Lets talk jerky

[sparky911]

I have been turning out some good stuff lately and I had a question for you pros out there.

I make my jerky cuts about 1/4" thick with fresh meat and dehydrate them till they have the consistency of leather.
they turn out about 1/8" or a little thicker.
That is exactly how I like it.

The dehydrator book says I still have to refrigerate it.

Is that true?
I don't have a vacuum bag set up, but I would like to think I could make some and seal it off for room temperature storage.

 

[Claude Mathis]

If you seal it, or keep it in an airtight container, moisture will condense on the inside. I store mine in a brown paper bag.

We jerk meat to preserve it. If it is done properly, there's no need to refrigerate it. That's the whole point of drying it.

 

[sparky911]

If you seal it, or keep it in an airtight container, moisture will condense on the inside. I store mine in a brown paper bag.

We jerk meat to preserve it. If it is done properly, there's no need to refrigerate it. That's the whole point of drying it.

that is exactly the point of my question
so if I just keep the finished jerk in a paper bag, there shouldn't be a problem?

I'm guessing the store bought types that are sealed for self storage have way around the moisture issue

 

[Pork Chop]

I have been turning out some good stuff lately

Now you can't just lay an egg like that and expect to have no one call you on it! Send some over and I will be the judge if it is good or not! :thumbsup:

If you got good lean meat, then you should be fine. The fat is what goes rancid.

 

[sparky911]

I have been turning out some good stuff lately

Now you can't just lay an egg like that and expect to have no one call you on it! Send some over and I will be the judge if it is good or not! :thumbsup:

If you got good lean meat, then you should be fine. The fat is what goes rancid.

I have found a Teriyaki and a Jamaican flavor jerk marinades that my whole family loves

If I trim off any small parts of fat that made it through the process, then it should keep fine?

 

[Hawken12]

Jeez how good can it be ,you still got some ...just askin????

 

[Claude Mathis]

I have been turning out some good stuff lately

Now you can't just lay an egg like that and expect to have no one call you on it! Send some over and I will be the judge if it is good or not! :thumbsup:

If you got good lean meat, then you should be fine. The fat is what goes rancid.

I have found a Teriyaki and a Jamaican flavor jerk marinades that my whole family loves

If I trim off any small parts of fat that made it through the process, then it should keep fine?

The traditional term of "jerking" meat and the modern Jamaican "jerk" are two different things. Putting a lot of marinade (that is made for cooking meat) on your jerky will have varying results. The ingredients in the marinade can actually spoil, depending on what's in it.

Traditionally, to preserve meat, it was just dried, not marinated. If you doctor it up to much, you may need to refrigerate it.

One way to think about it is - If you left that bottle of marinade (teriyaki, whatever) open on the counter for two months, would it spoil? If so, I wouldn't want it on my dried meat.

 

[Black Hand]

I have been turning out some good stuff lately and I had a question for you pros out there.

I make my jerky cuts about 1/4" thick with fresh meat and dehydrate them till they have the consistency of leather.
they turn out about 1/8" or a little thicker.
That is exactly how I like it.

The dehydrator book says I still have to refrigerate it.

Is that true?
I don't have a vacuum bag set up, but I would like to think I could make some and seal it off for room temperature storage.

You DO NOT need to refrigerate it, but it will continue to dry out at room temperature. If you store it at room temperature DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT store it in a plastic bag or other tightly sealed container. The residual moisture from the meat will condense inside the bag and allow for the growth of mold and bacteria. A brown paper bag or cloth sack works very well for storage.

I have stored my jerky in a zip-top bag in the freezer, which seems to lengthen its life and keep it from drying out excessively, as I like my jerky chewy and not crumbly. We aquired a sealer recently, so I have taken to sealing the jerky in an oversized bag between trips. Any unused jerky goes back in the bag and gets resealed. It is then stored in the freezer.

