The Hatchery tasting box is a monthly subscription box of artisanal food samples, such as jams, spreads, syrups, sauces, spices and other goodies. The cost is $20 each month.

The food comes with a tasting guide, a little touch that I appreciate and especially for this particular box with its non-mainstream contents. The guide gives a description of each item and back story about its small business creators, plus a suggested use and an online recipe. And there is a bonus recipe on the back of the guide.

Each of the items in this box is a sample size.

Pasta Rocks ($8 for full size)

Perfectly salted pasta water without the guesswork.” This package contains rocks of Himalayan salt to throw into your pasta. The little package contains 1 rock.

Hibiscus Ginger Syrup 2oz ($16 for full size)

This premium bar syrup is a little sweet and a little spicy, a floral blend from Hibiscus flower and zesty ginger to use in a cocktail. I have never done cocktail mixing at my house and I wouldn’t put it in my chardonnay but we might be able to use it over ice cream!

Granulated Honey 1oz ($17 for full size)

I have never used granulated honey but have heard good reviews. It is as sweet as honey but not sticky and would be great for combining with other ingredients to make a rub. The tasting guide suggests a Honey-Chipotle rub for salmon, which sounds delicious! The granules are larger than sugar granules and melt in your mouth, so this might not make it to the spice cabinet…

Ginger Sesame Barbeque Sauce 2oz ($8 for full size)

This is a brown sugar based barbeque sauce flavored with ginger and toasted sesame seeds, great for chicken or fish. The company uses locally sourced ingredients.

Dipping Fudge 1.4oz ($6 for full size)

This is an eat it right out of the jar chocolate fudge sauce! Forget the ice cream! Made with chocolate, cream and sugar, however I did see the addition of corn syrup on the ingredients list.

I had mixed feelings about the Hatchery tasting box. If you are an adventurous gourmet in the kitchen, this would be the box for you! The foods are trendy and upscale with a pleasant diversity in the selection. I was not pleased with the price/benefit ratio, however. For $20, I would be happier if they had included even one full size item. Two full size items would be even better. And for my household’s busy and traditional kitchen, some of the items were a bit over the top. I will have to be extremely creative to find a use for them!

The Homespun Chics paid for this subscription. All opinions are 100% our own.