How Long Does Smoked Meat Last? – TheOffsetSmoker

The most frequently asked question is, So how long does smoked meat last? Smoking the meat means a little tough work to do. But, the good news is, you can reserve it for a long period of time. In fact, human beings are fond of smoking meat for centuries because smoked meat is storable.

We have tried to answer a few hot questions people frequently ask.

So how long does smoked meat last?

You can store smoked meat for as long as 4 days. The only condition is storing the smoked meat in a refrigerator soon after smoking it in a smoker. An estimated time is 2 hours. If you want to reserve it for more time, you should wrap it up properly and place it inside the refrigerator. This will surely help you keep the smoked meat safe for over three months.

What are the different methods of smoking meat?

The beginners might believe that smoking meat means cooking it over an open fire. But, that’s not completely true. Various smoking techniques and safety tips are available, and each one of them will give you a different result. Also, the change of method will vary the storage time of the meat.

Here are a few common methods used for smoking.

Hot Smoking

Undoubtedly the most common method of smoking is hot smoking. We call it hot smoking because this method requires at least 225 degrees F in the smoker’s internal cooking chamber. Depending upon the smoker, the cooking time varies even at the mentioned temperature you measure it with a thermometer. For some smokers, the cooking time may last for 5 to 6 hours.

If you plan to smoke a whole big brisket, the smokers may take a whole day to smoke it even.

Warm Smoking

Warm smoking is a variant of hot smoking, but it requires about 100 degrees F every time. Fish is a slice of common meat that requires warm smoking for a delicious dinner. Some meats need pre-cooking, like bacon and sausage. These types of meats also require warm smoking. The best thermometer will measure the temperature quickly.

Cold Smoking

You have to deal with raw food throughout the process of cold smoking. This is not the same in hot smoking. Cold smoking resembles the technique that our elders might have used to smoke the meat for a better meal.

The first step includes salting the meat to force it to dehydrate quickly.  This salting also helps in inhibiting bacterial growth by creating a specific atmosphere. Then, the salted meat is hung in airflow for 1 to 12 hours. This long process will produce a pellicle.  Once the required pellicle is ready, the meat needs to be smoked at a temperature not more than 90 degrees F.

It all depends on the size of the meat. Smoking can take a lot of time in brisket and comparatively less time in fish meat.

Keeping For A Few Days

The reality is that the smoked meat can be reserved for 3 to 4 days; however, if you plan to use a nice refrigerator, your thoughts are good for reserving the smoked meat for longer terms. As discussed earlier, if the meat is wrapped properly after smoking it, you are good to go for a term of 2 to 3 months. Of course, you need to place the meat well in the fridge.

Instructions on how to refrigerate the smoked meat

• Take a plastic wrap with premium quality and wrap up the meat with it. Also, you are free to use butcher or freezer paper. Don’t forget to keep the wax-side inward.
• Then, you have to use aluminum foil to wrap the meat. So it will behave as an initial protective layer. The aluminum foil will prevent the meat from dehydrating. Dehydration can lead to fridge burn.

This was all about how long does smoked meat last. Though smoked meat is perishable, it can still be stored for a specific time. We have reviewed the best smoker cookbooks you can check them too.