I have always enjoyed Beef Jerky the homemade kind that you find in mom and pop stores.
So this weekend I had the urge to make some in the Ninja dehydrator oven. I used a London Broil with a marinade pretty simple. My son saw this and decided to do a London Broil and another steak. He cooked his on a pellet smoker, two different marinades. Both came out extremely well, we are happy with the outcome. Admittedly, his marinades were better than mine.

Now the question: How do you store it? I have read to refrigerate it in an airtight container. I never put any Jerky in the frige ever.
How do you store it after it is made?
We made a lot, probably dry it weighs 1.5lbs. Right now it is in freezer bags not refrigerated.

I've done both the Dehydrator and Smoker, personally think doing it on the Traeger is better.

London Broil is a good cut, and the local Publix butcher will slice it up for me at no charge, saves getting the deli slicer out.

Used Jack Daniels Marinades in a bag, easy, seals up, three different flavors.





I have kept some in the fridge, have sealed up some using a Foodsaver and kept in fridge, usually it doesn't last long aka eaten.

Think in the future I'll used a sealed container and not refrigerated.

Link How Long does Beef Jerky Last

quote:

How Long Does Beef Jerky Last?
One of the top questions that I always am asked is "how long does jerky stay good?"

If you follow the steps below, you can expect your homemade jerky to last 1-2 months after initial airtight packaging. When stored in ziplock type bags in a dark pantry, jerky will last about 1 week; In a refrigerator, jerky will last 1-2 weeks.

Haven't frozen any, sure you could for a bit, I'd use a food saver to seal the air out though..

Trick is, don't make more than you can eat in about a week, that way it's always fresh...

1.5 lbs? I would put it in ziploc bags and throw it in the fridge, if cured, dried/smoked correctly it should keep for weeks

My dad use to make it - big batches each time. He'd put it in zip lock bags then freeze it. We'd generally stick in in the fridge or a pack a day or so before we planned to use it.

I'm not able to get out anymore, but I used to jerk a complete deer, except backstraps, most every year. Always put it in the freezer, and use as needed. Worked great!

Found a couple 7 year old packages a few years back. It wasn't perfect, but I'd say about 95-98% like fresh. But then, I do like jerky!

Always used the same cure. 2 parts soy sauce, 2 parts Teriyaki, 1 part liquid smoke. Dry ingredients were salt, black pepper, and Cayenne for heat. Good stuff!!

Thanks for the replies. I put it all in the refrigerator.
Sweet Chuckie, I pretty much made mine like you described minus the Cayenne. Next time I'll put it in.

 
Cut the meat cross grain, for easier chewing. Chewing off a chunk that is cut with the grain can take some effort.

Got to thinking about this after I went to bed last night. Don't know if any interest, but here's a bit more on the subject.....

As Henryaz says, cross grain is best. I'd cut up the meat about 3/8-1/2" thick, as I'm freezing after, doesn't have to be thin for longevity. I coat the meat with liquid mix, then heavily sprinkle with the dry mix. Turn over and repeat. Layer in a food grain container, I use 5 gallon buckets, until all is done. I then place a dinner plate on top, with app. 15 pound weight in the plate. Set in a cool place for a week or so.

I made up some expanded metal to fit where my oven racks go. I place the meat on the new racks, turn the oven to around 140 degrees, crack the oven door, and it takes around 6-8 hours to get to where I like it. Don't remember why I do it like this, but it works for me. Hope this might help.

If it makes it past the first day, I usually store it in a zip lock bag and it lasts a few days on the counter. I use a dehydrator and when done I usually bake it for a couple minutes to make sure it is ok to eat. It's probably unnecessary but I don't want to make anyone sick. I have tried a few cuts of beef but actually prefer ground beef jerky. I get some of the curing kits from Bass Pro and other places and they actually turn out really well. My son and I can't get enough.