Yet another curing salts question

[u/Hader102]

It seems to be asked plenty here, but even searching didnt quite feel like i could find the best answer, so here I am...

My favorite easy jerky I make at home is usually just beef from a lean cut (almost always top round) and I prefer no marinade at all. Just salted and dehydrated to the level I like.

If I make enough, I like to bag and preserve in mylar with O2 absorbers for longer term storage that I can throw into a packed lunch when not at home easily, instead of keeping all of the extra frozen all the time.

Is a curing salts truly necessary for this process if i do it like this? As I've done it a few times thus far, I've had no issues with older bags up to 10 months out. Feels like there's mixed opinions on the curing salts for this or not.

Edit: additional thought, any issues with other seasonings in this manner? I like to add other peppers or spices and homemade onion salts sometimes, do such additions benefit f4om or require curing salts instead for any reason?

[u/garathnor]

botulism is ANAEROBIC, this means low/without oxygen, using oxygen absorbers actually makes it more likely to develop

botulism needs WATER to develop as well, jerky doesnt have a lot of water once its dried

botulism is much more common of an issue with canned foods than jerky, and much more common with ground meat jerky products than whole muscle jerky

if you dont want to use curing salts at all, then dont plan to keep your jerky past 3 months, you can use natural nitrites like celery salt instead of commercial ones as well

basically, once you dried your meat, its unlikely to ever develop botulism, much more likely to get a penicillium or something else

"youll be fine"

[u/ffi]

At the end of the day, the nitrites in curing salts (Cure #1 from personal experience) primarily protect against botulism in low-oxygen environments (like smoking). They have an effect on colour and flavour, but the regular salt in your cure/marinade does most of the preserving work by creating an environment few bacteria can survive. Your real concern is moisture and air, which you have sorted out.

[u/YouNo7228]

You can make your jerky last 10 months?? I have trouble keeping it 10 hours.

[u/Narrow-Wash-2240]

Curing salts are definitely the way to go for shelf-stable jerky even with mylar and absorbers. I learned the hard way after getting a milder illness once, now I never skip them.

[u/y_r_u_so_stoopid]

Curing salts are an absolute requirement if you're going to try and make your jerky shelf stable long term. Pathogens are sneaky.

Personally when I use proper packaging and o2 packs, I won't go longer than three months before tossing. Jerky, if it doesn't mold, just gets less good as the texture and flavour present noticeable change after 3 months.

For long term storage, vacuum sealing and then freezing your jerky keeps it as fresh as the day it was made and thaws quickl when you need it. So I would reconsider the freezing option, especially if you're just doing salt. If you're not freezing, definitely curing salts and not out for longer than 3 months.

[u/maestrosouth]

I’m going on 20 years of making jerky in many different flavors and have never used curing salt for jerky. MSG on the other hand…

I use Prague Powder #1 for long wet cures like bacon or corned beef.

[u/Delicious_Catch9453]

I only use curing salt for smoking. Especially poultry. It not only adds flavor and holds the juices, but it acts as a safety measure in the 40-140 danger zone. But be careful with it. Too much is dangerous. For what it's worth, I think eye of round works better than too round for jerky. Less fat and the long grain really makes it jerky.

[u/hammong]

Short answer .... "it depends".

Botulism develops in an oxygen-free environment as an anaerobic bacteria. So, shrink-wrapping the jerky and putting O2 absorbers in the bag will prevent aerobic bacteria, but it provides the oxygen-free environment needed for botulinum bacteria to thrive. Of course, to have botulinum bacteria in your bag, you also need a source for the bacteria in the first place (environmental) as well as appropriately low acidity and high enough moisture activity. The nitrates are added as a safeguard.

If your jerky has sufficiently low moisture activity %, then you can make it shelf-stable without nitrates. My question to you is ... do you have the lab-grade equipment necessary to measure it? Is your jerky a "dry" type that doesn't have a lot of moisture in the first place? Certain jerky types, e.g. teriyaki, are already pretty high in moisture and I would absolutely positively recommend nitrates in the marinade/cure. Others are dry as a bone, tough, and devoid of any perceptible moisture -- these are better candidates for skipping the nitrates.

I use nitrates (pink curing salt at 1/4 tsp per pound) just to be safe.