Jerky - How long safe to eat?

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I am making chicken jerky. How long will it keep and be safe to eat if not refrigerated at average air temp of about 80 degrees? Will be making it very dry and almost brittle.

-- Tim (tvgrealtor@earthlink.net), December 19, 1999

Answers

I would call your extension office on this. All states have land grant universities that provide extension service. Ours in Pennsylavnia is listed under Penn Stste extension in the phone book. My books on drying foods indicated that jerky was best kept refrigerated after making. And kept only 2 weeks in the refrig. That's why I didn't make any. Now, the native americans must have made some not requiring a refrigerator and that lasted longer but I haven't come accross how to do it. I noticed no one answered your question and this isn't a great answer but the best I can do. Pam

-- Pamela (jpjgood@penn.com), December 19, 1999.

Dpends....did you cure your meat? If so, and if you store in vacuum sealed bags, you can keep about 6 months. If you didn't cure, see previous answer.

-- notquite (jamie@finaldays.com), December 19, 1999.

I have ground beef jerky that I made about 6 months ago and it is on the shelf in a ziplock in my pantry. We eat it and haven't noticed any problems. I use the leanest beef I can buy so there won't be much grease to go rancid causing a bad taste.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), December 19, 1999.

They have found jerky in pyramids that was still edible. I use a mixture of seasonings and jalapeno pepper juice and worshceshire sauce tobaste my meat in overnight in the fridge. Dry it till it's brittle. I keep bags of the stuff in the freezer. I use a small air pump to suck the air out of the package. Will keep for years like that and if thawed several months...never stored like this till I started prepping...it always sat in a bowl on the counter.

I've never dehydrated chicken....decided the safety factor wasn't worth it. Never used ground beef either...Carol...how?

-- Satanta (EventHoriz@n.com), December 21, 1999.


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