Note: for a live taste review open Simms – Original Beef Jerky (Recipe #2).
This 3.25 ounce/92 gram bag of original flavor beef jerky was purchased in Penn Yan, New York in 2009, located in the Finger Lakes region. It was purchased at a store name Aldi’s, where it was common to see horse and buggies parked in front of the store from the local Amish community.
This Simms brand of jerky is distributed by Aldi Inc., based out of Batavia, Illinois. Aldi is a very large company with grocery stores located in at least 18 countries around the world. This jerky is made by the very large private labeler Marfood USA, based out of Taylor, Michigan. That would make this a stock recipe.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Water, Sugar, Less than 2% Salt, Corn Syrup Solids, Dried Soy Sauce (Soybeans, Salt, Wheat), Hydrolyzed Corn and Soy Protein, Monosodium Glutamate, Maltodextrin, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Nitrite Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat
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 is just plain old water. While not common, the soy sauce is in powdered form.
This jerky uses the highly refined cheap sweetener corn syrup solids (corn powder). Corn products have no business being in jerky.
The sugar level is respectable at 3 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. However, the salt level is extremely high at 600mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 350mg of salt or less.
This jerky uses the double whammy of unhealthy sodium erythorbate and sodium nitrite as the main preservatives, apart from salt.
This jerky uses MSG outright. Even worse, the highly processed flavor enhancer hydrolyzed corn protein and hydrolyzed soy protein are used. Being hydrolyzed that makes it a type of unhealthy trans fat also.
Bad (3/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
Note: for a live taste review open Simms – Original Beef Jerky (Recipe #2).
My taste notes indicated that this was a poor tasting jerky. There was nothing special about this jerky, where it was met with disappointment.
This 3.25 ounce/92 gram bag was purchased for $3.99. That works out to $1.23 an ounce. That rates as a cheap price. This particular ingredient list is not for sale anymore.
Bag Review
This is a very professional looking bag, where everything is imprinted on the bag itself. There are no labels affixed.
Their slogan appears to be “All American Meat Snacks”. Many facts are displayed such as “Premium Cut”, “Mesquite Smoked”, “Solid Strips of Steak”, “American Made”, “Product of USA”, “97% Fat Free”, “High in Protein”, and “4g Total Carbs”.
Every single bag category is covered. They do offer a guarantee on the bag, that if you are not 100% completely satisfied with this product, they will gladly replace the product, AND refund your money. Something Aldi calls a “Double Guarantee”, which is admirable. There are decent blurbs printed on the back about this jerky.
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