The next review for House of Jerky will be on a 2 ounce/57 gram bag of their habanero flavored bacon jerky. This bag was graciously submitted for review by Lesley from House of Jerky.
This House of Jerky brand is distributed by House of Jerky Inc., based out of Evansville, Indiana. It all started in 1993, selling their jerky on the side of the road. In 1996, they had an idea to sell their jerky inside a store. Before the year ended, they opened a jerky store in Temecula, California, which still holds the distinction of being the very first jerky store in the world. Their popularity is really catching on, currently with around 25 House of Jerky stores. House of Jerky always welcome new store openings across the United States.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Bacon (cured with Water, Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Sugar, Sodium Erythorbate, Spice Extractives, Sodium Nitrite), Soy Sauce (Water, Wheat, Soybeans, Salt), Brown Sugar, Pineapple Juice, Honey, Water, Tabasco Sauce (Vinegar, Red Pepper, Salt), Habanero Pepper, Garlic, Red Chili Pepper, Onion, Liquid Smoke, White Pepper, Black Pepper, Ginger. Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat
The pigs used are not guaranteed to have free range access to roam about as nature intended. Fat from bacon is healthy for humans. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Good (8/10) rating.
The liquid marinade is comprised of water, a decent soy sauce, healthy pineapple juice, a high quality Tabasco sauce, healthy honey, and liquid smoke. Pineapples contain an enzyme named bromelain that acts as natural tenderizer for meat.
The trifecta is achieved with super healthy vegetables, where garlic, ginger, and onion are used. Healthy spices such as white pepper and black pepper are used.
The heat in this flavor is achieved from using habanero peppers, red chili pepper, and Tabasco sauce. Hot peppers are healthy if eaten in moderation, which flush toxins out of the body.
There is no nutrition facts table provided. As a result, the exact sugar and salt levels are unknown.
This jerky does not qualify to have no sodium nitrite as a preservative, plus it uses sodium erythorbate. In fairness, it is quite challenging to find bacon that does not use sodium nitrite. However, this jerky does qualify to have no MSG added.
Alright (6/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These strips of jerky are pretty much the same size as your average bacon slices. There is some fat, but not as much as you would expect. Chewing the jerky is hardly different from chewing a real slice of bacon. There is a considerable amount of oily residue while handling this jerky.
The first flavor detected is a moderate sweetness, which is at a tad too high of a level. At light levels are the onion and garlic. Apart from some heat, all the tastes are at light levels, including the smoke and pineapple flavors.
As for the spiciness, it delivers for a habanero based flavor. It’s the type of spiciness that sneaks up on you, and builds as you eat more strips. It levels off at about a 3 out of 5 on a heat scale. Surprisingly, there is not a great deal of natural bacon flavor.
On the House of Jerky web site, two 4 ounce bags sell for $17.98, which includes shipping. That works out to $4.50 an ounce, which rates as an expensive price. As a general rule, bacon jerky is more expensive compared to beef jerky. This jerky is worth trying to experience the great taste of habanero on bacon.
Bag Review
This is a standard, clear, non-resealable sized plastic bag. Worth noting is that this bag is vacuum sealed, the best way to keep jerky fresh. There is one label affixed to the front, and nothing on the back. The House of Jerky logo is of a man tapping a triangle, signaling that it is time to eat.
There are no slogans printed on this bag. The only fact stated on the bag is “Natural Smoke Flavoring Added”.
There are some bag categories missing such as a bar code, allergen alerts, a blurb about this jerky and flavor, and a nutrition facts table. To the credit of House of Jerky, a toll free phone number is provided for customer inquiries.
Order their jerky online: www.houseofjerky.net
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