How to Store and Keep Beef Jerky Fresh

You should treat jerky as you would do with any fresh food that you got from the market. You should store it the right way or else you'll increase its chances of getting spoiled. It may take jerky longer to get spoiled, but then you can never be sure. Thus, read the tips below to learn how you can prolong the shelf life of your jerky.

1.) Be aware of the expiration date of your store bought jerky. This is the first thing that you should look into when you are buying meat for jerky in a grocery store. Take note that not all jerky meat has the same expiration date. Moreover, the longer you decide to cook jerky, the longer it will be exposed to several bacteria. Thus, you are recommended to cook jerky meat as soon as you can. If this is not possible, then just make sure to cook your jerky before the meat expiration date.

2.) A cooked jerky won’t be able to survive a very hot environment. It would soon develop mold which would lead you to just throw it away and waste all of your efforts in making the jerky. Thus, to prevent this scenario from happening, you would need to make sure that your jerky is totally cooled before you put it in any clean food container. You mustn’t place jerky in a container if it’s still scorching hot. Follow this step and you can certainly keep your jerky for several days.

3.) Your jerky shouldn’t have any form of moisture in it. It must be completely dry. Mold will appear when condensation happens inside a food container and if there is water in its interior. Thus, you must do everything you can to make sure that these elements are non existent in the container where you place the jerky for storing. Moreover, your jerky should not contain any fat. This will cause the jerky to sweat and spoil in just a few days. 

4.) Lastly, your jerky should not be exposed to too much air. In fact, you mustn’t put your jerky out in the open for too long. Put it in an air tight jar or food container for you to be able to maintain its high quality. Also, make sure that these containers are free from any dirt. Plastic wraps, bags with reliable seals and vacuum packs are also some of the materials that can reduce the exposure of your jerky with air. You can easily buy these products in a grocery store near you.