Note: For a recent, live taste review, open Tillamook Country Smoker – Old Fashioned Beef Jerky (Recipe #3).
The next review on Tillamook Country Smoker will be on a 2.8 ounce/80 gram bag of their original flavored beef jerky. This bag was purchased at a convenience store in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, back in 2012.
The Tillamook Country Smoker jerky brand name is manufactured and distributed by Tillamook Country Smoker Inc., located in Bay City, Tillamook County, Oregon. They have been in business for over 50 years. It all started with providing jerky to brave pioneers who often walked every step of the 2000 mile long grueling Oregon Trail. According to Tillamook Country Smoker, the original Oregonians, the Native Americans indigenous to the area, taught settlers how to make jerky.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Contains Beef, Brown Sugar, Water, Salt, Papaya Juice, Vinegar, Ground Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Monosodium Glutamate, Citric Acid, Sodium Nitrite, Smoke.
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 water, papaya juice, and healthy vinegar. Papaya is popular in the meat industry because it has a natural enzyme named papain, which acts as a natural meat tenderizer.
There are healthy spices used such as black pepper and garlic powder.
The sugar level is somewhat high at 7 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 3 grams or sugar or less. The salt level is extremely high at 640mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 350mg of salt or less.
This jerky does use unhealthy sodium nitrite as a preservative. Also not good, this jerky uses the unhealthy flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Fair (4/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
Note: For a recent, live taste review, open Tillamook Country Smoker – Old Fashioned Beef Jerky (Recipe #3).
I do not remember this flavor all that well. My scant taste notes indicated that this jerky just tasted alright.
This 2.8 ounce/80 gram bag of Tillamook Country Smoker original flavor cost $4.99. That works out to $1.78 an ounce, which is an average price for jerky. Not that it matters anymore because this particular jerky recipe is not for sale anymore. Given that an unhealthy ingredient list was used, we would have not recommended this jerky as worth your money.
Bag Review
Everything is imprinted directly on this bag, on both the front and back. There is one curious sticker affixed, stating the jerky was “100% Made With Canadian Beef”, which is a bit strange from a jerky maker in Oregon.
The Tillamook Country Smoker company registered trademark logo is a circle with a ‘T’ in the middle. On the back of the bag, there is an informative blurb describing Tillamook Country Smoker and their jerky.
There are facts printed on this bag such as “Natural Wood Smoked”, “97% Fat Free”, “Made With Canadian Beef”, “Taste is Everything!”, “Made With Solid Strips Of Beef”, “Product of U.S.A.”, and “0g Trans Fats”.
All bag categories are covered, with some worthy notes. Surprisingly, there are French translations for everything.
Order their jerky online: www.tcsjerky.com
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