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Northeast Grown, 100% organic, fermented & raw pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi, kvass, and hot sauce

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Home / Feature 2 / Farm to Fermentation to Feast

Posted October 24, 2017 by Tamara

Farm to Fermentation to Feast

Real Pickles Harvest Dinner Prep

As the leaves turn and summer – somewhat reluctantly – gives way to fall, there is a sweet moment across the agrarian farmscapes of the Northeast. A precious time between the hot sticky days of summer and the bitter cold of winter where the last of the heat-loving crops and the first frost-sweetened storage vegetables can briefly be found side by side on our tables. While farmers are still busy bringing in the bulk harvest and Real Pickles is in full swing preserving it, autumn provides an opportune time to reflect on the growing season, our continuing production season, and offer up a few tasty tidbits.

Real Pickles jars at Atlas FarmBecause Real Pickles uses only organic and Northeast-grown vegetables, our success and ability to deliver high quality ferments is linked, hip to hip, with the seasonal accomplishments of the growers with whom we work. The word from our farm partners is that, overall, it’s been a good season. Like any year, there have been setbacks alongside the successes. Back in the spring, many early plantings got off to a slow start with a long stretch of lingering cool weather. A hailstorm in May resulted in crop losses for some of our growers. Still, farmers exceeded our expectations for cucumbers this season and pallets of storage crops are coming in the door like sheep to new pasture. And unlike 2016, when many New England farmers struggled with the impacts of drought, 2017 has brought sufficient rainfall.

Atlas Farm cabbageSo far this season, we have worked with: Red Fire Farm (MA), Chamutka Farm (MA), Old Friends Farm (MA), Riverland Farm (MA), Next Barn Over Farm (MA), Harlow Farm (VT), Three Crows Farm (VT), Full Bloom Market Garden (MA), Atlas Farm (MA), Kitchen Garden Farm (MA) and Picadilly Farm (NH).

The Real Pickles staff recently took an opportunity to visit and tour Atlas Farm in South Deerfield, MA where we got to see the meticulous details that go into running a 100-acre certified organic, diversified vegetable farm. Atlas grows significant quantities of green cabbage, Napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, beets, onions, cucumbers, dill, and cilantro for us. Taking the time to get out of the kitchen and visit one of our principal growers during our (and their) busiest season was a challenge to organize, but we enjoyed getting to know one of our farms a little more deeply. It also served to underscore the value of interdependence as we continue working towards a stronger regional food system. Real Pickles Staff Fieldtrip to Atlas Farm

Just as our commitment to local sourcing links our success with that of our growers, it also drives our production schedule – when cucumbers are available, we make dill pickles, and when there is a lull in our processing of fresh vegetables we are allowed time to pack up thousands of jars worth of fermented food. Cucumbers for our dill pickles are no longer coming into the production kitchen at this time of year, but storage crops like cabbage, beets, carrots and onions are now arriving in earnest. The bounty is impressive.

Fall is constantly inspiring us to find creative ways to incorporate our ferments on the harvest table. For the home cook working within the constraints and pleasures of seasonality, fall is a wonderful time.

Real Pickles Harvest TableFor us here at Real Pickles, fermented vegetables serve a vital role in our meals at home. Sometimes we are aiming for a quick snack with a healthy dose of probiotics and will eat a few forkfuls of Organic Turmeric Kraut straight from the jar. Other times, we incorporate the ferments into a meal in a more creative way. One simple but interesting technique is pairing cooked vegetables with their fermented counterparts as in this Beet Borscht recipe, which uses Organic Beet Kvass and fresh beets.

A spicy squash soup is a great way to use a number of our ferments, incorporating Organic Tomatillo Hot Sauce for heat and Organic Beets or Organic Ginger Carrots as a garnish. Most fleshy winter squashes will work nicely – kabocha provides a particularly nice texture.

In the Northeast, we have no shortage of unusual and delicious apple varieties. This holiday season, we look forward to serving apple and sauerkraut stuffing (recipe below). Like the savory kimchi pancake, cooking the sauerkraut brings out additional flavors but removes some of the probiotic benefits, so you may want to heap some cold kraut on your plate, too!

