We have many, many historical accounts and anecdotal tales concerning pemmican and its properties, but there is precious little verifiable information regarding long-term storage. If made and stored property, it can last for years or even decades. Pemmican often served as a sort of survival ration for Native Americans and later settlers from Europe, and it is making a comeback with preppers today. Making Pemmican - The Ultimate Survival Food, 12 Self-Defense Moves That May Save Your Life, Emergency Cooking 10 Options to Have on Hand. A small serving size packs a nutritious punch, and you can take it anywhere. Pemmican is a fantastic survival food for bug-out bags and survivalists. This is not the case, though you could argue that real pemmican contains jerky as an ingredient. Well also talk about some additional things you can add to your pemmican, how to store it, and how long it will last. Later, Pemmican was given to British troops during the Second Boer War along with chocolate and sugar. Does Pemmican Moisture is the enemy for anything dehydrated or freeze-dried as reconstitution begins the process of bacteria breaking down the food. However, as pemmican contains very little amount of dried fruits and the mixture is dense, the fruity bits do not get exposed to air that much. Read on to discover what it is, how to make it, how to store it and what to do with it! This combination of ingredients creates an energy-dense, lightweight food source that wont spoil easily. Packed full of nutrients, proteins, and fats you can easily meet your calorie and nutrition requirements with this indigenous tradition. Additionally, depending on the ingredients used to make it (such as grass-fed beef) provides a nutrient-dense package that could sustain someone through lean times or periods with limited access to other food sources. Keep reading to learn more. Its a survival food that is as effective now as it was to travelers in the Arctic. When made with high-quality ingredients like honey and kept at a temperature of 10 or lower, pemmican can remain viable for much longer, with some sources suggesting up to 10 years. Read on to find out more. Pemmican would be much better as a survival food than lean jerky, for example, because of the energy it could give. This is an excellent option for hikers or backcountry campers who need a nutritious snack on their journeys. Pemmican remains an entirely viable and useful survival food source today, one that modern preppers would do well to acquaint themselves with. There are reports of some pemmican lasting 50 or more years. When made with high-quality ingredients and kept at a temperature of 10 or lower, pemmican can remain viable for much longer, with some sources suggesting up to 10 years. How To Purchase The Right Chef Knife That Is Highly Efficient? As pemmican is made with mostly dried meat and animal fat, it has a really long shelf life which makes it the ultimate survival superfood. Cut and store your pemmican and you have a survival staple that has been around for centuries. Storing it in the refrigerator or freezer is a great way to store it for long periods but be mindful of the thawing process as this may cause texture and flavor issues. Regardless, pemmican has an extraordinary shelf life. Dry the meat. Pemmican is a traditional Native American (North American) food made from dried raw meat that has been finely diced and mixed with melted animal fat or suet. For most of my life I have been interested in emergency preparedness. Keep reading to find out. Cut into shapes for storage or mold into balls like meatballs. Confit is a method of cooking and preservation derived from the French word that means, generally, preserved or to preserve. Then they would store it in large sacks. It was a tradeable commodity and used as both a survival food in lean times as well as a special treat during times of celebration or holidays. Why is Pemmican a Good Survival Food? Keep prepping! Based on what research and verifiable testing have been conducted, we know that traditional pemmican prepared today with strict attention to quality control will last anywhere from a year to five years if it is kept at room temperature in a sealed container. That rules out garages, attics, out buildings, and any place near an appliance (they generate heat!). How To Make Pemmican Its been used throughout history by people traveling long distances. Form it into balls or patties Once everything has cooled down and the mixture has firmed up, its time to prepare the Pemmican to be stored. Doing so will change the flavor. Pemmican was originally created by Native Americans as a way to preserve meat for long journeys and times of scarcity. Pemmican is a centuries-old beef jerky-style survival food, and we think RVers should take notice of this nutritionally dense snack. It was made from meat of large game like buffalo, bison, elk or deer. Even if you dont eat it every day, its great to keep on hand for (hopefully unlikely) survival situations. There are many varieties of pemmican, but they all use the basic instructions. Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a881b98f0f6d030959e8aac29d2e06da" );document.getElementById("c08a1a06c7").