Note: For a more current taste review on a tweaked ingredient list and bag design, open up Old Trapper – Teriyaki Beef Jerky (Review #2).
On the back of the Old Trapper jerky bag, they describe how they have over 40 years of experience making jerky. They go on to explain how the finest ingredients are used, and then smoked with real wood. In 2016, Old Trapper embarked on their most ambitious expansion yet when they broke ground on a new 80,000 square foot manufacturing facility at their headquarters in Forest Grove, Oregon.
Today, Old Trapper claims that they are the country’s second-largest beef jerky manufacturer. Once their new facility is fully operational, and they will be ready to take the next big step in a company story that began in a humble grocery store way back in 1969. This Old Trapper jerky brand name is distributed by Old Trapper Smoked Products, Inc., and it is located in Forest Grove, Oregon.
The next review for Old Trapper will focus on a 1 ounce/28 gram bag of their teriyaki beef jerky. This bag was purchased at a convenience store in Jacksonville, Florida back in 2009.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Brown Sugar, Soy Sauce (Water, Wheat, Soy Beans, Salt, Maltodextrin, Sodium Benzoate), Apple Cider Vinegar, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Salt, Onion Powder, Spices, Sodium Nitrite. Allergen Warnings: Soy
The beef used is not guaranteed to be free of growth hormones or additional antibiotics. Also, the beef is not guaranteed to have partial free range access to graze on grass. As a result, the highest ingredient rating awarded is a Good (8/10) rating.
The liquid marinade consists of an average brand of soy sauce and healthy apple cider vinegar.
There are some healthy ingredients added, such as onion powder and spices.
For a sweet based flavor, as we have here, 3.5 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky is at an adequate level. The salt level at 213mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky is at an acceptable level, in fact, at a fairly low level.
It is disappointing to see that unhealthy sodium nitrite is used outright as a preservative to lose a rating. This jerky does not qualify to have no MSG added because the cheap, highly processed flavor enhancer hydrolyzed corn protein is used to lose another rating.
Alright (6/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
OLD TRAPPER – TERIYAKI BEEF JERKY (REVIEW #1)
Note: For a more current taste review on a tweaked ingredient list and bag design, open up Old Trapper – Teriyaki Beef Jerky (Review #2).
These strips of jerky were small to medium and size and sliced to a medium thickness. The texture was dry and chewy. Handling these strips left no oily residue on your fingers.
I do not have a great memory of how this flavor tasted in 2009. All I stated in my scant taste notes is “Average taste with an average texture.” Back in 2009, ‘average texture’ meant a dry texture. If we were to review this same flavor today, I am sure that the taste rating would have been more favorable.
This 1 ounce/28 gram bag of jerky cost $1.99. Back in 2009, $1.99 per ounce would have rated as an average price.
Bag Review
This non-resealable plastic bag has everything imprinted directly on the bag, both on the front and back. There are no labels affixed to this bag. The logo is of a man who appears to be wearing a beaver cap. This man is referred to as the mysterious Old Trapper who lives in the forests of Western Oregon.
A slogan printed on this bag is “Naturally Smoked Since 1949”. Some facts printed on this bag are “97% Fat Free”, “Made From Solid Strips Of Beef”, and “Made in USA”.
All bag categories are covered. There is a good blurb printed on the back of this bag about Old Trapper. As a bonus, there are USA flags on the front and back to signify made in the USA, or at least packaged in the USA.
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