This review will focus on a 2.2 ounce/62.4 gram bag of Perky Jerky original flavored beef jerky. This bag was kindly submitted by the Perky Jerky team.
The Perky Jerky brand name is distributed by Performance Enhancing Meat Snacks, Inc. They are based out of Greenwood Village, Colorado. It started with a desire to produce a better tasting jerky, with a soft and tender texture, and not chewy or bland tasting. Perky Jerky has since grown to where they are likely in the top 10 for North American jerky sales. Admirably, portions of each bag purchased goes towards five organizations that support Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Down Syndrome research.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Whole Slices of Beef, Reduced Sodium Gluten Free Soy Sauce (Water, Soybeans, Salt, Alcohol), Brown Sugar, Lemon Juice, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper. 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.
The liquid marinade consists of reduced sodium gluten free soy sauce and healthy lemon juice. As for soy sauce ingredient lists, this reduced sodium gluten free soy sauce ingredient list is decent.
There are healthy spices used such as garlic powder and black pepper.
The sugar level is high at 8 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 3 grams of sugar or less. The salt level is somewhat high at 390mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 350mg of salt or less.
This jerky does qualify to be sodium nitrite free. Instead, salt is the main preservative used here. With further kudos to Perky Jerky, there is no MSG added.
Decent (7/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These strips are medium sized, and sliced to a medium thickness. This jerky does qualify to have a soft and tender texture, which makes for easy chewing. There are no visible signs of fat, and handling this jerky leaves a minor oily residue on your fingers.
The first taste detected is a slight tanginess from the lemon juice, but not overpowering. The soy flavor is at about a medium level. There is some natural beef flavor, but the sweetness level is fairly high, drowning out some of the natural beef flavor.
There are surprising bursts of black pepper flavor. The garlic flavor is faint, and the saltiness is at a mild level. For an original flavor, this jerky is quite tasty and enjoyable.
This 2.2 ounce/62.4 gram bag of this jerky sells online for $4.99. That equates to $2.27 an ounce, which classifies as an average price. This jerky is absolutely worth your money. It tastes great, and uses a healthy ingredient list.
Very Good (9/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This is a standard sized, resealable bag. Everything is imprinted directly on the bag, both on the front and back. The Perky Jerky logo printed on the front is interesting, which appears to be the outline of a cow’s head.
Some slogans printed on this bag are “Ultra Premium Beef Jerky”, “The Action Packed Snack!”, and “If you are holding this, you are one of the lucky ones!”. Facts printed on this bag are “Low Fat”, “Gluten-Free”, “No Preservatives”, “No Nitrites”, “No MSG Added”, “Product of USA”, “Minimally Processed”, “No Artificial Ingredients”, and “All Natural”.
All bag categories are covered here with one exception. This bag has no transparent window to view the actual jerky. There is a good blurb written on the back about this jerky. It is also stated on the bag that “A portion of our earnings will be devoted to Muscular Dystrophy and Down Syndrome Research”.
Order their jerky online: www.perkyjerky.com
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