I was super skeptical when I ordered this, but I thought I would give it a try. I had tried other vegetarian jerky alternatives, mostly seitan based, and did not find them palatable. I am thrilled with this product, however. The combination of spices is just right to evoke the flavor of a jerky. The texture is spot on also. The base of this jerky is the Butler Soy Curl (also a great product) which makes me optimistic about the possibility of recreating this myself, giving me the option to try other flavors. I would say that the price is a drawback, but it is actually commensurate with the price of decent meat jerky, so it's also on the mark. There aren't very many products out there intended to dupe meat that get my seal of approval, but harvest jerky gets two enthusiastic thumbs up.
It's very hard to replicate both the taste and texture of meat. And in a blind taste test, you would never fail to differentiate between the real thing and Sam's Harvest Jerky. That being said, if you've got a craving for jerky but want to respect animal life, this is certainly an acceptable alternative. It would make a nice addition to your backpack when hiking or as a take along snack on a plane trip. I don't see it as my go-to snack at home but would happily take it along when it isn't feasible to carry perishable, easily bruised, or heavy snacks.
This stuff is extremely tasty. I have tried many different brands of vegetarian jerky and this is easily the winner. And while not exactly cheap, the price point is not bad for jerky. I snack on this to tide me over after work and before dinner. It's healthy, substantial, and won't melt in the car.
I think I like the taste... I have to get over a mental hurdle to eat it because when I got it, I was surprised at the packaging because it didn’t look like the ad. The ad made it look like how super good quality actual beef jerky looks, but the packaging in real life is totally different. The coloring looks like spotted diarreah with bright, Christmas colored words sealing the deal that Sam should stick to making jerky and hire someone else to deal with anything that requires artistic skills xD Then there’s PNG’s of the jerky floating around that look like cat turds. So then when I opened the bag and looked inside, all that ran through my mind was “cat turds.”
And now with every bite I feel like I’m biting into a cat turd and anytime I feel a sheen of oil on the top of my mouth caused by the jerky, I’m like... my mouth is saturated in cat-turd oil.
I’m rating it five stars though because it would be easy to change the packaging. Please change the packaging.
And also, please possibly make the jerky not shaped like cat turds and also not leave the oil sheen. I like the taste and want to keep eating/buying these, but without being slightly grossed out the entire time.
It's hard to do paleo/low carb/keto without heavy reliance on animal products, but the least I can do is try to reserve real meat and eggs for when nothing else will do, and substitute vegetarian and vegan alternatives where it is nutritionally adequate and/or real meat doesn't matter that much.
The price of Harvest Jerky makes it a bit of a luxury, on par with the cost of real meat jerky. It is softer than real meat jerky and the flavor is a bit different, but that's not a bad thing. My favorite pieces were the drier, chewier ones, though.
I wish it didn't have as much sugar, so it would be more compatible with a keto/low carb diet, but it is delicious as is. I bought some plain Butler Soy Curls (the base ingredient in Harvest Jerky) to experiment with. Maybe I will be able to come up with a reasonable homemade version to my own preference without sugar and perhaps chewier.
I paid about $8 for a single pack, including Prime shipping. Multi-packs bring the cost down closer to $5 a bag.
Feature Product
- Vegan, Gluten Free
- Certified Kosher
- Made in Oregon
- Made with whole Non-GMO soy
- Featuring organic wheat-free tamari
Description
Butler Foods' Sam's Harvest Jerky is the newest delicious way to lasting energy for conquering mountains, crossing rivers, or navigating concrete jungles! The special blend of spices with heart healthy plant-based protein is sure to satisfy. Grab a bag of Sam's Harvest Jerky and go conquer. Ingredients: Butler Soy Curls (whole non-GMO soybeans), oil (safflower, soy), unsulphured molasses, vinegar, organic tamari (organic soybeans, salt, alcohol), hydrolyzed corn protein, maltodextrin, hydrolyzed soy protein, natural smoke flavor, dried onion, red pepper, carrageenan, dried garlic, citric acid, black pepper, spices, potassium sorbate
I hemmed about whether to give this 4 or 5 stars, but decided that it deserved 5. It's really good. It's spicier than I expected, but not too hot. The heat is just right. The texture is close enough to "real" jerky to satisfy my craving. Yes, you can tell the difference, but it's still really good. The flavor is strong and enticing, although the smell does resemble Beg'n Strips or some similar moist dog treat. I've tried probably 4 or 5 kinds of vegetarian jerky and this is the best I've had so far. Would recommend.
I love this stuff!! No joke, I have tried many jerky alternatives including both soy and seitan options. Each seems to be lacking . But this... The flavor is amazing. A little spice, a little sweet, a little smoky, a little salty! Another great thing is the chew. It is so so close to being the same as chewing regular jerky. Over all would buy again, will buy again, and have already recommended to many!
It's true that these really are incredible. The texture is fantastic. The flavor is so full of barbecue and spices that it actually caught me offguard as overwhelming at first. Now I'm pretty sure I have a new addiction. I usually spend hours a week cooking special meals from scratch to meet all of my dietary needs. This jerky aligns with my dietary preferences and provides me with an instant snack that I didn't have to slave over. When I want more than a snack, I throw in a string cheese and some fruits and veggies for a finger food meal.
I have tried absolutely every brand of vegetarian jerky and nothing comes close to this brand. Some vegetarian jerky brands taste like what I imagine dog treats would taste like, and the texture isn't much better. This brand is flavorful, has a unique texture, and a huge plus - isn't incredibly high in sodium. A great protein source, too, so definitely worth the money. I'm taking some bags on a backpacking trip so willing to make that investment for a good, non perishable protein source.
I've had friends try this stuff and they're all surprised how good it is. And they're not even vegetarians. As a vegetarian, I love this stuff and will definitely order more. I also tried some of the Primal Strips jerky, which is not as good. It has good flavor, but it's texture is less like real beef jerky (at least how I remember it used to be like). The Sam's jerky is spot-on for taste and texture to real jerky. Don't hesitate to give it a try.
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