Homemade Jerky- Will it keep for a week?
Elk
I made some jerky with store bought spice and cure. I want I take it on my elk hunt.
Will it be ok without refrigeration for a week!
It should last for months.
We took some a few years back. It kept for our 12 day hunt. It was vacuumed sealed. I'm guessing to depends on moisture content as well as weather. If you vacuum seal it and store it in a creek it will keep just fine. That water is cold!
Mine never last more than a day? I have wondered how long it would keep, but realize the point of jerky is to preserve meat for long time! I would say months would be possible
Yes, if you make it pretty dry it should last a LOOONG while. We took 5 lbs on a pack in elk hunt and hung it from a tree in Wal Mart sacks. No ill effects.
Jerky was invented for this very reason haha!
Did you use some type of cure?
I often eat homemade jerky that's over a year old. Hasn't af..af..af..affected me so far. :)
Even without cure it will last for months. With cure I imagine it would last for... well, there is no reason for jerky to last that long lol
my home made jerky has lasted months UNrefridgerated. Don't know the real length as my kids usually sniff it out and finish it off.
if it's jerky it's indefinitely shelf stable, but moisture can cause mold, keep it dry.
Jerky lasts for roughly 24 hrs around my neck of the woods. It doesn't matter if I make 1 lb or 10 lbs of it. It's gone in 24 hrs. Lol.
Just out of curiosity, does anyone have any old school salt and pepper jerky recipes? My dad used to make some old school deer jerky that required nothing but salt and pepper, and a close line in the garage. It was the best jerky I've ever had!! Well his mind isn't quite as sharp as it used to be, and he can't remember exactly how he did it. If any of you have a simple recipe like this that you're willing to share, I'd be very appreciative!
PowellSixO, a google search for "recipe for salt & pepper jerky" will get you a bunch of recipes.
I agree with coelker, mine never lasts more than a day. I've ate year old jerky a friend gave me. Was pretty dry but didn't hurt me.
I would vacuum pack single daily portions that you can put in your pack. They'd be fresh and moist throughout your hunt.
Best Wishes, Jeff
Fat will go rancid but in early stages wont make ya sick. Moisture can help mold and bacteria grow. I make my uncured stuff kinda crunchy. The cured stuff is kinda moist and i dont trust it out in the sun for days but the dry stuff is good to go for a loooong time.
Six primary factors will determine the shelf life of dried or cured meats. Properly jerked (low moisture content), even without cure, jerky should remain safe at room temps for well more than a week.
1) Moisture content. I can't recall the USDA standard, but I think less than 10% moisture content was the cutoff between jerky and "tender bites" or other forms of cured meat. The lower you moisture content, the longer it will last. You don't have to make it super dry, but do shoot for something just a slight bit drier than the commercially nitrogen packaged jerky from the grocery store.
2) Salt, other spice content. The higher the salt content, the longer it will last as these are inhibitors of pathogen growth. Follow an established recipe to make sure you have enough salt, but not too much.
3) Cures. Specific salts, such as sodium nitrate, are very effective at inhibiting pathogen growth. Check the ingredient list of the cure you bought to see if it has sodium nitrate. If it does, and you got it fairly dry, it will definitely be good for a week without refrigeration.
4) Smoke. Smoke helps inhibit growth. Heavily smoked meats will last longer than those not smoked.
5) Temp. The higher the temp you take the meat to while jerking, the safer it will be. It only has to spike high for a short time, not the entire time.
6) Access to oxygen. Even if your jerky is moister than is appropriate, or doesn't have sodium nitrate, or was jerked at relatively cool temps, removing access to oxygen will prevent almost all pathogens. Very few anaerobic pathogens should be able to infect your meat (as they will die in aerobic conditions). Just make sure to wash your hands in between using the restroom and vacuum packaging your jerky. Vacuum packaging is the best way to limit access of oxygen for pathogens. Some commercial packages don't appear vacuum packed, but they were, and were then backflushed with nitrogen, hence the lack of squishing. A foodsaver that squishes your food will accomplish the same effect of limiting oxygen. As suggested above, vacuum pack it in daily rations - to make it last in sanitary conditions, but more importantly to ration it out past the first day!
Moisture content should be your primary consideration. Get it fairly dry, not soft and plump.
before refridgeration we used salt, lots of it. pour dry salt around it in a ziploc bag, and be one your way
Nice explanation Charina. I've had "jerky" from a friend that got moldy after a week.
Lots of guys are making jerky in ovens and using liquid smoke for flavoring.
Charina, your information is correct up til #6, the Clostridium family are facultative anaerobes and can survive aerobic conditions, as well as normal (160-212 F ) cooking temps, and can survive in fairly dry/salty (low aW) environments. Of course nitrates and/or lowering pH with vinegar, lemon juice, citric acid, etc will inactivate the Clostridium family (Botulinum, Perfringens, etc) ..... for vacuum sealed jerky, I'd use a commercial cure, unless I was damned sure of the pH of my final product.
I guess I should add that to inhibit Clostridium, you'll need finished product pH under 4.7. Preferably well under.
I soak mine over night in vinegar to kill the "bugs". You don't taste the vinegar after curing with salt, pepper and ground coriander.
Vinegar is excellent for acidifying.
