Am I being stupid? - storing dehydrated meat

[Buff]

I'm wanting to dehydrate some lean ground beef and some chicken. I've never dehydrated meat before and I will be storing it as best I can but in wretched conditions: in vacuum sealed individual portions in the trunk of my car over a month during the summer.

Is this just stupid? Will it go rancid regardless of how thoroughly dehydrated, rinsed and tightly sealed?

[MDSection12]

I'm wanting to dehydrate some lean ground beef and some chicken. I've never dehydrated meat before and I will be storing it as best I can but in wretched conditions: in vacuum sealed individual portions in the trunk of my car over a month during the summer.

Is this just stupid? Will it go rancid regardless of how thoroughly dehydrated, rinsed and tightly sealed?
If you got every last molecule of water out of the meat in the dehydration process and vacuum sealed it without adding any moisture then technically it should be fine... But any slight error that allows moisture into those bags is a sure-fire way to grow some serious funkies.

[Feral Bill]

Sadly, those conditions call for vegetarian food, like dry legumes and grain. An Indian cook book will help you get tasty meals from veggie foods.

[Tipi Walter]

Remember that long term sitting of a car invites rodents and mice. They will/can invade your air filter and chew it up and make nests thruout the car, even in the trunk. On long trips I sometimes put 4 or more glue traps in the car.

And then there's the random black bear tearing off your doors.

[Grinder]

I see no reason not to. I have left home made meals in my van for a month or more. This, of course, assumes it is properly dried. If it's bad it will smell.

The rodent warning a good idea. I've never encountered that problem, but it is possible. A hard container would be a good safety measure.

I do keep my dried meats and meals in the freezer at home, but always feel it's like the safety engineer wearing a belt AND suspenders. You just can't be too safe.

[Pedaling Fool]

You don't remove all the moisture from dehydrated meats, including chicken. Actually you don't want to remove 100% of the moisture from any food you dehydrate, that's over-dehydrating and that greatly reduces nutrient content, you might as well pack cardboard and eat that.

You jerky should be somewhat pliable when you bend it, it should crack, but not break http://extension.psu.edu/food/preservation/news/2012/drying-jerky



I never stored beef/chicken jerkey in the frig, nor did I vaccum pack, simply put in plastic ziplock baggies and kept out of the sunlight. Either I did something right or someone really likes me, because I've eaten tons of jerky from that process.

However, what I do always make sure of is that I use the leanest possible meat and I add a lot of salt to my marinade. Teaspoon of salt to one pound of meat, then whatever salt is in the other ingredients of my marinade. http://www.drystore.com/page/page/1351115.htm

[Buff]

And then there's the random black bear tearing off your doors.

OIY! Bear better don't!! But if they manage to get a door off my Roadmaster, I'll give it to them for a job well done, thing is a tank.

Thanks for all the input guys. I suppose I should just skip the dehydrated meat, sadly. :/ I'll just save it for the shorter trips.

[Blissful]

I'm wanting to dehydrate some lean ground beef and some chicken. I've never dehydrated meat before and I will be storing it as best I can but in wretched conditions: in vacuum sealed individual portions in the trunk of my car over a month during the summer.

Is this just stupid? Will it go rancid regardless of how thoroughly dehydrated, rinsed and tightly sealed?

I would not do this esp with hamburger. With dehydrated canned chicken, I did fine sending via maildrops for ten days then another few days in my pack. No issues.

[Blissful]

The rodent warning a good idea. I've never encountered that problem, but it is possible. A hard container would be a good safety measure.



I had food in my trunk for a few days in a bag. The mouse got into the trunk, ate through my pricey stuff sack and got at my food. Be sure to store your food in a plastic sealed container.

[Rocket Jones]

The best mouse-proof container I've found is a large metal cookie or popcorn tin. A couple of strips of duct tape secures the lid.

[Wise Old Owl]

storing anything in a hot trunk isn't a good idea.

Mice get into cars all over the place - ask any dealer... When in a Porsche shop the other day they told me they ship mice from California in the engine... heck of a clean up.

Serious not to argue with Blissful, you do not need to go to granular with Hamburger if you use Morton Sugar Cure in the right amounts... I too do not dry to a hard crack, soft and pliable.

[Buff]

I really hadn't thought about mice getting into the car! So good to know. Here I had been more worried about people breaking in...