Dog3 wrote:
> "Laura B." > got ****ed off and typed
> :
>
>
>>>This is incorrect. Your description "dry it until it's so brittle you
>>>can't eat it" is subjective, for one thing. You'll need a more
>>>quantitative description than that.
>>>
>>>Botulism requires a water activity level of 0.85 or above in order
>>>to grow. Beef jerky is well below that level.
>>>
>>>Properly dried beef jerky has a water activity level in the range of
>>>0.69 - 0.7. It's more than dry enough to inhibit botulism.
>>>
>>
>>So then perhaps you could be part of the solution and inform everyone
>>here how to tell when their homemade jerky has a water activity level
>>of less than .85? Until then I'll keep mine refridgerated.
>>
>>Laura B.
>
>
> If what you say is true, why is the jerky in the retail shops stored in
> bags on racks with the regular snacks and not refrigerated?
>
> Michael
>

The jerky in the retails shops is most often cured with sodium nitrate.

There is enough residual nitrate in the jerky to keep on killing
bacteria for a while.

There may be other factos, such as the beef jerky I sese in stores is
wrapped in a plastic sealed bag and air penetration through the plastic
is relatively slow... and there is that residual sodium nitrate.

Jim

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