“as I dry and then temper it,”
What do you mean by “temper it”?
>>>What do you mean by “temper it”?<<<
Tempering equalizes temperature and moisture. Since not all pieces dry completely equally, sealing them too soon can leave moist pockets that may spoil. I usually do it in the oven in a roaster pan - bring them up to 170o for 15 minutes, then turn the oven off and let them cool for about an hour, they seem to me pretty well equalized moisture-wise. (unless they were really thicker than the others)
Many don’t heat it that hot (I do because that is the lowest setting on my oven) and others just put it in a big bag that is unsealed till they cool. I think that that temperature serves to pasteurize it just before sealing it up. But that is just my opinion and practice... :^)