Monday, June 26, 2023

Tibbs Beef Jerky - Tibbs Revenge

tibbs beef jerky
Tibbs Beef Jerky is the creation of Steve Tibbs, who launched the business in 2016, based out of Bakersfield, CA. Tibbs descends from a line of barbecue grill masters and even dabbles in charcuterie.

But, the story behind Tibbs' entry into the jerky business was weight loss. Reaching 260 pounds at one point, he decided to forge together his love for meat snacks with hitting the gym. He started making his own jerky using whole foods, fresh beef, and healthful ingredients. When his friends tried his jerky, Tibbs realized he had a gold mine on his hands. Today, Tibbs jerky is sold in stores throughout the greater Bakersfield area, as well as online from its website, and now through a monthly subscription service.

This "Tibbs Revenge" is described by the brand as, "World's Hottest Lab Tested", being made from a combination of Carolina Reaper, Trinidad Scorpion, and Ghost Pepper chiles. According to Tibbs, this jerky has been measured on Scoville Scale between 1.92 to 1.98 million units. For comparison purposes, the habanero pepper is about 1.0 million units, while the Carolina Reaper is about 2.0 million.

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Firecreek Jerky - Stix

firecreek jerky stix
Firecreek Jerky is a brand launched by Ryan Hansen based out of Jerseyville, IL. He got it off the ground in February 2016.

Hansen has been making "small batch" jerky from his family's meat business for the past three years. He makes jerky using USDA Choice Angus Beef. Since then, he's secured a deal with USDA inspected co-packer and is now relaunching the brand.

According to Firecreek Jerky, these snack sticks are marketed as, "natural" and "handcrafted", going on to add that they're gluten-free, with no added soy or MSG.

Monday, June 19, 2023

Ball Park Beef Jerky - Peppered

ball park beef jerky
Ball Park brand of hot dogs came out with this line of beef jerky in 2015 at a time when meat snack popularity started hitting new highs. Originally a part of Hillshire Brands, Ball Park became a part of Tyson Foods when Tyson acquired Hillshire.

The decision to add jerky to the famous hot dog brand came about as a way for Tyson to extend its meat processing empire to Millennials, who tend to eat snacks throughout the day as opposed to sitting down at the dinner table for a full meal.

This Peppered Beef Jerky is described by the company as having, "...the perfect dash of pepper to give it a surprising little kick."

Monday, June 12, 2023

Gentlemen's Beef Jerky - Cracked Pepper

gentlemens beef jerky
Gentlemen's Beef Jerky is a new brand launched by Chef Shehu Fitzgerald, based out of Staten Island, NY. Chef Shehu gained famed after winning it all on Season Seven of Food Network, "Chopped". He went on to compete on "Chopped Champs" and on ABC's, "The Taste".

The celebrated culinary master spent over 20 years at high profile restaurants including the Ritz Carlton, the Marriott Marquis and Essex House. He is currently banquet chef at the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua in Hawaii. He earned a culinary degree at Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island, and received certifications from The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, Calif. and Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies, United Kingdom.

This new line of jerky is an extension of his line of spice blends he started in 2014.

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Tibbs Beef Jerky - Black Pepper

tibbs beef jerky
Tibbs Beef Jerky is the creation of Steve Tibbs, who launched the business in 2016, based out of Bakersfield, CA. Tibbs descends from a line of barbecue grill masters and even dabbles in charcuterie.

But, the story behind Tibbs' entry into the jerky business was weight loss. Reaching 260 pounds at one point, he decided to forge together his love for meat snacks with hitting the gym. He started making his own jerky using whole foods, fresh beef, and healthful ingredients. When his friends tried his jerky, Tibbs realized he had a gold mine on his hands. Today, Tibbs jerky is sold in stores throughout the greater Bakersfield area, as well as online from its website, and now through a monthly subscription service.

This "Black Pepper" is described by Tibbs as his Original flavor, but named as such because of its black pepper forward profile.

Monday, June 5, 2023

Jewels of the Forest Mushroom Jerky - Sesame

jewels of the forest
Jewels of the Forest is a brand owned by Mycolab Solutions, LLC based out of Occidental, CA. They specialize in growing organic mushrooms and sell kits to grow your own shrooms.

Their mushroom jerky is made from oyster mushrooms grown on spent beer grains obtained local breweries. The mushrooms are grown on their own fungi farm, also named "Jewels of the Forest". The jerky is distributed to natural food stores throughout the United States, with most locations in the Northern California area. They can also be ordered online from their website.

The packaging claims this jerky is Non-GMO, certified vegan, gluten-free, and 100% natural.

Friday, June 2, 2023

Bakke Brothers Brand Jerky - Teriyaki

bakke brothers brand jerky
Bakke Brothers Brand is owned by Whiskey Hill Smokehouse, LLC based out of Hubbard, OR. Whiskey Hill also owns The Jerky Hut, as well as its own house brand, Whiskey Hill Smokehouse.

Bakke Brothers was started by Phil Bakke, one of Whiskey Hill's founders. The brand differs from The Jerky Hut in that it's free of preservatives such as sodium nitrite, sodium erythorbate, et al, and it's also gluten-free.

This Teriyaki Beef Jerky is marketed as, "Gluten Free", "No MSG", and "No Nitrates", and other than that, is simple marked, "Teriyaki".