Apple and Sauerkraut Stuffing ingredientsApple and Sauerkraut Stuffing Recipe

Serves 10. Vegetarian

Ingredients

• 10 cups torn pieces bread of choice – whole grain sourdough works well
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups chopped sweet yellow onions
• 2 cups chopped apples, choose a tart variety like Jonagold or Cortland
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup roughly chopped mixed fresh herbs – sage, parsley, rosemary and thyme work well – or 4 tsp dried
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups broth of choice
• ½ cup shredded Gruyère cheese
• ½ cup Real Pickles Organic Sauerkraut
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 275°F. Spread bread on a baking sheet and bake until dry, about 30 minutes. Let cool. Transfer to a large bowl.
Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and apples; cook, stirring often, until just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook, until tender, about 5 minutes more. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add herbs and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Scrape the mixture on top of the bread. Melt butter in the pan, and pour over the bread. Add broth to taste, cheese, sauerkraut and pepper to the bread mixture and stir to combine. Transfer to an oiled baking dish. Cover the stuffing with foil.
Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until golden brown and all liquid is evaporated, about 20 minutes more.

Recipe adapted from EatingWell Magazine’s Test Kitchen

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We’re a 15 Years of Good Food Awards Winner! 🥇
Real Pickles Organic Sauerkraut has been officially crowned a winner in the Pickles Category of @goodfoodfdn’s 15 Years of Good Food Awards. 
We’re honored to be recognized alongside so many exceptional crafters—and we couldn’t have done it without you!
#goodfoodfdn #goodfoodawards #15yearsofgoodfood #RealPickles #OrganicSauerkraut #PackedWithAMission
🥒 It’s that time again…. Pickle season has 🥒 It’s that time again…. Pickle season has begun! Our kitchen crew is in full swing - slicing, spicing and brining organic cukes from Mountain View Farm. Just a couple of short weeks before we are all enjoying this year’s batch of Organic Dill Pickles! 🥒 
#organicpickles #fermentedpickles #pickles #realpickles #organic #cucumbers @mtviewfarm
Join our team! Real Pickles is seeking a highly qu Join our team! Real Pickles is seeking a highly qualified individual who is inspired by our mission and interested in exploring worker-ownership in our co-op to fill the role of Sales Representative & Marketing Assistant.
The Sales Representative & Marketing Assistant supports Real Pickles sales and marketing efforts by maintaining strong customer relationships, promoting brand awareness, and ensuring excellent customer service.
This role involves a balance of inside and outside sales, customer support, marketing content development, and occasional participation in public events and product demonstrations.
We’re looking for a proactive, detail-oriented individual with strong communication skills and a passion for organic and local food.
See full job description and how to apply at realpickles.com/jobs — link in bio!

#RealPickles #coopjobs #westernmassjobs #joinourteam #workerowned
We’re honored to receive this year’s local bus We’re honored to receive this year’s local business Austin Miller Co-op Hero Award! 
Thank you to @rivervalleycoop for the generous recognition and for hosting such a heartwarming event last week. We’re proud to be part of a vibrant community of co-ops, farmers, and change makers working toward a just, sustainable, and resilient local food system.

Repost from @rivervalleycoop
•
Thank you to all who attended and worked at our 2025 Strawberry Ice Cream Social Fundraiser. It was a wonderful evening on June 12th at our Easthampton store, celebrating the start of the local summer harvest season and supporting the Center for New Americans. Nearly 800 people attended this patio party throughout the evening, purchasing burgers, grilled corn on the cob, salads, and Strawberry Ice Cream Sundaes. This resulted in raising a total of $10,953 for the Center for New Americans. This is a record high for this fundraising patio party! 

🍓 Read more of RVC’s 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗜𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 + 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 recap by visiting the link in their bio 🍓

@cnaforimmigrants 
#foodcoops #communitylove #supportforimmigrants #strongertogether
🌈🥒 Rain or shine, Real Pickles shows up with 🌈🥒 Rain or shine, Real Pickles shows up with PRIDE! We had an amazing time marching in the Franklin County Pride parade this weekend — umbrellas, ponchos, and all. Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate love, community, and inclusion with us! And thank you to the amazing team at @franklincountypride for working so hard and making this event happen! 
🤍🩷🩵🤎🖤❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
#RealPickles #pride
✨We’re a finalist!✨ Real Pickles Organic Sau ✨We’re a finalist!✨
Real Pickles Organic Sauerkraut just earned a spot as a finalist in the Pickle Category of @goodfoodfdn’s 15 Years of Good Food Awards.
This special Community Choice edition of the Good Food Awards honors past winners that continue to set the standard for taste, craftsmanship and responsible production. For the first time ever, the good food loving public had a say, submitting over 8,000 ballots to support their favorite producers.
We’re honored to be recognized alongside so many exceptional crafters—and we couldn’t have done it without you!
Winners will be announced, June 28 at Good Food Mercantile NYC.
#goodfoodfdn #goodfoodawards #15yearsofgoodfood #realpickles #packedwithamission #organic #sauerkraut

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