The next review for 4 Seasons Jerky will focus on a 2 ounce/56.7 gram bag of their Orange Ginger Ghost Pepper flavored beef jerky. This flavor is described as the ghost pepper packing quite the punch, marinated with orange juice and ginger. The owner Thom Le, which is short for Thomas, graciously submitted this bag of jerky for review.
This 4 Seasons Jerky brand name 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”. Currently, there are an impressive 11 different flavors of jerky for sale. You can use promo code ilovejerky to save $2 off any order, and the promo code take5 to save $5 off any order over $15.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Orange Juice, Bhut Jolokia Ghost Pepper, Black Pepper, Soy Sauce (Gluten Free), Worcestershire Sauce (Gluten Free), Liquid Smoke, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Red Crush Pepper, Other Spices. 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 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 a good gluten-free soy sauce, decent orange juice, a good gluten-free Worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke. Ingredients lists are not provided for the soy and Worcestershire sauces.
Healthy spices are used such as black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and other spices.
The heat is achieved from the red crushed chili peppers and bhut jolokia, otherwise known as ghost peppers. In 2007, ghost peppers held the title of “hottest pepper in the world”. Hot peppers are healthy if eaten in moderation, which flush toxins out of the body.
The salt level is respectable at 340mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. The sugar level is 5 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 3 grams of sugar or less, but the only sugar present is from the orange juice.
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 medium in size, and sliced borderline thin. The texture is not overly dry, and still reasonably easy to chew. There are no signs of fat, and handling this jerky leaves no oily residue on your fingers.
The first taste detected is the citrus flavor from the orange juice. Rather quickly the heat starts to take notice, and increases as you consume more strips. On a heat scale, it would rate at least a 4.5 out of 5, where the orange juice counteracts the heat to a certain degree. Missing is the unique taste of ghost peppers.
The ginger level is faint at best. At light levels are the Worcestershire/soy sauces, black pepper, garlic, and onion. With minimal sweetness present, there is a decent amount of natural beef flavor. Overall, while this flavor certainly delivers with the heat, the spiciness from the ghost peppers tends to overwhelm this flavor.
A 4 ounce/113 gram bag sells online for $9.49. That works out to $2.37 an ounce, which rates as a borderline expensive price. To enjoy this flavor you will need to have a high tolerance for spiciness, which burns your mouth.
Bag Review
This silver colored plastic bag has a label attached to the front, and a sticker on the back. The logo is mountains, which illustrates the outdoors.
The slogan stated on this bag is “Quality Jerky For Any Occasion, All Year Long”. Facts provided are “13g Protein”, “Low Carb”, “0g Trans Fat”, “Tender & Savory”, “Gluten Free”, “No Nitrates”, “Low Fat”, “Natural Ingredients”, “Made in the USA”, and “Warning: 1 Million (SHU (Ghost Pepper)”.
There are some bag categories missing such as a transparent window to view the jerky, bar code, allergen alerts, distributor address details, and a blurb about the jerky or flavor.
Order their jerky online: www.4seasonsjerky.com
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