The next review on Indiana Craft Jerky will focus on a 2.5 ounce/71 gram bag of their rosemary garlic beef jerky flavor. This jerky was kindly submitted for review by the president of Indiana Craft Jerky, Michelle Twaddell.
This Indiana Craft Jerky brand name is distributed by Indiana Craft Jerky LLC., located in Avon, Indiana. For ten years, Michelle’s husband Ron shared his jerky with family, neighbors, and friends. After three years of unsuccessfully trying to launch a jerky company, Michelle decided to take over. One of the biggest challenges of starting a jerky company is finding a USDA compliant commercial kitchen. Michelle managed to find an owner of a closed down restaurant to rent their kitchen. Recognizing that many vendors at farmers markets face the same challenge, Michelle convinced this former restaurant owner to rent their kitchen to other companies, rather than re-open or close down. By April 2015, the Indiana Craft Jerky brand name was launched.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Lean Beef, Soy Sauce (Water, Wheat, Soybeans, Salt, Sodium Benzoate), Worcestershire Sauce (Water, Salt, Vinegar, Caramel Color, Citric Acid, Propylene Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Artificial Color), Orange Juice, Fresh Rosemary, Fresh Thyme, Fresh Garlic, Black Pepper. Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat
The beef is sourced from a local butcher named Moody Meats, which is a 5th generation family run business. They source beef from local farms, and their own farm. The cattle do have some free range access to graze on grass. There are no guarantees that the cattle are not administered growth hormones.
The liquid marinade is comprised of Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and orange juice. It is unfortunate that the Worcestershire sauce uses the oil derivative propylene glycol and artificial color. However, a new healthier Worcestershire sauce is now being used.
It is great to see that this flavor uses fresh rosemary, thyme, and garlic. The herb rosemary is loaded with vitamins and antioxidants. It has been used medicinally for centuries. The same can be said for thyme.
There is no nutrition facts table provided. As a result, the exact sugar and salt levels are unknown. Based on the taste alone, the sugar level seem minimal, and the salt level might be somewhat high.
This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite, or any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, the main preservative used is salt. Admirably, there is no MSG added.
Decent (7/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These strips of jerky are large in size, and sliced borderline thin. They have a somewhat dry texture that is relatively easy to chew because the strips are sliced thin. There are some visible signs of fat that slightly add to the overall flavor. Handling this jerky leaves no oily residue on your fingers.
The first taste detected is a strong Worcestershire sauce, followed by a good deal of garlic. The flavor finishes off with a moderate rosemary flavor. Apart from a light sweetness from the orange juice, some of the natural beef flavor is muted because the Worcestershire sauce is so dominating.
There is a moderate salt level, and a faint peppered level. It also has a mild level of thyme, which turns out to pair very well with rosemary. Overall, a great tasting flavor.
This 2.5 ounce/71 gram bag sells online for $9.00. That works out to $3.60 an ounce, which rates as an expensive price. This jerky is surely recommended for people who enjoy the taste of garlic and rosemary.
Excellent (10/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This resealable plastic bag has a label affixed to both the front and back. Their logo is a circle with M&R in the middle, which stands for husband and wife Michelle and Ron.
Their slogan is “Hand Made”. Each flavor has a drawing to the left of the flavor name, where for this rosemary garlic flavor, it is a picture of fresh rosemary and garlic. There is a small blurb printed about this flavor: “fresh rosemary & garlic, naturally good”. Something appreciated is that the bag displays the heat and sweetness levels.
The majority of bag categories are covered here. Some missing categories are a nutrition facts table, and the jerky weight is not stated in grams. To the credit of Indiana Craft Jerky, a phone number is provided for customer inquiries.
Order their jerky online: www.indianacraftjerky.com
Indiana craft Jerky now uses lea & perrins Worcestershire sauce which is a higher grade than the previous brand. Thank you fur the review.
Michelle Twaddell