Jerky is a staple food in almost every culture. Whether you are American, British, French, Brazilian, or German, you have likely had jerky before. Many times we as consumers take it for granted, but that is until we do not have them in store and you do not have them in store too!
When purchasing jerky, the most noticeable part that makes a difference in price is the quality of the meat. If you are looking for more budget-friendly options, there are many places where you can purchase very high quality beef or chicken products that will work as jerky.
This is not the case if you want more expensive products such as higher quality leather or wood to use as your material. These materials may cost more but will last you a long time because of how often you will eat them.
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It comes from premium cuts of meat
As mentioned earlier, bark is the texture of dried meat. It can be made into jerky or barbecue style cuts.
The term jerky can have several meanings. Some people use it to mean a cut of meat that is dehydrated and barbecued, which makes it very convenient to have on hand. Others use it for smaller pieces of meat that are cooked and packaged as sticks.
As with all nutrition products, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) is not allowed to talk about the specific ingredients in jerky. They do have to handle them like drugs, though, as they are used to treat a health issue or condition.
This is why not only people who struggle with chronic disease can find relief from jerky.
Slow cooking process
The term ‘jerky’ was not exactly coined until the late 1920s. At that time, people began to study what made meat and meat products different from other foods.
During this time, they discovered that the process of cooking meat resulted in a process called slow cooking. This created a cost-increase as compared to grilling or frying the meat.
However, today there are many ways to make jerky. Most are available online or from national jerky companies such as Big Jerk Co, Hillshire Farm Company, and JW Jerky Company.
Ingredients include salt
Salt is one of the most costliest ingredients for bar recipes. Most people do not realize that even the salt we use in our diets is harvested and processed!
Many times, the salt used in recipes is moninured or plain table salt. These types of salts are often called “expeller” or “pinch” salt because it is applied to food before it is cooked.
Expeller or pinch salts can cost as much as regular table salt, if they are not labeled as such.
Ingredients include sugar
As we mentioned earlier, jerky is made of meat and sugar. This can be problematic if you are low or not eating sugar. Most commercially made jerkettes contain either 0 or 1 teaspoon of sugar, making it an expensive treat.
When making your own jerkette, it is important to use a quality-pured sugar. Most commercially made jerkettes contain either 0 or 1 teaspoon of sugar, making it an expensive treat. If you want to decrease the price of your jerky, then using less will make a difference!
The reason that some sold commercial jergys contain so much sugar is because they are more uniform in texture and/or amount of fat they contain. Commercials that have too much fat will not crisp enough when heated, causing them to be chewy and dry.
As we mentioned earlier, jerky is made of meat and sugar changes the texture of the meat which makes it different from what you would buy at the store where only smooth cut cuts are used.
Price of raw ingredients affects price
As someone who is either very familiar with or has access to premade jerky, this is probably one of the most talked about topics right now.
Most people are wondering how much money they should spend on raw ingredients when there are so many different brands out there. While some are cheaper, some are more expensive.
This article will talk about some consensus factors for price of raw ingredients and how much you should spend on each one. This can help you save some money in the long run!
Substitutions can make a difference in price also. Trying to replace certain ingredients with less expensive ones can affect cost further.
Jerky has a long shelf life
Most commercial jerky is made from cattle, buffalo, or pigs. These are considered meaty foods. Therefore, the Jerky is expensive!
However, if you buy your jerky from a grocery store or party store, then it is less expensively made. So, this can be said that it is costlier!
It is because the pork and beef used in commercial jerky is much harder and lasts longer in the manufacturing process. The less expensively made jerky may not be as effective in keeping its strength and flavor when sliced.
Processing takes time
When we talk about food, we often talk about how to eat and why eating is important. When it comes to nutrition, nothing makes you feel more privileged than being able to purchase prepackaged, high-quality foods.
As we’re reading through this article, I’m assuming you are eating enough healthy foods to purchase at least one product of each kind, right? Maybe not all of them, but close. This is because there are two main reasons why food is expensive. the first being how much time it takes to prepare it. the second being how much money it cost you!
The second part of food costing money is in how much people consume of it. The first part of food costing time is preparing it. The second part of food costing time is how much people consume of it.
Storage and packaging costs add up
As mentioned earlier, you need to make sure your jerky is storage and packaging efficient. If the package looks bulky, this is how they save storage and packaging cost.
Storage can cost a few dollars a piece depending on how you want them packaged. Some people prefer the square bags as opposed to tube or pouch style containers.
If you want your jerky cut into narrower pieces, it may be better to buy more bagging material than if you wanted thicker jerky. Both are true though? If you wanted very thick jerken, then buy more bagging material to make it happen!
Another cost factor that can be applied to all styles of jerky is packaging cost. Some companies charge extra for their jerkys to come in a box or case, which needs special attention to prevent damage or removal of the jerky.