4 Seasons Jerky – Lemon Pepper Beef Jerky

The first review for 4 Seasons Jerky will focus on a 2 ounce/56.7 gram bag of their lemon pepper flavored beef jerky. This flavor is described as using crushed black pepper and lemons, with both a spicy and tangy taste. The bag was kindly submitted for review by the owner, Thom Le, which is short for Thomas

This 4 Seasons Jerky brand named is distributed under the same name of 4 Seasons Jerky, and they are based out of Highland, California. Thom is an avid outdoorsman, and started making homemade jerky to keep up his energy level. His jerky became a big hit with his friends, and in October 2016, Thom launched this 4 Seasons Jerky brand. Their motto is “Quality Jerky For Any Occasion, All Year Long”. In their words, “natural quality ingredients to produce a wonderful piece of jerky specifically with you in mind.”

Ingredient Review

Ingredients: Beef, Lemon Juice, Black Pepper, Worcestershire Sauce (Vinegar, Molasses, Water, Citric Acid, Salt, Sugar, Spices, Natural Flavors (Soy)), Smoke Liquid, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Sesame Seeds, Red Crushed Pepper, Other Spices.    Allergen Warnings: Soy, Sesame

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 lemon juice, a decent Worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke. Lemons are loaded with vitamin C, antioxidants, and flavonoids, all of which have anti-cancer properties.

Sesame seeds have many minerals, help to prevent high blood pressure, and have a cholesterol-lowering effect. Healthy black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, red crushed chili pepper, and other spices are used.

The salt level is on the high side at 410mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. While our preferred limit is 350mg of salt, the only salt content is from the low-sodium Worcestershire sauce. The sugar level is great at only being 1 gram of sugar per 28 grams of jerky.

This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite, or any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, the main preservative used is salt. Commendably, there is no MSG added.

Good (8/10) – Ingredient Rating

Taste Review

These strips of jerky are mainly medium in size, and sliced to a medium thickness. The texture is fairly dry, where it takes some effort to chew. There are no signs of fat, and handling this jerky leaves no oily residue on your fingers.

No singular flavor jumps out at first. More than anything is a savory Worcestershire sauce flavor. At light levels are the garlic and onion. There is also a faint to light sesame flavor, which effectively enhances the overall flavor. The lemon level is mild at most, which offers some tanginess. While the lemon is barely at an acceptable level, it could stand to be stronger.

The peppered level is also at a mild level at most, which should be stronger. There is very little sweetness, which allows a great amount of natural beef flavor. Overall, a tasty treat with only mild levels of lemon and black pepper.

A 4 ounce/113 gram bag sells online for $10.99. That works out to $2.98 an ounce, where that rates as an expensive price. This jerky is recommended as worthwhile from taste and ingredient perspectives.

Very Good (9/10) – Taste Rating

Bag Review

This uncommon bag has the whole front covered in a paper bag look, and the back is 100% transparent to view the jerky. There is a label affixed to the front, and nothing on the back. The logo is mountains, which illustrates the outdoors.

There is no slogan printed on the bag. Facts provided are “13g Protein”, “Tender & Savory”, “0g Trans Fat”, “Natural Ingredients”, “High Energy”, “Great Snack”, “Healthy Choice”, and “Low Carb”.

There are some bag categories missing such as a best before date, bar code, allergen alerts, distributor address details, and a blurb about the jerky or flavor. Still, a good job for a first try.

Alright (6/10) – Bag Rating

Order their jerky online: www.4seasonsjerky.com