Dehydration is an excellent way to store your meat for a long time. People have been using this method to preserve meat for time immemorial. It also helps you retain most of the meat’s nutrients. It is also quite easy to dehydrate meat. But – how long does dehydrated meat last?
The shelf life of dehydrated meat is 1-2 months depending on the dehydrating and storing method. You can also prolong its life to a year using the vacuum sealing method. It can also last forever if you store it in a freezer. However, dehydrated meat starts losing its flavor and texture with time just like any other food. Therefore, you must consume it within the first three months of storage.
It is important to store dehydrated meat properly. Improper storage can result in quick bacterial growth, considerably decreasing the shelf life of the meat.
How Long Does Dehydrated Meat Last?
You can employ different dehydration techniques to preserve meat. All these techniques are very simple and eradicate two main breeding grounds for bacterial growth, temperature, and moisture.
Similarly, the technique you use also determines how long you have to dry the meat. Combining different dehydration methods will also offer different results.
You must also try to remove as much fat from the meat as you can before using any of the following methods. Keep in mind that fat can go bad quite quickly.
How to Dehydrate Meat for Long-Term Storage?
The following are some common ways to dehydrate meat.
Sun-Drying
You simply have to leave the meat in the sun and it will dry itself. The process involves cutting meat into 1/8” or thinner stripes. Apply some hot sauce or spice and place it under the sun for up to 8-16 hours. However, try to avoid temperatures in access of 40°F. Meat dried in this way can last for up to 2 months without freezing.
Curing
One of the oldest methods of drying meat uses a combination of salt, nitrate/nitrite, sugar, sometimes herbs, and whole spices. Just put the meat in a salt container. The salt will extract all the moisture from the meat. Remember that dry curing results in an intense savory flavor. The process takes a week to complete and the meat can last indefinitely if stored in a freezer.
Smoking
Smoking is also a popular method of dehydrating meat. Two main types of smoking are hot smoking and cold smoking. You have to dry meat for 1-24 hours in case of hot smoking and 12 hours-7 days for cold smoking.
Use a Dehydrator
Finally, you can also use a dehydrator to dry meat. Leave the meat in the dehydrator for 6-12 hours and you are good to go.
How does Dehydration help Preserving Meat?
When you dehydrate any food, you basically deprive it of its moisture. When there is no moisture, there are no bacteria to grow and spoil your food as well.
However, dehydration does more than that. It removes all the conditions required for bacteria to grow. Understanding the process of dehydration will help you better prepare and store your food. You can easily remember these conditions by memorizing the term “FATTOM” or Food, Acid, Temperature, Time, Oxygen, and Moisture.
Food
Meat and other foods with high levels of proteins are easy targets of bacteria. Therefore, you must preserve and store them properly.
Acid
Bacteria struggle to grow in acidic environments and alkaline foods. That is why lactic, malic, citric, and other natural acids are excellent preservatives. You can use them to preserve meat as well.
Temperature
Bacteria grow quickly if you store food or meat between 40°F to 140°F (4°C to 60°C). It is a danger zone and provides a conducive environment for bacteria to proliferate.
Time
Bacteria need time to reproduce. However, reproduction is quick and unstoppable once it starts.
Oxygen
Bacteria can grow quickly in the presence of oxygen. However, some types of bacteria can also grow without oxygen.
Moisture
Moisture is the biggest stimulus for bacterial growth. Therefore, dehydration is a great way to preserve food.
The preservation techniques have been designed keeping any or all of these factors in mind. They address these problems and try to eliminate them to curb bacterial growth.
How to Store Dehydrated Meat?
The storage method can increase or decrease the shelf life of dehydrated meat. Properly stored meat can last for years while improperly stored food will go rancid within days.
The following are the best methods to store dehydrated meat.
Store in a Cool, Dark, and Dry Place
You must always store dehydrated meat in a cool, dry, and dark place. 15°C or 60°F is the optimal storage temperature, the lower the better. Condensation can occur in case of higher temperatures, prompting quick bacterial growth.
Try to find a place with constant temperature if you cannot maintain cooler temperatures. For example, the back of a cupboard mostly remains at room temperature. It is also dark and dry, necessary to prevent fat oxidation. It can degrade your meat in terms of flavor and texture. Just ensure that the cupboard is far away from any source of heat.
Store in Airtight Containers
You can considerably increase the life of your dehydrated meat by storing it in an airtight container. Put the meat in a plastic bag and properly seal it using a vacuum sealer. It makes it easier for you to open or close the bag.
Similarly, you can also store your meat in jars. Don’t forget to seal the jars using jar sealers. Try to tightly secure the lid if you don’t have a jar sealer.
Butcher’s paper or specialized freezer bags can also come to your rescue if you are not in possession of jars.
The idea of using airtight containers is to prevent moisture and oxygen from getting to the meat. Remember that bacteria can still grow if containers are not airtight.
Use Double Bags
Putting your airtight bags or containers in a Mylar bag offers an additional layer of security. Mylar bags are resistant to moisture, sunlight, and heat. Similarly, they provide excellent protection against insects and rodents.
You have to heat seal Mylar bags instead of vacuum sealing, however.
Oxygen Absorbers
Sealing is a fantastic method to preserve food. However, you can also use oxygen absorbers just to be extra careful. Oxygen absorbers are small packets that absorb moisture and oxygen using iron powder. They introduce a nitrogen environment in the container at the expense of oxygen. They are quite safe to use because they are fully sealed as well.
One thing to keep in mind while using oxygen absorbers is that the meat should be fully dehydrated.
Store in a Freezer
Dehydrated meat can last forever in the freezer but the flavor and texture decline with time. The ideal temperature for meat in the freezer is -18°C or 0°F. Bacteria have no chance to grow at such low temperatures.
Also Read: How Many Calories In Chicken Noodle Soup?
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do dried meats last?
Dried meat can last for 1 month to an indefinite period depending on the dehydration technique and storage type. For example, sun-dried meat can last for up to 2 months without freezing. Similarly, it will not go bad for years if stored in a freezer.
How long can you keep the meat in a dehydrator?
You can preserve meat for a whopping 30 years by drying it in a dehydrator. The meat remains in the dehydrator for 6-12 hours. It not only extracts all the moisture from the meat but also kills harmful bacteria by achieving a temperature of 165°F.
Do you have to cook meat before you dehydrate it?
You don’t have to cook meat before dehydration. Dehydrating not only helps you retain the natural nutrients but also preserves the meat for a long time.
Final Thoughts
We have explained the most common dehydration as well as storage methods to preserve your dried meat. Employing these techniques will enable you to keep your meat fresh and edible for a long time without losing its natural flavor and texture.