Meat · 6 foods
Jerky & canned meat Storage Times
How long jerky & canned meat last on the counter, in the fridge and in the freezer — opened and unopened. Sourced from USDA FoodKeeper, last verified November 2026.
← All meat · Fresh meat · Bacon, ham & sausage · Stuffed & kabobs
6 of 6 foods · sorted A–Z
| Counter | Fridge (unopened) | Freezes well? | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Beef jerky | Refrigerate | 2–3 months | 12 months (pantry) | Not listed | — |
 Canned ham (shelf-stable) | Refrigerate | 5–14 days | 6–9 months (pantry) | Not listed | — |
 Canned meat | Refrigerate | 3–4 days | 5 years (pantry) | Not listed | — |
 Fully cooked bacon | Refrigerate | 5–14 days | 6 months (pantry) | Not listed | — |
 Homemade jerky | 1–2 months | 1–2 months | — | Not listed | — |
 Meat in retort pouches | Refrigerate | 3–4 days | Not recommended (pantry) | Not listed | — |
Can you freeze… jerky & canned meat?
0 answers, A–Z
Does… go bad?
Signs of spoilage for every jerky & canned meat item
Left out overnight
The 2-hour rule, food by food
Numbers on this page come from USDA FoodKeeper and FSIS guidance. Last verified November 2026. How we verify our data · Report a wrong number