pleasantly chewy texture.

Bringing the Harvest Home Through Drying: Whether your harvest comes from the grocery store or your garden, you'll leave with recipes, technique guides, tasting samples, and prepared jerky to take home. More importantly, you'll gain the confidence to preserve meats, fruits, and vegetables using equipment you may already own - opening the door to one of humanity's oldest, most practical, and most rewarding food preservation traditions.

  • Ages Requirement: Ages 14 & up. Kids between the ages of 10-13 may enroll with a registered adult.

    Dietary requests or questions? Please email kgustafson@uaptc.edu

    Interested in a similar class for your next private event? UA-PTC Community Education offers completely customizable classes and training for individuals, parties, groups, businesses, and industries of all sizes and disciplines. Please e-mail kgustafson@uaptc.edu for more information.

    Community Education Class Cancellation Policy: A full refund will be issued if registration is canceled at least 7 days prior to the start of class. Cancellations made less than 7 days from the class date will not receive a refund unless the class spot can be sold. On the chance that UA-PTC must cancel a class, registrants will have the choice of receiving a full refund or transferring to another Community Education class.

Carney, Jules
Jules Carney

Jules Carney owns and operates an Arkansas-based company focused on producing locally sourced artisanal charcuterie and charcuterie-related products and services. His company, The Leaping Pig Charcuterie, prides itself on bringing only the highest quality products and services to his customers who range from farmers, culinary schools, event coordinators, food producers, food preservers and professional chefs. His motto, “Eat well! Live well!”, is at the core of how and why he shares his passion and fourteen years of experience and knowledge of the ancient art of charcuterie. Jules uses the hashtag #chARcuterie when he posts pictures or shares stories about his products online because he is proud to produce artisanal charcuterie in Arkansas, which is sourced from animals raised by farmers in Arkansas. In his opinion, Arkansas farmers raise some of the highest quality animals on some of the finest grazing lands in the country. Quality charcuterie starts with the quality of the meat. Fortunately, this high-quality, locally sourced meat allows him to proudly support local farmers and producers without reserve.