What do you look for in a jerky? Taste, naturally, and a fair price. We don’t typically eat jerky to be “healthy,” but we do eat it for sustenance and a quick energy boost with a long tail on the trail. I suppose we might also want to be sure the jerky we are eating isn’t laced with chemicals and artificial flavors that negate any caloric benefit. When I eat jerky, I want to eat the meat of the animal from which it was made, not other non-animal substances.
I’m looking at you, Slim Jim.
The New Primal beef and turkey jerky passes almost all of those tests. The one it does not pass—price—is forgivable given The New Primal’s commitment to offering a pure, ethically-produced, additive-free, delicious, dehydrated meat product.
I tried all three varieties of The New Primal jerkies – original beef, spicy beef, and turkey. Each was quite tasty. The normal beef jerky has a nice, light peppery flavor that is beef-forward instead of spice-forward. The spicy beef isn’t too spicy. My heat-averse wife even enjoys it. The turkey jerky is the best turkey jerky I’ve ever tasted, not sweet or peppery but lemon and ginger-lit. Neither the beef nor the turkey jerky are dry in the least.
One thing I studied in college was food science, and if you want to continue to enjoy Thanksgiving, you should not learn how poultry are farmed in the United States. The fact that The New Primal raises their turkeys free-range in a stress-free environment is remarkable.
The New Primal beef and turkey jerkies are kind of expensive, dividing out to just over $3/oz. For the quality of the jerky and the peace of mind that comes from knowing I’m eating meat and not other chemicals, and from knowing the meat was produced ethically, I think it’s worth it. Jerky is always kind of expensive. At least The New Primal jerky isn’t costing me my clear conscience too.
The jerkies are packaged nicely as well in a durable, thick plastic, resealable pouch. I never worried about the packages opening up in my pack while I was hiking.
In summary, The New Primal jerkies provided me the delicious boost of energy I was looking for on the trail and it did it without making me wonder whether or not what I was putting into my body was doing more harm than good. Bonus – I also knew The New Primal was taking care of their animals as well. It’s a little expensive, but not egregiously so. I recommend it highly.
Date available: now
Ingredients:
Original Beef
Grass-Fed and Grass-Finished Beef, Pineapple Juice, Coconut Aminos, Honey, Lemon Juice, Apple Cider Vinegar, Less than 2% of: Smoked Sea Salt, Garlic, Onion, White Pepper, Smoked Paprika, Ginger, Black Pepper
Spicy Beef
Grass-Fed and Grass-Finished Beef, Pineapple Juice, Coconut Aminos, Honey, Lemon Juice, Apple Cider Vinegar, Jalapeno Peppers, Cayenne, Smoked Sea Salt, Garlic, Onion, White Pepper, Smoked Paprika, Ginger, Black Pepper
Turkey
Turkey Breast, Honey, Pineapple Juice, Water, Apple Cider Vinegar (Apples & Water), Smoked Sea Salt, Lemon Juice, Garlic, Ginger, Granulated Onion, Black Pepper, White Pepper, Paprika
Types tested: Original Beef, Spicy Beef, and Turkey
Types Available: Original Beef, Spicy Beef, and Turkey
Primal Beef and Turkey Jerky
$29 for four, 2 oz packages
Pros
- Tasty
- Ethically produced
- Pure
Cons
- Expensive
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