Pepperoni

[tiff111]

Does anyone know how long I can keep pepperoni in the fridge?

I have some left over from the Super Bowl. I was going to use it in a recipe tonight, but don't want to give myself food poisoning. urplequ:

[not2late]

Is the pepperoni in an airtight container (sealed plastic bag or a plastic container)? If so, it still should be okay.

Give it a smell and a small taste. If you notice any "off" odors or taste, then don't eat it.

[NulloModo]

Pepperoni will last damn near forever as far as I can tell. I made up a big sliced meat and cheese platter for an appetizer this past thanksgiving, and I was still chowing down on the leftovers until Christmas, when I finally finished the rest off. Pepperoni is cured, and has so much salt in it that bacteria will be very hard pressed to grow.

[scott123]

Yup, pepperoni lasts forever. Critters need moisture. Besides being dried (cured) the salt in it ties up moisture so the bacteria can't survive. Critters also hate acidic environments, which pepperoni is. The little buggers also can't handle the presence of a lot of hot pepper (capsaicin). Cured meats were invented to last for months unrefrigerated. Refrigerated, it's more like years.

The one caveat to this is that as pepperoni ages (beyond 6 months) it has a tendency to lose a bit of it's flavor punch. It's still perfectly safe to eat, but not quite as zesty as the fresh stuff.

[Momma Yamo]

Pepperoni

I usually check the buy before date that is stamped somewhere on it. It's usually gone before then...hee hee