A venerable foodstuff that has been relegated to the checkout counter in gas stations and convenience stores, beef jerky actually has come a long way in the last five years.
Here are some things you might want to know:
Beef jerky is high in protein and doesn’t raise your level of insulin — a hormone that signals your body to store fat. That makes it an ideal between-meals snack, especially when you’re trying to lose weight.
Jerky has made the leap from a cheap snacks made of low quality cuts of meats to a gourmet, health and quality snack. The introduction of chicken, bacon, turkey, elk, kangaroo, and alligator along with Certified Organic, grass-fed meats makes it an even healthier choice than fried and processed snacks.
Are there stores dedicated only to jerky? The answer is “yes” according to Brian and Jenny Kabb, owners of J&B Jerky Outlet.
J&B Jerky Outlets offer a large variety of jerky and fresh meats, including Certified Organic meats available in beef, turkey, elk, ostrich, buffalo and others.
J&B Jerky is available at Chesterland Shell gas station, located at the corner of Mayfield and Chillicothe roads. The main store is in Geneva, at state route 534 and I-90.
J&B Jerky carries multiple brands, but doesn’t offer the mass-made brands.
“We decided at an early stage in planning that we would only offer products which were from smaller processors and which we would eat ourselves. If it didn’t meet our specifications, we were not carrying it,” Kabb said.
His store in the process of expanding territories. One successful avenue has been to set-up mini outlets in locations such as mini-marts, gas stations and grocery stores.
Chesterland Shell is a 24-hour gas station offering, hot foods, beer and wine, lottery, coffees and now jerky.
“Jim (the owner) was eager to bring in something new. We really feel this will be a great location. It’s a staple in Chesterland,”?Kabb added.
Visit JBJerkyOutlet.com for more information.