How to Use our Unique Salts & Seasonings

Hello flavor adventurers! 👋 At The Tickled Pickler, we create small-batch salts and seasonings from real, local ingredients—no fillers, no anti-caking agents, no artificial stuff. Because of that, clumping might happen naturally—but don’t worry, we’ve got easy fixes (oven refresh, shake, stir) to keep things usable and fun.

Below you’ll find summaries of each blend, usage ideas, and helpful care tips—plus source links so you can dig deeper.

Mo' Rockin' Fermented Garlic

🌟 1. Mo’ Rockin Garlic Powder

Lacto-fermented North Georgia garlic, co-fermented with fresh lemon juice, cumin, and za’atar. Contains sesame seeds.

Usage Ideas:

• Sprinkle on hummus

• Toss into tabbouleh or couscous

• Rub onto chicken before roasting

• Mix into yogurt for a dip

• Dust roasted potatoes

• Add to flatbread dough

• Stir into eggs

• Finish stews

🌟 2. Sake 2 Lees Umami Seasoning

Made with aged sake lees (from The Void, KY) plus salt, roasted garlic, onion, and Szechuan peppercorn. Deep umami with a hint of spark.

Usage Ideas:

• Stir into ramen broth

• Sprinkle on grilled fish

• Rub on chicken

• Season sautéed greens

• Mix into fried rice

• Dust dumplings

• Finish hot pot or miso soup

• Roast mushrooms with it

• Sprinkle on potatoes

Black Garlic Salt

🌟 3. Black Garlic Salt

Our own North Georgia garlic, aged to black garlic, blended with salt. Sweet, earthy, and ultra-umami.

Usage Ideas:

• Sprinkle over steaks with butter

• Mix into compound butter

• Finish risotto or pasta

• Dust fries or roasted potatoes

• Stir into aioli or mayo

• Top pizza

• Sprinkle beets or roasted veggies

• Crack over eggs

• Finish creamy soups

Science Highlight

Black garlic is produced via controlled aging (low heat, humidity) to trigger Maillard reactions and deepen flavor. 

Studies show black garlic’s antioxidant compounds can be higher than fresh garlic’s. 

🌟 4. African Basil Finishing Salt

African Basil Salt

We grow African basil (Ocimum gratissimum) in our own garden, then blend it with salt. Peppery, clove‐like, and refreshing.

Usage Ideas:

• Sprinkle on caprese or tomatoes

• Toss into cucumber salad

• Finish grilled fish

• Add to tzatziki or dips

• Top bruschetta

• Sprinkle on fresh greens

• Add to lemon pasta

• Top focaccia

• Sprinkle roasted veggies

Botanical / Antimicrobial Note

African basil (Ocimum gratissimum) has demonstrated antimicrobial activity in extracts and essential oil studies. One study: antibacterial effects vs E. coli and Staph. aureus from ethanol/aqueous extracts. 

Hot Aji Mango Pepper Finishing Salt

🌟 5. Hot Aji Mango Pepper Salt

A playful blend of salt + heat with our : homegrown hot aji peppers. Fruity and peppery first, subtle burn second.

Usage Ideas:

• Rim margaritas / tropical cocktails

• Sprinkle on tacos or quesadillas

• Stir into mango salsa or pico

• Dust over fruit salads

• Finish grilled shrimp/fish

• Sprinkle sweet potato fries

• Add to Hawaiian/BBQ pizza

• Mix into guacamole

• Top roasted veggies or spicy soups

🧂 Care & Storage Recap (All Blends)

• Keep in a cool, dry place, tightly sealed.

• Clumping is normal—shake or stir to break apart.

• To refresh: preheat oven to 200 °F, turn off, place spices inside, check every 10 minutes until they crumble easily.

🌟 Why These Blends Matter

• We use no anti-caking agents or artificial additives — pure flavor from raw sources.

• Every blend is crafted with intentional sourcing (our garden or trusted local partners).

• Our goal: empower home cooks to explore bold flavors with simple tools.

Which one will you try first? Share your experiments and flavor stories—we want to hear how they transform your cooking! 💚

📚 Source URLs

• “Black Garlic: Production Process, Bioactive Compounds, and Applications,” IADNS / Wiley. https://iadns.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/fci2.70002 

• “Black Garlic and Its Bioactive Compounds on Human Health,” PMC article. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8401630/ 

• “Antimicrobial Properties of Ocimum Species,” LWW Journals. https://journals.lww.com/jpcd/fulltext/2022/12060/antimicrobial_properties_of_ocimum_species__an_in.4.aspx 

• “Antibacterial Effects of Extracts of Ocimum gratissimum and Piper guineense,” African Journal of Food Science / Academic Journals. (PDF) https://www.academicjournals.org/journal/AJFS/article-full-text-pdf/354959032 

• “Changes in S-allyl cysteine contents … black garlic,” ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0023643813001576 

Authored with assistance from Claude.ai