Clover Valley Original Beef Jerky (Dollar General)

I am a big fan of jerky. When I’m out camping or when I’m looking for a salty snack, jerky is one of those things you can chew on for a little bit and enjoy.

Dollar General sells beef jerky under its Clover Valley store label. The dollar store sells the stuff in original, pepper, and teriyaki flavors. It comes in a 2.75-ounce pack for $3 even, which comes out to about a $1.09 an ounce. In my experience, beef jerky at grocery stores tends to run between $1.08 and $1.25 an ounce, so the DG jerky is actually a pretty good price.

I gave the original flavor a spin. From a taste perspective, it has pretty good flavor. It’s perhaps a bit on the salty side even compared to other brands of beef jerky that I’ve tried. But what I found to be a bigger problem was the texture. It was … crumbly. Rather than being a chewy texture that I’m used to getting from other brands – a chewiness I could gnaw on for a bit — I found that this jerky would essentially dissolve in my mouth. That might not be a deal-breaker for everyone, but I have to admit that it wasn’t what I was hoping for.

Nutritionally … well, it’s jerky. It’s actually not too bad in fat (so long as you don’t eat the whole thing) and it is a good source of protein. But it’s fairly high in sodium — to the tune about 1,000 mg for the whole pack, or about 45% of your daily allowance — so this is probably a snack best enjoyed in moderation, especially if you’re under sodium restrictions.

The Verdict:

Clover Valley Original Beef Jerky is a budget-priced jerky that has a pretty good taste, if a bit saltier than other jerkies I’ve tried. But I was a little disappointed with the texture, which feels less like jerky and more like a crumbly meat. It’s not a bad budget option, but if texture is a big deal there are other options out there that might be a better choice.