Jerky keeps going mouldy

[Treeclipper]

Hi all,

quick question , I've been making oven made jerky for about 3mths & the 1st 2 batches were perfect but eaten very quickly (my daughter & myself got the taste for it, lol), but all the other batches I've made using the same process have went mouldy after a week.

I store in plastic tupperware boxes, should I store in something else.

Is this 'cause I havent't dried the meat properly.

Any ideas/help?

Tree

 

[Toadflax]

My first, and only, batch so far went mouldy after about a week in a plastic bag. I was subsequently advised to keep it in a non-airtight container (e.g. a muslin bag) so that it can breathe. I haven't tried this yet so I can't say if it works for me.


Geoff

 

[John Fenna]

Mould needs damp to grow so maybe your jerky is not dry enough.
I store my jerky on poly bags and have never had a problem yet so I doubt that it is the tupperware.
John

 

[Banjobill]

Also, I've found that I need to ensure that all the fat is trimmed off the meat.

 

[Mungo]

I wouldn't worry about taking the fat off - used to work as a butcher and make very fatty biltong (South African beef jerky). As long as it is salted correctly.

Don't store it in plastic, it needs to breathe - paper bags at the least. Wait for it to get very dry before putting it in a container.

I've made it here.

Hang it in a cupboard or in a cool room in the basement - or as we used to do at the butchers, hang it in the basement and aim a floor fan at it to keep the air circulating.

Cheers,

Mungo

 

[Hoodoo]

I keep mine in cotton bags in a cool dry area (my basement). It never goes bad but it will continue to dry. I have jerky that is YEARS old and still good...well...edible.

 

[Treeclipper]

hmm, maybe I didn't dry them long enough, although it was close to being able to snap it after it was dried, the only fat left was stuff through the meat that I couldnt cut off.

I'll get a couple of cotton or muslin bags to store it in next time & try & fabricate I drying box in the shed, so I can leave it in there to dry some more after making it in the oven.

thxs for the a advice, I 'll check out mungo's link once I get home as I can't access it from work.

Tree

 

[eraaij]

I keep mine in cotton bags in a cool dry area (my basement). It never goes bad but it will continue to dry. I have jerky that is YEARS old and still good...well...edible.

You mean that you have actually the discipline to keep it stored for so long? That is very Zen

 

[Hoodoo]

You mean that you have actually the discipline to keep it stored for so long? That is very Zen

Yup, in some elite circles, I'm known as the Jerky Buddha.

 

[British Red]

Warm & damp =mould (rather than rancidity which is different and related to fat but avoidable as Mungo says).

Dry your jerky well and then let it cool in an open container - I just use a bowl in the fridge. I then pack it chilled (including in vacuum packed poly bags and even ziplocks). I have also used paper bags etc.

Dried really well, cooled properly and packed cool and it should be fine.

Red