Fat Yankee Jerky — Shelf Life Calculator

Three tools for cured beef jerky — pick the one that matches what you're trying to do.

1

Get a Recipe

Tell us how long you want it to last and which preservative you'll use — we'll give you the exact amount to add per pound.

Target shelf life → amount
2

Estimate Shelf Life

Already using a preservative? Tell us how much you're using and we'll predict how long the batch will last.

Amount → shelf life
3

Recipe Shelf Life Estimator

Have a full recipe with cure, soy sauce, and pink salt all together? Enter it all to get one combined shelf-life estimate.

Full recipe → shelf life
Trimmed weight before slicing.
At room temperature (60–75°F).
Affects how much you need.
Total amount used for the whole batch.

Enter your full recipe — Cure #1, soy sauce, and Himalayan pink salt all together — to get a single combined shelf-life estimate.

USDA-safe: 1 tsp per 5 lb. Use 0 for no cure.
Default 4 tbsp per pound = ¼ cup/lb. Use 0 if not using soy.
Use 0 if not adding pink salt.

Estimate only — read this before you cure. Shelf-life numbers are an estimate based on standard curing science, USDA-aligned dosing (Cure #1 at 156 ppm sodium nitrite max ingoing), salt percentage, and packaging. Actual shelf life depends on water activity (Aw ≤ 0.85 target), drying time and temperature, sanitation, and storage conditions. This tool is for educational use and is not a substitute for a HACCP plan if you sell jerky. See USDA FSIS guidance: Jerky and Food Safety and the FSIS Compliance Guideline for Meat & Poultry Jerky. Always cook jerky to a safe internal temperature (160°F beef / 165°F poultry) before drying.