After Beef Jerky Is Opening Do You Need to Refrigerate

This post may contain affiliate links. Delight read my privacy policy.

The reason jerky fifty-fifty came about was to solve a problem of keeping a protein source edible for long periods of fourth dimension when food was not available. Dehydrating meat removes moisture then that bacterial or fungal enzymes cannot react with the meat which in turn preserves it from spoiling and becoming good to swallow for a longer flow of time.

What started as a Native American process of preserving meat for necessity has evolved into dandy tasting snack nutrient.

Jump to:

• How Long Does Beefiness Jerky Concluding?
• How to Make Beefiness Jerky Concluding Longer
• How Long Does Beef Jerky Terminal Afterward Opening?
• Related Posts

How Long Does Beef Jerky Last?

I of the superlative questions that I ever am asked is "how long does jerky stay skillful?"

If you follow the steps beneath, you can await your homemade jerky to last 1-2 months after initial airtight packaging. When stored in ziplock type bags in a night pantry, jerky will concluding about i calendar week; In a refrigerator, hasty will last ane-2 weeks.

How to Make Beef Jerky Final Longer

Allow's take a look at what impacts the shelf life of beefiness hasty and steps you can accept to lengthen that time.

1. Lean Meat -

Fatty is the enemy when it comes to making jerky. Fat will spoil fast and make the hasty get rancid quicker than it would if there wasn't fat. Purchase lean meat and trim all visible fat before drying.

2. Cure -

About commercial producers utilise a cure consisting of sodium nitrite to extend the life of their hasty to 1 year. This prevents leaner that could survive in meat that is only dried and not cooked. Information technology is non a requirement to use a cure and nigh homemade recipes exercise not include ane. This is why you will heat bootleg jerky to 160° F, allowing your jerky to stay bacteria costless without a cure.

If you want to include a cure in your recipe, a popular cure yous can buy at your local supermarket would exist Morton® Tender Quick®. I personally use Prague Powder #1 which I purchase online. This includes Sodium Nitrite which volition help in preservation. When using a cure, you will observe that it gives jerky that red colour y'all often experience from store bought products. It will also alter the taste, giving information technology that beef jerky flavor everyone is familiar with.

3. Drying -

The longer yous dry out hasty the longer information technology will last. However, over drying hasty will result in it being extremely chewy. And so dry hasty to a desired texture and concentrate on the storage techniques listed beneath to lengthen your jerky life.

four. Storage (lack of oxygen) -

I of the principal reasons that commercial beefiness hasty stays good for so long is because they make sure at that place is no oxygen in their finished production packaging. This is normally done past shooting nitrogen into their packages to flush out the oxygen before inserting the jerky and sealing. I don't know about y'all, but I don't take nitrogen laying effectually the house for jerky making! So here are the all-time practices yous tin can do when storing your jerky to go on it fresh longer.

•  Allow to cool for several hours earlier storing in air tight containers. -or-
• Storing for a twenty-four hour period or two in a paper bag allows the hasty to expel any existing moisture which will help it last longer. This can be done before storing in an air tight container.
• Add nutrient grade oxygen absorbers to your plastic bag or canning jar. Eliminating the oxygen in your packet helps preclude bacteria growth, extending the shelf life of your jerky.
•  Use vacuum packaging to extract oxygen in order to foreclose spoilage. Vacuum sealers can exist purchased relatively inexpensive and they work great for storing homemade hasty. If you are a hunter like myself, more than likely you already have one of these in your pantry. I apply mine all the time for game meat and fish. It really extends the life of your take hold of.

•  Store in dark, absurd places similar a pantry. Practice non go out hasty in direct sunlight as this can cause condensation within the pocketbook which could issue in mold. A trivial fogging is okay, but if water aerosol appear inside your jerky purse; remove jerky and dehydrate longer. H2o droplets lets y'all know that the jerky was NOT dried long enough.
• If wanting to keep jerky for longer than 1-ii months, you can freeze it for up to 6 months. Freezing can alter the gustation of jerky and I personally don't recommend it. A better exercise is to make smaller batches and eat within a calendar month or two, rather than making a big batch and having to much hasty at once.

How Long Does Beef Jerky Last After Opening?

If you lot open an airtight bag of hasty, you volition desire to swallow it inside 1 week. Even though it can last 2 months in a vacuum sealed container, afterward opening, you are going to want to eat that jerky! Most commercial jerky bags will state "eat within three days later on opening".

For more data, visit the USDA Webpage on Jerky and Food Safety.

• Best Meat for Beef Jerky

• Beefiness Jerky Recipes (75+ Bootleg Jerky Recipes)

• How to Make Beef Jerky in a Dehydrator

Reader Interactions

harveymandivether.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.jerkyholic.com/how-long-does-beef-jerky-stay-good/

Share this post