Keeping out oxygen and moisture is the key to long term perservation of meat when you Jerk it.
Mine seems to do best when I get rid of all available fat, or use a meat with VERY low fat content (like Venison).
I use the vacuum storage bags, and that seems to help with both the oxygen and moisture intrusion.
Smoking the meat before dehydration will
substantially increase it's storage life while giving it a flavor boost from the 'Same Old Thing' taste...
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Something I've been trying, but I don't know how it will work since the first batch is only about 7 months old...
I've been replacing the 'Air' (with oxygen content) with CO2 or Argon out of my welding guns.
The factories inject CO2 & CO (Carbon Monoxide) into the bags at the factory, along with a desiccant to keep the moisture out...
I though I'd try it myself! I don't know how it's going to work long term, but I have about a dozen bags sealed up with 100% Argon, and about a dozen bags with 90% CO2 & 10% Argon. (Just the gasses I had on hand for my welders)
No oxygen, no micro-organism growth, or so my half baked theory goes...
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I'm also pretty good at keeping the desiccant bags out of pill bottles, and everything else when I find them.
Throw those babies in the oven at about 200°F for about 4 hours and they are ready to use again!
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Some of the guys I know store Jerky in canning jars, actually Jerk the meat, then put it in canning jars, heat it up to the point all micro-orginsims should be dead, and seal the lid just like you do when canning anything else...
If I'm going to can meat,
I'm NOT GOING TO DRY IT OUT FIRST!
Something just goes against my grain about drying out meat before you go to the trouble of canning it!
Jerking is for short term storage,
Canning is for LONG term storage, and with Canning, you get to keep the moisture and broth!
WHAT ARE THEY THINKING!?
