The next review on Indiana Craft Jerky will focus on a 2.5 ounce/71 gram bag of their Caribbean Lime beef jerky flavor. This jerky was graciously 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. Michelle and her husband Ron launched their jerky brand in April 2015. Recently, Indiana Craft Jerky formed a relationship with Tyler Pond Farm, where a 100% grass-fed beef jerky line is sold at their farm. Also recently, a relationship was formed with Empirical Brewery, where a new Smoked Paprika Porter beef jerky flavor was created. Ron has been busy creating a custom built dehydrator, which should be operational soon. New flavors and snack packs are also being developed.
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), Lime Juice, Caribbean Jerk Sauce, Lime Peppers (Salt, Vinegar, Hot Peppers). 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 a poor Worcestershire sauce, an average soy sauce, lime juice, and Caribbean jerk sauce. The Caribbean jerk sauce used is an authentic sauce made in Jamaica. Note: the highly respected Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce is now being used in all of their jerky flavors.
Apart from the jerk sauce, the heat in this flavor is achieved by using a mix of lime and scotch bonnet peppers. It is also authentic, prepared in Trinidad. Hot peppers as a general rule are healthy if eaten in moderation, which flushes toxins out of our bodies.
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 seems average.
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 mainly medium in size, and sliced borderline thin. They have a fairly dry texture that is relatively easy to chew because the strips are sliced thin. There are very little visible signs of fat, and handling this jerky leaves no oily residue on your fingers.
The first taste detected is a moderate level of lime. There is a fairly strong level of Worcestershire sauce, mixed in with a mild soy flavor. It does not take long for a good level of spiciness to kick in. This flavor is advertised to be a 3 out of 5 on the heat scale, which seems to be a perfect assessment.
The jerk sauce is great tasting, which is a great compliment to the lime flavor. There is a moderate level of saltiness. With an absence of any sweetness, there is a good deal of natural beef flavor. Overall, this flavor lives up to its name with the lime and Caribbean jerk flavors, it’s very tasty.
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. While pricey, this jerky is certainly recommended to people who enjoy the flavor of lime, mixed with a great level of spiciness.
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 Caribbean Lime flavor, it is a picture of the Jolly Roger flag, representing Pirates of the Caribbean. There is a small blurb printed about this flavor: “Caribbean Jerk sauce & Trinidad Lime Peppers”. 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
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