I like jerky, but....

Most, if not all, of the commercial beef jerkies are heavy in sugar and salt, both are preservatives. The salt is probably the primary preservative, and the jerky tends to be loaded with it: One ounce of most jerky contains around 500 mg of sodium, which is all the salt you need for a day, but the labeling folks say it's only 21% of the daily allowance. If you eat the whole 4 oz package in one day, you're eating 2,000 mg of sodium, which is quite a bit of salt. (Got a heart condition? Drop dead here.)

I looked at a package of Oberto Beef Jerky, Natural Style, Hickory Smoked: Ingredients are beef, brown sugar, dextrose, sugar, salt, hydrolyzed corn and soy protein, natural hickory smoke flavor, corn syrup solids, water, vinegar, flavorings, molasses, sodium erythorbate, caramel color, citric acid, sodium nitrite.

The brown sugar, dextrose, regular sugar, corn syrup solids, molasses, salt, vinegar and citric acid are all types of preservatives. Sodium nitrite is also a preservative (which isn't very good for you, esp in larger amounts).

Even with all these preservatives, they recommend that you eat the contents within 3 days once a package is opened.

The ingredient list also makes me wonder just how much of the 80-90 calories per ounce comes from the sugars?

Also, if these packages are vacuum-packed, why isn't the air sucked out like my little vacuum packaging unit does?

AND, does anyone know how to make jerky without all the additives, esp salt?

Inquiring minds want to know...

Sue