Exact Answer: 12 months
If the beef jerky is properly cooked and stored in a sealed container, then it would not go bad before 12 months. The storage of beef jerky plays a vital role in predicting its shelf life. Improper storage can bring signs of spoilage in the beef jerky. People should choose cool and dry places to store the beef jerky for months together.
There are many types of jerky with different shelf life. Commercial beef jerky can last for around 12 months if stored properly. If there are no spoilage signs, then commercial jerky can be consumed after the best before date. The shelf life of the beef jerky would also get affected by the brands or manufacturing companies.
How Long Does Beef Jerky Last?
| Beef Jerky | Time |
| In years | 1 year |
| In months | 12 months |
The beef jerky may not go bad easily, as they are under the category of non-perishable food. People need to be careful about the storage of beef jerky. Storing the beef jerky in hot places may degrade its quality. The bacteria or pathogens present in the environment would affect the quality of the beef jerky.
People should avoid keeping the beef jerky in hot or wet places. Humidity would not allow the beef jerky to hold its texture and taste. People should avoid opening the seal of the beef jerky if they are not going to have it within a few hours. Once the seal of the beef jerky is opened, people should store it in the fridge.
The beef jerky may stay fresh for many years if it is stored and packed correctly. A small hole in the packaging would make the beef jerky go bad in just a few months. Inspecting the beef jerky is important for making it last longer. Everyone should check the packaging of the beef jerky to know if they are in good condition or not.
Once the packaging of the beef jerky is opened, then it should not be stored at room temperature. The beef jerky if opened, would go bad in 5 to 7 days. People can extend the lasting time of unsealed beef jerky by putting it inside the freezer.
People should store the beef jerky in the middle section of the fridge or in the coolest part of the fridge. People should be careful of any bacteria present near the location of the fridge where the beef jerky is stored. As these bacteria can make the beef jerky go bad in very less time.
Why Does Beef Jerky Last This Long?
The beef jerky would last longer if they have no moisture content in it. Oxygen exposure can be extremely dangerous for the shelf life of beef jerky. To prevent oxygen exposure, it’s better to not open the seal of the beef jerky. People should not keep the beef jerky facing directly towards the sun as sun rays would deteriorate the quality of beef jerky.
You should always go for the best brands that produced top-quality beef jerky. The top-quality beef jerky would stay fresh longer than the low-quality beef jerky. In the market, people can also find moisture-rich jerky that would not last long if the seal is opened.
People should not store beef jerky in places where temperature fluctuation is very common. Temperature fluctuation would not allow the beef jerky to hold its freshness. Nobody should keep the beef jerky with any other food. Beef jerky should be kept separately to get cool air from all sides.
People should store the beef jerky in thin plastic containers as it would get chilled properly. Thick airtight containers may take more time to get chilled than thin ones. The amount of beef jerky may also influence the lasting time. If someone is trying to store a huge amount of beef jerky, then they should keep it in the middle of the freezer.
So that they would get freeze uniformly or else the middle part of the beef jerky inside the container may not get frozen evenly.
Conclusion
The lasting time of beef jerky would be around 12 months. The sealed beef jerky would stay longer than the unsealed beef jerky. The lasting time of the beef jerky would get reduced if they are exposed to sun and oxygen.
People should avoid using dirty containers for storing beef jerky. Try to get the top-quality beef jerky so that they would last for more than 12 months.
References
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0309174006003767
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969806X10002756
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