What Happens if You Eat Expired Beef Jerky
In this article, we will answer the question "What happens If you eat expired jerky?", and how to tell If the jerky has gone bad?
What happens If you eat expired jerky?
Eating expired jerky will lead to food poisoning reflected in nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, headache, jaundice, etc. E.coli and salmonella grow to dangerous levels in expired jerky
How to tell If the beef jerky has gone bad?
Bad jerky will give off an awful and striking smell of rotten meat. Therefore, It will be quite easy to identify bad jerky. It is not recommended to rely on visual cues to suspect bad jerky.
It is because the jerky might have gone bad long before developing mold. If the jerky develops white or green color, the mold has grown and the jerky belongs in the bin.
How long does beef jerky last?
Commercially packaged beef jerky will last 1-2 years If stored correctly, according to the USDA. this does not apply to the homemade beef jerky which, unlike the store-bought jerky, lacks preservatives. Homemade jerky, made in an oven or dehydrator, will only last 2 months.
| Commercial (Unopened) | Commercial (Opened) | Homemade (Vacuum-sealed) | Homemade (Opened) | |
| In the pantry | Around 12 months | Around 12 months | Around 1-2 months | Around 1-2 weeks |
| In the fridge | More than 12 months | Up to 4 months | Up to 3 months | More than 3 weeks |
| In the freezer | Up to 24 months | Up to 12 months | Around 6-8 months | Up to 2 months |
How to extend the shelf-life of beef jerky?
Freezing jerky is a great way to extend the shelf-life of beef jerky. The low temperature and low moisture environment of the freezer will not allow the growth of microbes preserving the quality of jerky.
Use desiccants
Another method to extend the shelf-life of beef jerky is to keep it stored with desiccants or drying agents. For this, pack rice inside thin cloths and wrap it around the beef jerky.
This will suck the excess moisture from the surface of the jerky keeping it dry and fresh. The same function is performed by the silica gel that comes within the package of the store-bought jerky.
Use lean meat
When making jerky at home, a trick to make the jerky last longer is to remove as much fat from it as possible. Fat oxidation or rancidity is the leading cause of spoilage. By cutting the fat off of the jerky, you can extend its shelf-life.
Keep your beef jerky away from direct sunlight
Warmth and humidity are the enemies of your beef jerky. To extend the shelf-life of beef jerky, make sure It does not come in direct contact with the sunlight.
Always buy from trusted manufacturers
Whether buying the beef jerky off the shelf or sourcing it from local manufacturers, make sure t invest in a credible brand or a trustworthy manufacturer.
Keep it sealed
It might be tempting to put the jerky back in its original packaging after opening as It is less hassle. However, for an extended shelf-life, you need to transfer your beef jerky from its original packaging into a resealable bag to minimize its contact with oxygen.
Droplets in the bag are bad news
A properly dried package of jerky should not have droplets accumulated inside the bag. These droplets are an obvious indication of spoilage. This happens due to the improper drying of the jerky.
If you spot this problem in homemade jerky soon after their accumulation, you need not discard it. Instead, put it in the dehydrator until It is completely dry and proceed with storage.
Why does beef jerky last longer?
Commercially packaged beef jerky is dried and cured to remove the moisture which contributes to the extended shelf-life of beef jerky. Added preservatives and vacuum-sealed packages serve to further prolong its shelf-life.
How to effectively preserve yur beef jerky?
Air or sun drying below 160° F will not kill the bacteria
To ensure the complete elimination of microbes, you must cook the jerky before proceeding with its drying.
Drying in an oven can make the jerky ready to eat fairly quickly
This is an ideal way to make jery.
Open-air drying after cooking reduces moisture
Further drying the jerky after the cooking process will add to the safety of the jerky by removing the remaining moisture and microbes.
Smoking helps prevent the surface from coming into contact with air
Other than safety, smoking adds a whole lot of flavor to the jerky whilst making it look more appealing.
Conclusion
In this article, we answered the question "What happens If you eat expired jerky?", and how to tell If the jerky has gone bad?
References
Beef Jerky
Hello, I'm Sana Ameer. I'm a student of Food Science and Technology at UVAS. I like to bake and I aspire to become a Food blogger.
Source: https://thewholeportion.com/what-happens-if-you-eat-expired-jerky/
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