DIY Freeze Dried Grass-fed Beef Organ Salt

Guys. It’s the best way. It is THE ONLY way I can get organs into my body. I’d love to blame it on my kids for being “picky eaters”— they’re not. It is 100% on me.

Growing up, ranchers traded my dad beef for working on their farming equipment. We got the entire cow. Every year. That meant that the inevitable “Liver and Onions” was sure to be on the menu at some point every year! Aside from the burned molasses beans episode (that GREW the more my dad tried to “fix” them— we must’ve had them for at least 3 weeks straight!!), I am culinarily scarred by the annual organ feasts of my childhood.

I’ve never once made my kids eat them (because I’m unwilling to eat them!). But their grandma (on Charlie’s side) pulled a trick on them one time. She was snacking on charred liver, my kids assumed it was chocolate, she played along…you can imagine the horror! I know not everybody feels this way.

Most Nutrient-Dense Foods

There are traditional cultures that still treat organs with the respect they deserve. Oh, how I WISH America wasn’t so advanced that we actually don’t even need a cow for beef anymore! I wish we never lost our taste for the intense flavor that comes with eating the food that, hands down, carries the most nutritional benefits. But, we sure have. And I’m too old to be taught a new trick.

(Speaking of, in researching for this, everything on the internet about freeze dried organs refers to dog food! If you’re here, wondering why I’m going down memory lane to talk about dog food, you are mistaken. But stick around! You might be snagging some freeze-dried dog food to get your own health benefits by the end of this!)

Why Should We Eat High Quality, Grass-fed and Grass Finished Organs?

The health benefits of beef organs are vast. “Radioisotope labeling studies in animals have shown conclusively that, when eaten, organs and glands selectively travel to the corresponding organs and glands in high concentrations. This research, done at the University of Scotland in Edinburgh, lends credence to the ancient practice of eating animal organs to help ensure health in one’s corresponding organs…” – Dr. Ron Schmid, ND

Basically, if your heart health was declining, you would eat beef heart. Liver in distress? Eat beef kidney!

Essential Nutrients Found in Quality Beef Organs:

• Vitamin A and Vitamin D: Both INCREDIBLE sources for skin health. As an esthetician, you know this speaks to me!
• B-Complex Vitamins and folic acid: What you need for declining energy levels, hair falling out, and a myriad of other ailments.
• Coenzyme Q 10: A powerful antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals and reduces damage they may have caused.
• Selenium: Boosts immune system and supports thyroid.
• Enzymes and Fatty Acids: Aid in digestion and help speed up metabolism.

With a list like that… how can our measly taste buds get in the way!?

Other Ways I’ve Tried to Ingest Organs:

I first started out with Ancestral, a company that sells organ meat supplements. It was a great way to get them down… only they are quite expensive. Once we were back in the States with access to and storage for whole beef, I could not justify buying the very organs I had sitting in my freezer.

I saw that some people were cutting beef liver in small pieces, freezing them, and swallowing the raw organs as pills. They claimed there was “no flavor.” What a funny joke. It was disgusting. I hadn’t soaked them first to rid them of the blood, so that was my first mistake. (As were the bangs in the picture below!!) Look at me, thinking I was going to freeze those honkers and swallow them like pills!

I decided freeze drying them was the solution. Again, I tried to swallow those as pills. It took one getting lodged in my throat to cause that plan to go out the window! It wasn’t long before my promise of vitality was being relegated to dog treat status.

For the heart, I ground it and bagged it up in quarter pound portions. Every time I used a pound or two of beef, I would add it to that. It was pretty tolerable that way.

The rest of the organs found their way into my dog’s diet!

Pluck Seasoning to the Rescue

I heard Chef James Barry, the founder of Pluck on a podcast, and wow… was he ever speaking to my heart! Pluck takes freeze-dried organ meats from regenerative farms, and adds a small amount to a salt seasoning. In a cup of salt, there’s only about a tablespoon of liver, and it is masked by other strong flavors like garlic and onion.

The idea is that, even if we’re only getting a small amount in… we are still getting some. Which is better than none! The hope is to train our tastebuds and little by little, be able to add more liver and level out the proportions a bit. I’m not holding my breath on that, but I am so grateful to have found my favorite way to get this wholesome nourishment into my body!

How To Make Beef Organ Salt:

Start with the organs. Soak in water in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, drain, rinse, and soak again. Continue this process, checking and rinsing until there’s no more blood pouring out. Eew. I know.

Even if you don’t have a freeze dryer, you can still dehydrate them in the oven or dehydrator, but you would want to cook them first. They will be very hard, so you should cut them in smaller pieces. If you’re freeze drying, longer strips are just fine, they crumble to powder easily.

*Note: if you are freeze drying, you will want to change your oil afterwards, take out the shelves, and thoroughly scrub the inside. The smell left behind was pretty hard to deal with until I learned that changing the oil helps! I “livered” several batches of other foods before I learned!

Once you have dry organs, working in small batches, blend in a high powered blender. I had parsley to blend as well, so I threw that in with the liver.

Once it is finely ground, add one tablespoon of the nutritious powder to one cup of salt. Be sure to use one with a wide array of minerals for best results. Add any and all other flavors you would like. I added 2 TBS garlic powder, 2 TBS dried onions and 2 TBS salt-free seasoning blend.

Uses for Beef Organ Salt

We use ours on pretty much any savory food I’m preparing that calls for salt, garlic and onion. It’s delicious in salad dressings and popcorn! I have found I need to keep it to myself if I’m using it, and no one is the wiser! If I announce it, suddenly everyone can taste it! 😉

Give this a try!

If you, like me, have a freezer holding way too many organs that you are dreading to use, I hope you will give this a try! There’s not a more delicious way to get these incredible nutrients into your body! If you have bags of fat, check out this post for how to process it into beautifully clean tallow!

Comment and let me know if this is something you’re willing to try!