So we recently purchased some jerky that had quite a lot of fat present throughout it, and I’m not talking about small little bits within the meat, I’m talking big chunks of gooey white fat. I personally am not a fat fan, I like to trim the fat off most meat that I eat (pork belly excluded). But when it comes to jerky, traces of fat should be removed as the fat does not dry out and therefore holds moisture and is prone to going rank/off.
This is exactly what happened to a packet of jerky that I had left out and not sealed up. This particular jerky was also quite soft and wet when first opened and water activity without adequate preservatives (either natural or added) in jerky is another contributor to mold growth.
I compared this packet of mouldy jerky to another by the same manufacturer that was opened at the same time. The other packet was fine. I looked over the pieces in the ok packet and all pieces were fat free.
Just goes to show, if you want your jerky to last longer and avoid spoilage, then trim as much fat as possible! oh and it does help to keep it refridgerated after opening.
JJ
