# Why is store bought beef jerky so awful these days? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 23, 2005, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-store-bought-beef-jerky-so-awful-these-days/327543 "2005-10-23T17:56:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-store-bought-beef-jerky-so-awful-these-days/327543/1 "2005-10-23T17:56:50Z")
I remember the hard, tough peppery shoe leather jerky of my youth. Yummy! That was jerky! Jerky I’ve tried over the last few years is invariably pre-softened, moistened, sweetened and tastes like chemicals and involves some secret recipe that tastes like ass. It’s awful! What happened to the old tough fibrous jerky that used to sit next to the Slim Jims container? It had some kick and fought back before surrendering. Is it gone forever? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-store-bought-beef-jerky-so-awful-these-days/327543/2 "2005-10-23T18:17:17Z")
Do like I did and [make your own](http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_31151,00.html). Tasty, cheap, and easy. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-store-bought-beef-jerky-so-awful-these-days/327543/3 "2005-10-23T18:39:00Z")
> [@Little Bird](#): > > Tasty, cheap, and easy. Sounds like a lady I know. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-store-bought-beef-jerky-so-awful-these-days/327543/4 "2005-10-23T18:41:48Z")
Eh… I’ve gotten some really good beef jerky as of late, and I love me some beef jerky. There are also still some places here in upstate NY which sell the product that I believe you’re thinking of… beef jerky in thin sheets roughly half the size of a piece of paper. Very good stuff, for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Ludy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Ludy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludy)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-store-bought-beef-jerky-so-awful-these-days/327543/5 "2005-10-23T18:57:52Z")
> [@Little Bird](#): > > Do like I did and [make your own](http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_31151,00.html). Tasty, cheap, and easy. 🙂 > [@](#): > > Special Equipment: 1 box fan, 4 paper air-conditioning filters, and 2 bungee cords Gotta love recipies with bungee cords 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-store-bought-beef-jerky-so-awful-these-days/327543/6 "2005-10-24T15:30:27Z")
I got food poisoning from store-bought beef jerky once. It was still well within its expiry date and everything. I haven’t eaten it since, and the smell of it makes my stomach turn now. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-store-bought-beef-jerky-so-awful-these-days/327543/7 "2005-10-24T20:18:21Z")
I’m willing to bet money that the makers of beef jerky got tired of hearing people complain that the stuff was so hard to chew that they’ve softened the process. Likewise on the idea that it apparently needs to be sweet. Lately it seems everything needs to be either sticky sweet or firey hot. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-store-bought-beef-jerky-so-awful-these-days/327543/8 "2005-10-24T20:25:37Z")
Maybe it’s the beefy jerks that make it now. ---
**Author:** ![Figaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea666f/32.png) [@Figaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Figaro)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-store-bought-beef-jerky-so-awful-these-days/327543/9 "2005-10-24T20:27:10Z")
Ahoy, fellow jerky lovers. Since I live in Michigan, I don’t have to worry about pre-packaged jerky. I live within 30 minutes of two (count’em - two) jerky outlet stores. Awesome. Agreed about storebought stuff. Tastes like teriyaki-flavored cardboard. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-store-bought-beef-jerky-so-awful-these-days/327543/10 "2005-10-24T20:59:43Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > I’m willing to bet money that the makers of beef jerky got tired of hearing people complain that the stuff was so hard to chew that they’ve softened the process. From what I’ve heard, jerky started coming in small, soft chunks when manufactuerers realized that women were buying more jerky for themselves and it wouldn’t look good for them to be gnawing on an 8½×11 sheet of meat. Pemmican and Jack Links still have the hard-to-chew stuff. I’ve never tried Oberto’s 'cause I don’t feel like paying $7 for a bag of jerky; Pemmican and Jack Links are $5 but I tend to only get them when they’re on sale. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-store-bought-beef-jerky-so-awful-these-days/327543/11 "2005-10-24T21:40:24Z")
We have the best local jerky ever. Tough as nails, deliciously peppery, so amazing. [www.hombrejerky.com](http://www.hombrejerky.com) They ship! We get a 16 oz bag of this stuff for D&D sessions and the five of us munch on it for hours. It is so good, and my jaw aches for days after eating a big bag of this stuff. This is what you want, right?