How Long Does Beef Tallow Last?

A lot of people are beginning to take a long, hard look at beef tallow, a type of rendered beef fat. Prepared beef tallow that you buy in the store can be expensive, so consumers naturally want to get as much use out of the product as possible. That means letting none of it go to waste.

Steep price points have even inspired some people to at home, which is not difficult. Because most animal products are highly perishable, you may wonder what the expiration date is on that precious container of beef fat. It turns out, it lasts for quite some time.



As long as it's kept at room temperature in a secure, airtight container, away from direct sunlight, beef tallow is incredibly shelf-stable and will stay fresh for around one year. Of course, if you choose to store it in the freezer, it will last much longer. The freezer is a good place to store tallow if you only use it every once in a while.

You'll need to bring the fat to room temperature though to spoon it out. What's more is that you can actually reuse beef tallow, extending its life even further. As long as you strain the used tallow through a cheesecloth to filter out any leftover bits of food, you can use it again for frying or roasting.

For example, if you use tallow to , you can reuse it again the same way. How do you know if beef tallow has gone bad? If you choose to save, store, and reuse your beef tallow, you might be alarmed when the reused, solidified tallow takes on a new color. This actually isn't an indication that your tallow has gone bad.

Fresh tallow is milky white, while used tallow (even after it's been filtered) has a yellowish hue. This is totally fine. However, if you've used the fat several times and start to notice a difference in the way your food tastes after being cooked in it, this might be a sign that the tallow is just about out of gas, and should be thrown away.

Beef tallow should have a slight beefy aroma, a smooth consistency, and a delicate meat flavor. If it looks or smells rancid, it's time to make or buy a fresh batch. Besides being useful for roasting and frying, beef tallow can be used in your baked goods as well, but with a catch.

Since it has a slightly meaty taste, it might not be the best choice for sweet bakes. If you like the idea of using rendered animal fat for your fruit pies and tarts, consider lard, which has a mild flavor. But beef tallow is great for savory pastries and pies, like pot pie crust and , especially if they are flavored with fresh herbs and bacon.

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