Original "jerky" was just dried meat without any other flavorings except maybe smoke from the fire used to dry it. I used to make a seasoned jerky that had everything in the marinade (including sugar and/or honey) which was great to eat out of hand but made lousy stew in the woods because it made the stew too sweet. Lately, all I use is sea salt, fresh cracked coarse black pepper and red pepper flakes. I dry it then spay it with some liquid smoke flavoring mixed in salt water. Tasty to eat as is or great in stew....

 

[Bob Gular]

I have never had any around long enough to see if it would spoil or not.

 

[Black Hand]

P.S. I wouldn't store jerky in the refrigerator due to the high moisture. It would have the same results as if you stored it in a tightly sealed container.

...and it should read "spray" not "spay". Just not enough sleep or coffee...

 

[rafterob]

:thumbsup: Ditto

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Some folks make dried meat as jerky and some make dried AND smoked meat as jerky. My favorite place is just over the hill from Dixon's Muzzleloader Shop. Dietrick's Meats. Their jerky is thick cuts of flank steak that have been hung up high in the smoke house. I'm not sure about the seasoning, but when cured, their jerky is still moist and tender. It will keep at room temperature for years,( does get a little drier) as long as it isn't sealed up.

The fellow at Dietricks told me that the meat loses approximately 2/3 to 3/4 of it's weight in the drying/smoking process. That stiff shoe leather stuff sold at the convenience stores and bars is terrible compared to Dietrick's.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Properly dried jerky will keep for years if not exposed to moist air. I will vacum pack some if I intend to keep it for long periods. But most of the time I just keep it in glass jars with loose lids. My problem is how to keep from eating it , not about storing it.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

I mix up liquid smoke, a little white vinegar, sea salt and coarse black pepper to dip the slices of venison in before placeing on drying racks.
I like it 'chewy' myself. salt and vinegar both will act to preserve the jerky, keep it a brown paper bag in a cool place. it doesn't stay around any longer than a month maybe 2 so it don't get moldy anyway.

 

[sparky911]

it sounds like if I vacuum seal it, it should keep fine
I took my new batch out of the fridge and put it into recycled glass pickle jars and poked a few small holes in the lids and put it in the cupboard

right now, being in the fridge for a day or two, it has gained moisture like you all said it would
it should dry back out fine now. I will check and see how it last like this with the ingredients of the marinade sauce. there is alot of sodium in that sauce so maybe that will help preserve it.

thanks for all of the advice

 

[Black Hand]

it sounds like if I vacuum seal it, it should keep fine
I took my new batch out of the fridge and put it into recycled glass pickle jars and poked a few small holes in the lids and put it in the cupboard

right now, being in the fridge for a day or two, it has gained moisture like you all said it would
it should dry back out fine now. I will check and see how it last like this with the ingredients of the marinade sauce. there is alot of sodium in that sauce so maybe that will help preserve it.

thanks for all of the advice

Take it out of the jars and allow it to dry before you store it in the jars (if you must store it in a jar)...

 

[Nifeman]

I found some in one of my possible bags this past fall that my son had made traditional (old family recipe, about 60 yrs)that had been dried in a smokehouse. It had been there for 2 seasons, and was still as good as the day I put it there. Do it right and it'll keep...Bud

 

[Blizzard of '93]

yes there is a lot of sodium (salt) in sauces and a dip into it is a preserve of sorts but still dry/smoke well. it will draw moisture however so seal tightly if planning to store in a fridge. smokeing is also a preserve. maybe freeze until needed?

 

[catman]

I have never had any around long enough to see if it would spoil or not.

Me too.

 

[crockett]

Y'all ought to listen to Ohio Ramrod. I have never made jerky with flavorings, salt, etc, etc- just cut the meat into strips, let it dry to the hardness of wood, and that's it. No nuthin'. I had some I forgot about during a move and 10 years later found it in some squirreled away camping gear- still good. At least it didn't make me sick when I ate it. As I said if you use salt, etc- that can attract moisture and have an effect but I've always liked just plain old jerky.