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My daughter is in Iraq and has requested some home made beef jerky. My question is how long can it go without refrigeration sealed in foodsaver bags? It generally takes a couple of weeks for packages to get to her so I am wondering what kind of jerky cure to use to ensure that it will not spoil. Would the jerky marinade by Kevin be adequate to preverve it that long? The marinade includes 1/4 c Kosher salt and 1/3 c Tender Quick per 4-5 cups of water, (plus sugars and other seasonings), for 5 lbs. of meat. I have used this a few times and like it better than the HiMoutain brand as it seems to flavor the meat better. Any input and thoughts are appreciated.
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I beleive I would contact the mfg. of Tenderquick. I believe its Morton Co. Also I would go to infoseek.com or google and look up sodium nitrates. I believe its the perservative thats in TQ. Im sure it would store and ship well heck you see it in packages and small cryovac packs at all the store checkouts. Thats what I would do if I were you.
Also try posting on some other bbq forums. Thank your daughter for helping to protect us and good luck on your project.

Bull
I have sent two batches of jerky to my Godson in Iraq. The first batch was about 1-1/2# of finished jerky and the second shipment was 5#'s of finished jerky. Per the package of TQ and a number of jerky recipes I looked at, the recommendation is 1 tablespoon per pound of meat. I marinated the meat for about 36 hours in a large vacuum packer container before rinsing and smoking. I used the FEC-100 for smoking.

I was also concerned about potential mold issues. I did searches here and read about Potassium Sorbate for inhibiting mold. I found conflicting recommendations for proper use dilution of Potassium Sorbate. I purchased mine from Zach's. Their recommendation for usage is "Use 7/8 of one ounce in a gallon of water, and spray or dip jerky with the solution after drying, or smoking." However, this link, http://www.butcher-packer.com/pages-document_general_in...mold-inhibitor.html, says to use a 2-1/2% solution with a usage limit of 0.1%. Allied Kenco site recommends 3-1/4 oz per gallon of water, which is 2-1/2% solution. I emailed Zach's these references and my concerns. I did get response. Initially they indicated their site recommendation came from their supplier and later another response that they were looking further into the matter. I did not get any further answers. I ended up using the Allied Kenco & Butcher-Packer recommendations. I used a spray bottle and sprayed the smoked jerky after it had sat overnight in the refrigerator. I let that spray dry and vacuum packed the jerky.

I told my Godson not to eat it if it looked, smelled, or tasted funny, but instead use it as an interrogation tool Roll Eyes

He has let me know both shipments came through and he and his buddies have really enjoyed the jerky.

My best regards to your daughter.

Will

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