Beneath the brine of one of the world’s favorite provisions
People have been pickling for thousands of years to preserve their food. During times of harvest, foods could be submerged in a mixture of salt, vinegar, and sometimes a bit of added sugar or spices, so that they could last much longer. The vinegar, which is acidic, prevents the food from spoiling.
Kelly Caisse, owner of KDCROP Farms, has farming in her family history and has made pickling her profession. Her ancestor, Johannes Keim, immigrated to the United States from Germany in the late 1600s and settled in Pennsylvania’s Oley Valley. His son Jacob created the Keim Farmstead in Boyertown, Pennsylvania, which served as a farm and orchard. In 1974, Keim Orchard was listed in the National Register of Historic Places for its historical significance.
Kelly grew up far from the family’s historic farm and was born in the suburbs of Chicago. She has fond memories of the garden her father Peter grew in their backyard. Kelly’s paternal grandmother, Helen Keim Zanger, provided Kelly with all the family recipes for preserving food, and Kelly credits her Grammy for instilling in her a love of pickling.
Kelly’s family eventually moved to Naugatuck, Connecticut and she later went on to study animal science at UConn. After graduating from UConn, Kelly decided to join the Peace Corps. She lived in Tanzania as an environmental volunteer and animal husbandry specialist where she helped people with their animals and on their farms.
In Tanzania, Kelly lived in austere conditions without running water or electricity. “It was a slower pace of life. It was very grassroots – we saved seeds and did all the things that we promote as organic farmers now. That experience helped to develop my ideas for my farm,” Kelly reflects.
My mission is to help people be more self-sustaining and to eat more nutritious food. Store it away, and eat it in the winter.”
Kelly with cucumbers at the farm; hard at work making the pickles
Kelly returned to the United States and settled down in Chaplin, Connecticut with her husband who she now has two sons with. They farm using environmentally sustainable practices and do not use any synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. They also use no-till growing methods. After her first year of farming, Kelly started pickling and making jams with the extra produce. She uses her family recipes to create dill, kohlrabi, bread and butter, and all sorts of other popular pickle varieties.
Kelly prepares her pickles in the CLiCK Willimantic commercial kitchen in Windham, Connecticut. CLiCK started in 2009 when local residents and Willimantic Food Co-Op members realized that having a commercial kitchen could help support local farmers by enabling them to process their locally grown food. Creating value-added products such as pickles, jams, sauces, and other products can help farmers reduce food waste and make the most of their harvests.
At CLiCK, Kelly brings her pickles to a high temperature, seals the jar, and places it in a hot bath for a certain amount of time to make them shelf-stable. Kelly emphasizes the importance of food safety. It is critical that pickles have a pH of less than 4.6 to ensure they have been preserved properly.
Kelly enjoys the educational component of her passion and often gives presentations at local schools, libraries, and other locations about farming and pickling. One of her neighbors at her local farmers market, Misfit Spices, offered to help make spice packages so Kelly could create pickle kits for customers to easily make their own pickles at home. “My mission is to help people be more selfsustaining and to eat more nutritious food. Store it away, and eat it in the winter,” Kelly states.
PERUSING PICKLES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
France – French cornichons are made using very small cucumbers. You have likely sampled these mini pickles while grazing on charcuterie. They are made using the classically French herb tarragon, along with bay leaves, mustard seeds, and pepper corns. Small pearl onions are often pickled with the cucumbers, too.
Germany – In Germany, gewürzgurken are commonly made with dill, mustard seeds, juniper berries, bay leaves, pepper corns, carrots, onions, and garlic. They are similar to the dill pickles we are familiar with in the US and can accompany savory meals including sausages or schnitzel.
Great Britain – A Ploughman’s platter, often featured on British pub menus and considered a traditional farmer’s meal, features pickles, bread, butter, and farmstead cheese. The pickles are a highlight. However, these pickles are a bit different than what Americans may be used to. They are made with a mix of root vegetables including carrots, rutabaga, caulifl ower, onion, vinegar, tomato purée, apple, and have a sweet and tangy flavor.
India – In India, pickled mango is a popular food often served with traditional Indian curries, rice, and naan. In Northern India, the recipe is known as aam ka achar. The unripe mango is prepared with chili powder, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, and turmeric, producing a tangy and spicy pickle.
Italy – Giardiniera, translated to “gardener,” is a bright and colorful mix of carrots, cauliflower, peppers, and celery. It can be eaten with sandwiches, pasta, and other Italian dishes. It provides a taste of summer throughout the year.
Mexico – Jalapeños en escabeche are pickled jalapeño peppers that you may have tried while eating tacos, burritos, or other Mexican fare. For spices, they can include bay leaves, pepper corns, and Mexican oregano.