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Simple beef pemmican tastes a little bit like greasy beef jerky. A popular method is to spread the mixture into a casserole dish. Pemmican only lasts for a long time if youre actually smart about how you store it. WebThe pemmican can be stored in airtight containers without refrigeration in a cool, dark and dry place. After the tallow has rendered, youll need to strain it to remove any impurities. An Almond meal is also a good option for firming up the meat. Other ingredients like berries or herbs can be added at this point, and the mixture is then wrapped tightly in a flexible casing to cool and solidify. Copyright 2023 NewLifeOnAHomestead.com - All rights reserved. In addition to being light weight and calorically dense, pemmican is shelf-stable and does not spoil easily. Its seeing a renaissance today for a good reason. During your survival years, you can expect dried beef to last for 3 to 5 years at room temperature. Then strain it to remove any solid pieces. Making pemmican is an involved process, but it pays off in the long run. Form the pemmican. Any time youre dealing with dried or dehydrated products, any introduction of moisture will cause bacteria to start digesting the food which causes spoilage. The last ingredient of pemmican is dried fruits, which have a really long shelf life in the freezer. You can form it into a small pan and leave it until it is firmly set up. At room temperature, pemmican can generally last from one to five years, but there are anecdotal stories of pemmican stored in cool cellars being safely consumed after a decade or more. Storing meat in plastic will cause it to spoil faster than it would in the paper. Pemmican is nutrient-dense and has a long shelf life. Pemmican You want to get meat from a large animal because these will work best. There are many who claim that pemmican can be stored for decades. Your email address will not be published. Just get the fat hot enough to barely melt before submerging the pemmican in it and replacing the lid. Pemmican has been used as a survival food for many years. You can pour the mixture into a glass casserole dish to allow it to cool. Keep it aside to cool down. Unfortunately, pemmican isnt used more in modern society. The malls will close down, the supermarkets will shut their doors, and even meeting the basic needs for your survival, like finding food can become a mammoth task. Its a great way to prepare leftover meat. Because pemmican is so variable and its preparation and ingredients list pinning down a precise figure is difficult. The word pemmican comes from the Cree word pimikan which means fatty meat. Heres how to make hardtack. Consider this expiration on the store pemmican a helpful safety precaution to avoid accidentally consuming expired foods! Pemmican is also a recipe you can make if you are out in the woods in survival situations. Doing this ensures your pemmican has optimal shelf life and texture when eaten, making it that much easier (and tastier!) Products with a lot of meat protein can spoil at room temperature very quickly as a result. You should assume any link is an affiliate link. (A Nutritionist Weighs In), What is Freeze Dried Food? It usually contains some type of dried berries like cranberries or saskatoon berries for added sweetness and flavors. It works similar to an airtight container. a cellar or pantry). Youll be able to store it in your freezer for years to come. Well go over the supplies you need as well as the process to make it safely. Dont believe me? The dense, concentrated mixture is then stored for future use. Nailing down a precise estimation is challenging, owing to the many tribal, regional, and local variations on both ingredients and methods of preparation. These meats are leaner than beef, which makes them ideal for creating a more energy-dense product. Whats the best way to store pemmican to make it last? In these cases, you should discard the contents immediately to prevent spoilage or foodborne illness. Now it is one of the most trusted sources to learn about emergency preparedness. To store your pemmican, wrap individual pieces in tin foil and then place them into a plastic bag. Adding salt will extend the shelf life. To ensure the longest shelf life possible, its best practice to make pemmican with high-quality meat sources (e.g., grass-fed dried beef or venison) as well as add preserving ingredients such as honey, spices/herbs, etc. Lets look at what makes this survival food so versatile and ideal for long-term storage. Pemmican has been gaining traction in recent years as people are looking to stock their pantries in the case of possible downtime within the grid. If you have tin foil on hand it is advised that you wrap the pemmican in that before storing it in plastic bags. Its a super easy recipe to prepare for your survival kit at home as long as you have a good heat source for the drying and melting process. If you dont have those options available, consider storing it in any other cool location where you keep survival supplies. Hunters and hikers also enjoy this food as an easy meal to take on the trail. When that meat is combined with the hot fat it encases it with salt which effectively preserves it. The overall best method for storing Pemmican. Grind your dried berries into a powder, if applicable. After grinding up your ingredients, put them in a bowl and slowly pour the warm, rendered fat over them. If you prepare pemmican properly and vacuum seal it, it can last a century or longer. DISCLAIMER: Defiel.com is a resource and content focused website. This method will help to eliminate all three. Some people pour them into muffin tins for a more portable option. Pemmican is the original protein bar. Additionally, they tend to have high concentrations of essential vitamins and minerals like iron, zinc, magnesium, and omega fatty acids that can help boost nutrition. Required fields are marked *, View the Drivin & Vibin Privacy Policy Here. You can use any cut of meat for pemmican, although leaner meat is better. You can substitute the suet for tallow if that is more convenient for you. A root cellar is tops, and even a dry and well-sealed basement can work. Now you know how long will pemmican last, and how to make this ultimate survival superfood on your own and store it for decades.