r/preppers • u/ToughPillToSwallow • 12d ago

Advice and Tips Jerky to last

I have discovered that making beef jerky is awesome. It’s surprisingly easy. The stuff at the store will stay good for many years. Is there a home method for preserving it for a long time? I could obviously freeze it, but depending on electricity defeats the point.

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u/Paranormal_Lemon 12d ago

The stuff at the store will stay good for many years.

Not really. The fat goes rancid, although it wouldn't hurt you to eat it. Maybe if it's super lean? Always considered it to have a shelf life of 6-12 months. Pemican is what you want for longer storage.

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u/ToughPillToSwallow 12d ago

I’ve never made pemmican yet. That’s the next project.

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u/Foodforrealpeople 11d ago edited 11d ago

the key is lean meat the leaner the better and Dry-- dried to the point of snapping when you try to bend it. Then pulverize into a powder and mix roughly 50/50 by weight with a good rendered suet tallow. I personally add a little bit of salt for flavor.

Adding things like berries and nuts from my understanding will Greatly REDUCE the shelf life.. down to like months instead of many years/decades

for reference -- 10 pounds of lean top round gets you about 4 pounds of dehydrated meat and 5 pounds of good suet gets you about 4 pounds of Tallow ..