This was one of the early bags added to my collection of jerky bags. I purchased this original flavor bag at a convenience store in North Arlington, New Jersey, in 2008. That was the one and only time I ever saw Adirondack Backwoods jerky for sale in a store.
Adirondack Backwoods jerky is distributed by Border View Foods Inc., based out of Chazy, New York. Based on my research, it would appear that this jerky has been discontinued, although we are not entirely certain of that. One thing about this jerky is that it was very inexpensive, perhaps that has something to do with why this jerky no longer seems to be manufactured.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Soy Sauce (Water, Salt, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Corn Syrup, Caramel Color, Potassium Sorbate [preservative], Worcestershire Sauce (Water, Vinegar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Salt, Caramel Color, Molasses, Dextrose, Monosodium Glutamate, Sugar, Natural Flavors [Spice Extractives], Spices, Citric Acid, Potassium Citrate, Natural Smoke Flavor, Polysorbate 80, Malic Acid), Brown Sugar, Onion Product, Garlic Powder, Brown Sugar, Seasoned Salt (Salt, Sugar, Dehydrated Onion, Spices, Cornstarch, Dehydrated Garlic, Paprika and Extractives of Paprika [as color], Turmeric [as color], Natural Flavors and less than 2% Silicon Dioxide [anticaking agent], Hickory Wood Smoke Flavorings, Spices Allergen Warnings: Soy
The beef used is not guaranteed to be free of growth hormones or additional antibiotics. Also, the beef is not guaranteed to have at least partial free range access to graze on grass. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Good (8/10) rating.
This is a substantial list of ingredients, which tends to happen when you use sauces like soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. About 35 ingredients in total. There are a large number of unhealthy ingredients listed. Some of them are hydrolyzed soy protein, corn syrup, caramel color, MSG, potassium sorbate and polysorbate 80.
There is no nutrition facts table provided. As a result, the exact salt and sugar levels are unknown.
The main preservative is unhealthy potassium sorbate, apart from salt. This jerky does not qualify to be MSG free because the highly processed food enhancer hydrolyzed soy protein is used. Making it worse, hydrolyzed soy protein is also a type of trans fat.
Very Bad (2/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
The jerky had a dry texture, with fairly small strips of beef. The thickness was medium to thin. Despite all the bad ingredients used, this jerky was tasty from what I recall.
This particular jerky purchase was pretty significant for me at the time. Back then I had aspirations of starting a jerky business. This 49 grams/1.75 ounces bag of jerky was only $1.99. There was absolutely no way I could compete with that price level, which was an extremely cheap price, working out to $1.13 per ounce.
Bag Review
The bag itself is unusual. It resembles a heavy duty zip lock bag, although not resealable, which is common for jerky under 50 grams. The plastic stretches, where normally plastic bags for jerky are not stretchable at all.
The design is interesting. There is a logo of two hicks with the caption under it “Made in the sticks by a couple of hicks”. Some facts printed are “Premium Cuts” and “Snack Time”.
The majority of bag categories are met with one exception. One annoying aspect is the best before date is not listed anywhere.
Best beef jerky EVER!
Had it when I lived in Vt
Oh my, yes. I used to get these back when they were called Vermont Backwoods Jerky, which apparently changed their name to Adirondack later on, before eventually going out of business. Such a shame. It was my absolute all-time favorite beef jerky, and I’ve not found its equal since.
This was created by my ex
girlfriends parents. Franklin VT. I remember her mother came to me with a bag they made that had slightly to much soy sauce. The flavor was off and they couldn’t sell it. She asked me if I wanted it. It was a 50 gallon lawn and leaf bag with about 20-25 pounds worth of jerky in it. The two hicks on the bag were her father, Terry, and her uncle. We broke up in 1997. Her parents forced her against her will to get an abortion when she was sixteen. I found out 2 years later.