How Long Is Beef Jerky Shelf Stable
Beef hasty is a popular, tasty treat that's perfect for anywhere and everywhere. Depending on whether yous buy information technology at your local butcher or make it yourself, you want information technology to last.
So, here'south the question: how long does beef hasty last?
Shop-bought beef jerky will concluding for i- ii years if properly stored. Homemade jerky will last up to a year in the freezer, upward to two weeks in the fridge, and upwards to 1 week in your pantry.
You tin use a Ziploc purse or a vacuum-sealed bag and a fridge to maximize shelf life.
What is Beef Jerky?
Beef jerky is dehydrated meat. It'south made by marinating, salting, and curing the meat before exposing information technology to heated air – ordinarily in a box or dehydrator. Information technology's easy to brand and is a favorite treat here in South Africa (we phone call it biltong).
Removing the moisture removes possible breeding grounds for leaner and the addition of salt in the drying process adds an extra level of preservation.
The high protein level and extended shelf-life make this a popular food for hikers, campers, and preppers and survivalists.
How Long does Beefiness Hasty Last?
Not long enough in our house, that's for sure! In all seriousness, the shelf-life will vary somewhat depending on how the meat was prepared. If it's prepared properly, shop-bought beef jerky can last, unopened, for betwixt a year and two years.
If it'south homemade, your jerky volition last from several weeks to several months, depending on where and how you shop it… unless you lot're like me and yous swallow it as soon as it'southward set for eating!
Once opened, beefiness jerky will only last a few days to a week.
Signs of Spoilage
There are a few warning signs that your beefiness jerky has either gone bad, or about to go bad. Some of these signs are:
- Strange odor
- Strange, sour sense of taste
- Mold
Your sniffer will ordinarily requite you a skilful indication of whether your jerky is bad or not. If it's got a funky smell, then it's probably not a good thought to eat it.
On a similar notation, if it tastes funny in whatsoever way; don't eat it. Smell and taste bated, a bigger trouble to watch for; is mold – especially if your jerky is homemade.
Mold is like the arch-nemesis of biltong/beef jerky, it spreads chop-chop from slice to piece and can destroy your hasty. Thankfully, if yous catch it early plenty you can salvage your meat past rubbing vinegar into the moldy sections. If yous're too late…well…goodbye beefiness jerky. You take to throw information technology away and start over.
Tin you Extend Shelf-Life?
Eating bad jerky can pb to some rather nasty food poisoning. The symptoms of which include:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Fever
- Headaches
- Abdominal pain
Accept it from someone who knows, food poisoning past beef hasty is not pleasant. It tin last from a day or ii to a calendar week and it tin be very uncomfortable.
So, tin yous extend the shelf-life of beefiness jerky across the utilise-by date? Well, yeah, y'all tin can.
One manner of extending the shelf life is to freeze the jerky after information technology's completely dehydrated. Yous can and then take it out whenever you like and chow down.
You lot tin as well vacuum-pack the meat in one case it's ready. Vacuum-packing seals the meat in an airless purse – no air means no moisture and what does no moisture mean? Right, no mold!
No mold, no problem, you can swallow safely without risk of food poisoning.
Determination
To recap:
- Store-bought beefiness jerky will last, unopened for a year or two.
- Homemade jerky will last, unopened, from several weeks to ii-3 months.
- There are a few warning signs for bad jerky including strange smells / tastes, and / or mold.
- You can extend the shelf-life by vacuum packing and freezing your jerky.
Beefiness hasty has always been pop snack – including for mothers with teething infants (yes, really) – and probably always volition be. Shop-bought or bootleg, you don't desire to lose your jerky; and while it has a long shelf-life, it will go bad later a while.
I hope you guys enjoyed the commodity and plant it informative. Thanks for reading, and I'll encounter yous in the adjacent ane.
Greg is a Due south African farmer and homesteader who'south been around animals ever since he can remember. he'south likewise an avid camper and hiker.
Source: https://www.newlifeonahomestead.com/how-long-does-beef-jerky-last/
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