Dry the meat with paper towels. Then arrange the meat slices on the dehydratorâs drying racks, spacing each piece about 1/4 inch apart. Slide the racks into the dehydrator. Set the dehydrator to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Dehydrate the jerky until itâs cooked through and leathery, about four to five hours. Transfer the jerky from the dehydrator to a food-storage container. You can store the jerky at room temperature for one to two months if you add a silicon oxygen absorber to the container. Store jerky without an oxygen absorber at room temperature for one month.