Does jerky "cure" go bad?

busmania

I got this jerky seasoning as a gift 2.5 years ago and suddenly have the urge to make jerky.  The "cure" is somewhat hard and I will have to re powderise it (you can see the cracks in the picture) but does it go bad?  Am I going to die?  It is a pouch of seasoning and a pouch of cure. 

fishlessman

highly doubt it can go bad but some of the flavor profile might not be as strong as it once was. i would use it, maybe spike up the flavor with something fresh added

Eggcelsior

It's mostly salt, so you'll be good to go on the "not killing you part". Freshness maybe off like fishlessman said, so supplement the volatiles on the label, especially pepper. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Being that jerky cure is in itself a preservative, i don' think 2.5 years is going to be an issue. The caking an clumping is normal and you should be able to break it all up and use it.

Like fish said- if there were aromatics added, they may have faded a little. you could add a little more of those fresh or just use as is. I doubt it would make a ton of difference anyway as salt is the overriding flavor with jerky and it was sitting around outside for millions of years before being put in that bag.

bboulier

Should be good, although a little weaker.  It may also have a different flavor profile as various spices decay at different rates.  I have some jerk rub I made about 5 years ago and it still  works fine.