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History: In 2007, friends and avid beef jerky lovers Marsha Adkins and Lynda Gilbertson took the plunge and started their own small business, Do the Jerk-ey. “We had other people’s homemade jerky before and said, ‘We can do a better job,’ ” Gilbertson recalls. After crafting a few basic homemade recipes, the pair discovered they were able to create jerky using top-quality meats with minimal preservatives — and not so minimal flavors.
Specialties: The duo employs 90 to 93 percent lean beef to create their regular, staple beef jerky, a top seller. Some nontraditional varieties of jerky include buffalo, elk and turkey, and most are packaged as either flat pieces or sticks.
Production methods: Perfecting one batch of jerky is a lengthy process and can take up to a week. To make the jerky, Gilbertson and Adkins slice the meat and let it marinate for two days to soak up all the flavor. For a mild jerky, the pair uses various spices and peppers, and to achieve jerky with a kick, they add cayenne, Tabasco, Texas Pete hot sauce, jalapenos and habaneros. After reaching peak flavor, the meat is put in a dehydrator for about 24 hours.
Where to find in RVA: Do the Jerk-ey’s products are sold online, at the South of the James Farmers Market and at the Carytown Farmers Market.
