Jerky

[shaper]

What is the best way to store jerky for, say a year or so?
I would like to put up a stock of deer meat while they are still in season. the limit here is 10 per season. I plan to put some of the meat up in jars and was wondering if I can put jerky up in jars as well.
Anyone have a family favorite recipe for making jerky?

[BK7saum]

I have made jerky and vacuum sealed it. I also use vacuum sealed venison that has been frozen a year or longer.

As far as recipes go, I use allegro marinade, garlic pepper, seasoned salt, salt and pepper. Season to taste. I cook 2-3 pieces in the microwave to see if I'm close on the recipe before I dehydrate the whole batch. Cant give you amounts because its a family recipe. Just kidding. . I don't know the amounts, just been doing it long enough to know what works.

Brad

[MT Gianni]

Throw it in the freezer in a zip lock freezer bag. IT doesn't take up much room.

[shaper]

I am looking for a process where I can keep it for an extended time without electricity Like after a EMP event.

[Rangefinder]

For NOW, just make it and enjoy. When the power goes away... Layer or salt, layer of cheese cloth, layer of thin-sliced meat, layer of cheese cloth, layer of salt... Repeat. Best have it on something that allows the moisture pulled from the meat to drain. Length of time varies by thickness. I cure fish similarly.

[starmac]

I Have never heard of anyone canning jerky, but don't know why it wouldn't work. If you dry your jerky well, I would try vaccumn packing a few bags and see how long it last, as I really see no reason that wouldn't work as well.

[Hickory]

Jerky will spoil because of bacteria growth.
Two things in combination will cause the bacteria to grow
moisture and oxygen. Reduce those two thing as much as possible on
the finished product and it will last a very long time. Even longer, frozen.

[AlaskanGuy]

We can meat all the time...cooked meat.... Lasts a very long time.... Just need to be very careful with your process...

[MT Gianni]

We can meat all the time...cooked meat.... Lasts a very long time.... Just need to be very careful with your process...

Agreed and IMO the meat would do much better canned than jerked.

[Rangefinder]

Jerky will spoil because of bacteria growth.
Two things in combination will cause the bacteria to grow
moisture and oxygen. Reduce those two thing as much as possible on
the finished product and it will last a very long time. Even longer, frozen.

True, generally speaking. However, bacteria can NOT grow on salt--it's the reason for wiping cheese to be aged and dry aged meat with a salt water brine until a rind forms. The surface layer of salt forms a protective barrier in the dried outer layer that won't let bacteria grow or penetrate.

[X-man]

I bottle moose, caribou and rabbit regularly. What you guys call "canning". Using quality Mason jars that have been properly sanitized and quality lids I've bottled moose that has been just as tasty a decade after it was bottled as it was the day it went into the pressure cooker. You want to make sure your lids pop. When it's time to eat, you want a lid that is almost impossible to remove without piercing the top first. If the smell is off or the colour is off after you open it, that's when you need to tred lightly and discard if you have an iota of doubt.

Without freezing, jerky is perishable and will spoil. You need to keep it in the freezer to retard bacterial growth, or consume it and make more on a regular basis.

[leeggen]

put dryed jerky in a jar that is real hot, screw on the lid and let stand until it cools. Then vaccum seal jar in bag and it will last much longer. If by so chance it get mold on it just remove meat and scrubb with clean water, then cook to destroy any bacteria that might be left and eat! Just like a sugar cured ham. enjoy
CD

[Dryball]

I regularly vacuum seal (in bags) my jerky then throw it in the freezer. With no light an oxygen it will keep for a very long time. I also bought the mason jar adapter to vacuum seal in jars but it is wayyyy bulkier than the bags. For a change make some "traditional" pemmican.

[John in WI]

We can meat all the time...cooked meat.... Lasts a very long time.... Just need to be very careful with your process...

My grandparents used to do that, and what's nice about that method is that if you're really in a hard spot, you can eat the meat right out of the jar (cold). Not the most appetizing, but a lot better than going hungry! My grandmother actually did some sauce with meatballs and it tasted better out of the jar than fresh.

[375RUGER]

Smoke your jerky for better long term storage, the smoke will help preserve. Vacuum pack it with an oxygen absorber thrown in. Or purge with nitrogen like the big boys. Store in a very dark place.
I think that nitrogen is what is used in the expensive packages that tout a 25 year shelf life.

[Blacksmith]

The traditional way to preserve jerky without refrigeration was by using it in making Pemmican which would keep for years. The dried jerky was pounded into a powder and mixed with an equal weight of rendered fat. The resulting semisolid being a highly nutritious food that would keep for years. Rendered fat is also used in other food preservation I believe. I think I have seen references to completely covering other cuts of meat and its use in preserving eggs. Pemmican was used by Native Americans, the Hudson Bay Company and by early polar explorers.

Google will turn up lots of links but here is one that covers the process:
http://www.traditionaltx.us/images/PEMMICAN.pdf

[Owen49]

I thoroughly dry my jerky. It's not chewy like the store bought stuff. I vacuum seal it in wide mouth Mason jars & put it away & "forget" about it. Even without the vacuum seal, it will keep for a very long time.

[Boaz]

When I was a kid and we had a hog killin mom would save all the metal lard pails . She would fry sausage for days , stack the cooked patties in the lard pails and pour hot sausage grease till the patties were covered then put the lids on . Keep it in a cool place and it will last for at least 6 months and probably longer if kept cool . Just dig out what patties you want and smooth the grease to cover whats left .

[Dhammer]

Citirc acid is what I started to use on snack sticks so that they can be stored not in freezer for long term. Worked great when moving cross country. With move, I didn't get to try it on jerky (only made one batch and 90 percent was going to land owner, couldn't afford flavor being off) like I wanted to. I vacum seal everything.