Jerky safety question
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I smoked my first batch of jerky last night and to my surprise it was delicious! I had low expectations for attempt #1 using a homemade recipe.
I did mix in the appropriate amount of cure for the weight of meat (7# of eye of round) with my seasonings and used a vacuum tumbler to marinade it all.
For my smoke, I did 3:10 at 190 and then ramped it up to 260 and once it hit that temp on the smoker I turned it all off which was roughly 10 more minutes. (technique is from a Youtube video I watched)
The jerky has a lot of brown sugar and is very tender. I sliced it on 7.5mm setting from my Walton’s 10" grinder.
MY QUESTION: Since I can’t definitively know the water activity level without a meter test, is it okay to leave Jerky in ziploc bags on the counter for a few days or should I keep the bags in the refrigerator as I’ve already done? It does have cure in it. I’m not a huge fan of eating cold jerky!
Thanks for any help!
John
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Tex_77 Team Blue Power User Traeger Primo Grills PK Grills Canning Sous Vide Community Moderator Kansas
If it’s pretty dry you’ll be ok. If its on the moister side I’d definitely keep it in the fridge
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jhouse5848
I’ve always used a cure and still keep in the fridge. It warms up pretty quick even from a frozen state. BTW that looks great! -
Thanks Tex_77 and PapaSop. The jerky is moist in my opinion based on the tenderness. I will keep it in the fridge and just take some pieces out before eating to warm a bit. I am doing intermittent fasting so I had to wait to taste the jerky about 12 hours before tasting it earlier this afternoon. I was thrilled that it was edible and flavorful for a first go at it with a custom marinade/rub. Can’t wait to post more questions as I continue down this road!
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jhouse5848
Ask away… Just noticed your signature. Awesome. Like Tex_77 signature as well.
All this while I’m having a little Bulleit on the rocks. End of a long week…
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PapaSop Cheers to that!
One more question… how long can I keep the jerky in the fridge? Weeks?
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jhouse5848
Can’t give you a definitive answer to that question. Mine rarely spend much time in the fridge. Usually make a 10-12 lb batch then weigh out to 8oz portions. Vacuum seal them and freeze. This is done intentionally or I’d just sit down and eat it all at once. Gotta love that jerky! -
PapaSop How does it all taste after vacuum sealing, freezing, and then thawing later? Does the texture suffer? I have a chamber vacuum sealer and a food saver I could use.
