Mike Pratt is a regular guy.

An affable, middle-class American, he lives in Clay Center with his wife and two kids and works as a forklift operator for Chrysler, making a daily commute to and from Sterling Heights, Mich.

But there’s a spicier side to Pratt, too. He’s currently embarking on a “hot” business venture that he hopes can continue to grow and prosper into something bigger and better.

In his spare time, Pratt makes “Tongue Slappin’ Salsa,” using an old family recipe that has been tweaked a bit here and there over time.

Made with a blend of tomatoes, apples, onions, banana peppers, jalapenos, Serrano peppers and green bell peppers, along with sugar, spices, salt and vinegar, the salsa is available in mild, medium and hot to suit every taste.

To ensure a high level of freshness, Pratt prefers to shop for his produce locally, including at the Toledo Farmer’s Market, Al Peake & Sons in Toledo, as well as Bench’s Greenhouse and Nursery in Elmore and Moore Orchards in Oak Harbor.

The process by which Pratt and his wife Debbie, with the help of about a half-dozen friends, produce the salsa is a slow and careful one, requiring a full day’s work.

Two weeks or so in advance, Pratt will call to reserve a spot for a Sunday at a facility in Bowling Green owned by the Hirzel Canning Company.

On production day, the crew gets there at 8 a.m. and they “have at it till we’re done,” said Pratt. “It’s pretty labor-intensive to make. It probably takes eight hours to make one batch (70 cases). We buy it (the materials), we wash it, everything has to be tested (pH level), we cook it down, we fill it and label it.

“Everything is done by hand,” he said.

Therein lies the problem. What makes the process so painstaking  is also what helps to give the salsa its quality – the fact that the process is done by hand and in such meticulous manner, but most especially, that only fresh – not canned – ingredients are used in the process.

“That is what helps the salsa maintain its freshness, thus ensuring a quality taste,” Pratt said.

But, because of this process, it is incredibly difficult to be able to mass-produce enough salsa to sell at greater volume without a larger, more sustained workforce.

“We’re looking for an easier way to get it done,” Pratt said.

Pratt doesn’t pay his “employees” with a traditional hourly wage – that’s not viable just yet, so after wrapping up a day of production, he takes his friends and family out for dinner as a way to show his appreciation for their work.

“For those folks to sacrifice an entire day for me, it says how great of friends we have,” he said.

He also notes the help he has received from Paula Ray, who works for the Agricultural Incubator Foundation in Bowling Green, an organization that “promotes the development, advancement and appreciation of agricultural systems in Northwest Ohio that are economically, ecologically and socially sustainable.”

“This lady has helped us out tremendously. She’s phenomenal as far as giving us information, marketing-wise,” Pratt said. “This is all brand new to my wife and me.”

Despite having started just six months ago, Pratt’s product currently is stocked at six establishments, five of them local, including Millers New Market in Genoa, Shirley’s Carry Out in Curtice, the Genoa Mini Mart, Kazmaier’s Market in Perrysburg and Beeker’s General Store in Pemberville. It’s also available at Heini’s Gourmet Market in Sugarcreek, located about 14 miles outside of New Philadelphia, where Pratt’s mother lives.

He has also been in talks with Tony Packo’s and The Andersons, as well as other outlets.

Pratt noted that a portion of the proceeds from the sales at Millers is donated to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUCS) Children’s Hospital, where his nephew Tyler, who lives in North Carolina, is being treated for osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer. Thus far, because of the money they’ve made from selling their salsa, Pratt and his family have donated $184 to the hospital.

Pratt’s Tongue Slappin’ Salsa – so good, it’ll make your tongue want to slap your brains out – is available in mild, medium and hot.

For more information about Tongue Spappin' Salsa, call Mike Pratt at 419-304-4201 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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