If you’re wondering why you’ve been hearing about beef tallow more often lately, it’s because it’s skyrocketing in popularity. According to a survey, interest in beef tallow has grown 95% over the last year.
Beef tallow has been around for a while, but took a back seat to vegetable-based shortenings like Crisco when they were introduced in the early 1900s.
Whether you’re new to using beef tallow or if you’re a seasoned fan, it’s helpful to know when beef tallow goes bad!
Beef tallow will keep for 12 months at room temperature, 12-18 months in the refrigerator, and at least two years in the freezer.
We’ll cover all the ins and outs of beef tallow, its shelf life, and proper storage techniques below!
What is beef tallow?
Since it might not be quite as well-known as shortening or olive oil, let’s quickly review what beef tallow is before we go into storage guidelines and shelf life.
Beef tallow is the rendered fat from beef (other types of tallow are made from different sources, like pigs and mutton). Rendering fat is the process of evaporating moisture from the fat, making it more shelf-stable and less likely to bacterial growth. Bacteria need moisture to grow, so removing the excess water helps reduce bacterial growth!
Raw beef fat (suet) is rendered into beef tallow, similar to how raw pork fat is used to make lard. Beef tallow can be used in cooking, soap making, as well as beauty uses such as making salves and balms, to name a few uses.
What is the shelf life of beef tallow?
Beef tallow should last up to a year when stored at room temperature. If you make your own beef tallow, you might choose to use it sooner than that when compared to a sealed store-bought version with a printed best-by or expiration date.
If you refrigerate beef tallow, it should last up to 18 months. If you pop it in the freezer, the shelf life increases to two years (or more!). However, refrigerating or freezing beef tallow will make it very hard since it’s high in saturated fat, which freezes more easily than the unsaturated fats in vegetable oils.
Beef tallow’s normal/ideal texture is butter-like at room temperature. If you do choose to refrigerate or freeze beef tallow, you’ll need to allow plenty of time for it to thaw (or run it under a warm water bath) before using it, since it will harden and be difficult to scoop out of the container.
How long does beef tallow last after opening?
Beef tallow’s shelf life doesn’t change whether it’s sealed or open (based on our research, anyway!). If you purchase store-bought beef tallow, know that the shelf life is for one year after it was produced.
That means that if you buy a jar that has been sitting on the shelves for a few months, you’ll need to use it or refrigerate/freeze it sooner than a year to get the most out of it in terms of freshness and quality.
Pantry | Refrigerator | Freezer | |
Sealed beef tallow | 1 year | 12-18 months | 2+ years |
Opened beef tallow | 1 year | 12-18 months | 2+ years |
Can you use beef tallow after its expiration date?
Beef tallow has a generous shelf life thanks to its low moisture content. You can probably get away with using beef tallow a bit after it’s expired, but only if there aren’t any signs that it’s gone bad.
If you’ve recently opened a container of beef tallow and it’s near its expiration date, you can buy at least a few more months if you store it in the fridge or freezer.
When in doubt, throw it out – it’s not worth compromising the flavor of your meals by using beef tallow that’s lost its freshness. (It’s likely still fine for other uses like soap making or homemade salves, though!)
How to tell if beef tallow went bad
If beef tallow has begun to spoil, there will be clear signs that it’s going bad. Watch out for these warning signs that beef tallow has gone bad:
- Scent: it has a soapy, sour, or otherwise rancid scent (fresh beef tallow should smell similar to beef jerky or smoked beef).
- Taste: it has an unpleasant taste.
- Look: the beef tallow has become discolored, has signs of mold growth, or is rock-hard at room temperature.
What’s the danger in using beef tallow after it’s gone bad?
Because beef tallow isn’t an ideal host for bacteria, it comes with a lower risk of foodborne illness-causing bacteria than some other foods (meats, produce, etc).
If you do end up eating a bit of rancid beef tallow, you’d likely notice the “off” taste and stop before you could consume enough to cause any damage. If you eat a decent amount of beef tallow after it’s gone bad, you might be left with an upset stomach – but the likelihood of becoming seriously ill is low.
Best storage practices for beef tallow
- Store beef tallow in a tightly-sealed container.
- Like other types of cooking oils and fats, it’s best to avoid storing beef tallow near direct heat sources and/or sunlight. Heat and light can break down the fats more quickly than when it’s stored in a dark place like a pantry.
- Store beef tallow in the fridge or freezer for long-term use if you don’t plan on using it regularly.
- For best results, store beef tallow at room temperature if you use it regularly. This will make it more easily scoopable/spreadable at room temperature.
FAQs:
Beef tallow has a shelf life of 12 months after it was made. Keeping in the fridge extends its shelf life to 12-18 months and 2+ years when stored in the freezer.
Tallow will eventually go bad, but it takes a while since bacteria aren’t typically attracted to pure fats with excess moisture removed.