# How to store jerky



## stpeterspioneer (Nov 10, 2014)

I make alot of deer jerky. We love it! Does it store well for long periods? What is the best way to store? Vacuum seal? Should it be put in freezer? Thanks for any info.


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

I usually eat it quickly enough that the storage issue solves itself . I've never stored it any other way than a brown paper bag in the fridge or for smaller batches on the counter.


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## Jewel (Sep 6, 2014)

It never lasts long here either. I do always put some on jars and vacuum seal them but I think the longest they have ever lasted was about a month.

I'll be interested to hear other replies. Thanks for asking the question!


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## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

The last time I made jerky, I decided I was going to store some to see how long it lasts. I vacuum sealed it and the next day it was full of air. The jerky poked holes in the bags. 

Later, someone posted that you should wrap in paper or paper towels to keep holes from getting poked. I haven't tried it yet. I like the idea of vacuum sealing in jars. I'll have to give that a try next time. 

At the bottom of this page is a thread about storing jerky long term VVV


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## myrtle55 (Apr 1, 2014)

So far i have since june sealed in mason jars with o2 absorbers so vac sealed, kept in house and all is good still. My kids said the mylar bags with o2 absorbers last year made good crisp jerky.


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

Jerky doesn't do well for long term storage as it will go rancid. Salt will help it to last longer. Maybe packing the finished product in Mason Jars and dry canning will extend the shelf life, or you could make Pemmican which will last indefinitely, but then again it's not Jerky.


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## stpeterspioneer (Nov 10, 2014)

Thanks every one for the replies. It doesn't last long here either when I make it. I just thought that if it would keep for long periods if sealed right, I might try to put some away. Doesn't really sound like a good idea though. I'm not really interested in the pemmican thing.


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## Balls004 (Feb 28, 2015)

I make a lot of deer jerky and have put a fair amount of it in the freezer in vac bags. Longest I've had some in the freezer was around 2 years (forgot it was in there). It was still good, although the bags had leaked at some point and there was frost inside. I'm not sure whether the jerky caused the leaks or if it was my sealer, but I think it would last longer if you address the leakage problem. Also, my jerky is usually pretty dried out to start with.

One thing though that camo2460 brought up is it going rancid. I've never seen that with deer jerky, only beef. I've always thought that it was because there is so little intramuscular fat on deer versus beef. Any thoughts here?


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## Cud579 (Apr 26, 2010)

I had some very very dry deer jerk in a mason jar in the fridge for almost 2 years and it was still tasty and not rancin. However it wasn't brittle dry like it had started.


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## BF1911 (Feb 9, 2015)

Can you can jerky? Just like ground, cooked venison or beef? We opened a can of venison hamburger two days ago that I had pressure canned in June of 2011 and it was still good. We made chili with it tonight. I wonder if there's a way to pressure can jerky?


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