Mary’s Secret Ingredients is a “culinary surprise subscription box” that ships seasonally and is in partnership with Feed the Children to end world hunger.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: Mary’s Secret Ingredients
The Cost: $39 a box per quarter + free shipping or $129 for a full year (four boxes with free shipping)
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 20% off your first box!
CODE: TryMSI
The Products: Gourmet snacks and ingredients to inspire your cooking plus one small cooking tool
Ships to: Continental U.S.
Check out all of our Mary's Secret Ingredients reviews and the Food Subscription Box Directory!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
Each box comes with a pamphlet detailing the month’s manufacturers and products.
They call it the "Little Book of Ingredients". I love that the snowman on the cover has spatula hands, haha!
On the back of the booklet, there's a calendar for when to find recipes that correspond to the items in the box.
Get Dressed Sesame Sensation Dressing and Marinade, 10.25 fl. oz. - Value $2.50?
I couldn't find this item online (it's not currently on the Get Dressed site at the moment, either), so I linked to a similar item to give an idea of the price. At first, this dressing kinda turned me off—the orange oil and the chunky, pale brown sesame mixture suspended inside it didn't look too appetizing. No matter how much I shook the bottle, the brown mixture stayed one giant glob.
With a little hesitation, I gave it a taste. The flavor is almost peanut buttery with some heat behind it, almost like a Thai peanut sauce. The flavor isn't overtly Asian, though—the dressing is super savory, but it lacks some of the sweet, vinegar aspects I'd expect in an Asian or Asian-inspired ingredient. So the flavor wasn't bad... I just have to get over the unexpected look of the dressing!
Soom Chocolate Sesame Spread, 12 oz. - Value $9.99 (Buy a pack of 2 for $19.98 on Amazon)
This spread has such a deep, rich chocolate taste! I love the idea of spreading this on a piece of toast or nibbling at it with pretzel sticks while I watch TV.
It has a slightly thinner consistency than I expected, but in a weird way, that makes it a bit more decadent. This spread does have a very nutty aftertaste, which I was okay with. I would've preferred this was just a jar of frosting if I'm being honest, but the nuttiness was a nice reminder that I'm doing something just slightly healthier for myself!
Wilder Condiments Honey Jalapeno Mustard, 6 oz. - Value $7.00
First off, I love the branding on this little jar of mustard. The colors and the design are so cool and modern!
I'm a big fan of mustard, and the kick of fresh heat from the jalapenos makes this condiment super addictive. I just ate it on some crackers as a mid-afternoon snack, but I bet it'd taste amazing on a backyard burger!
Catskill Provisions Artisanal Handmade Whiskey Honey Truffles, 4 Piece Box - Value $11.11 (Buy a 9 piece box for $24.99 at Walmart)
Ooo, these truffles are fantastic! They're so dark and rich and totally satisfied my chocolate cravings in just a few bites.
I like the rustic presentation, too. The milk chocolate almost looks like branches or vines creeping across the dark chocolate candies.
The outer shell is just solid enough to provide a pleasant crack when you bite into it. Inside, it's lusciously smooth. I thought at first that the richness of the dark chocolate would overwhelm any honey flavor, but the warm, almost floral notes of the honey whiskey do actually come through quite nicely. These aren't boozy by any means—just deliciously savory-sweet.
Joseph Joseph Refillable Smart Bar - Value $16.00
I've been hearing about this new kitchen trick—that "washing" your hands by rubbing them on stainless steel can actually get rid of those less-than-pleasant odors (think garlic or onion) that tend to stick to skin long after you're done cooking.
This little bar lets you combine that thinking with your favorite liquid hand soap. You can fill the back of the bar with liquid soap, and press the button on the top of the bar to squeeze a bit out. From there, just wash your hands as if the metal bar was soap. This is such a handy little kitchen gadget! It even comes with a dish to set it in.
Verdict: I really liked most of the items in this Mary’s Secret Ingredients box. That marinade is still giving me the creeps, but the delicious truffles make up for it! For $39.00 per quarter (with free shipping!) you get about $47.00 worth of products, based on my estimates. I like that these items have familiar flavors, but have elements that push them just outside the norm (chocolates with honey whiskey, chocolate spread with sesame seeds, etc.). I feel like I could find most if not all of the goodies in this box at the bigger, more gourmet grocery store in town, but I probably wouldn't even know to look for them. In other words, I think the real value of this box is opening your eyes and palette to new, unexpected flavors.
What do you think of Mary’s Secret Ingredients?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.