{"id":30965,"date":"2023-06-21T13:13:53","date_gmt":"2023-06-21T17:13:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gfs.ca\/?p=30965"},"modified":"2025-12-23T15:10:46","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T20:10:46","slug":"add-flavour-depth-with-pickling-and-fermenting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gfs.ca\/en-ca\/ideas\/add-flavour-depth-with-pickling-and-fermenting\/","title":{"rendered":"Add Flavour Depth With Pickling and Fermenting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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What\u2019s old is new again. Pickling and fermenting have been around for thousands of years, and these time-honored food preparations are seeing new life on restaurant menus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From traditional pickled vegetables (beets, carrots, onions, etc.) and proteins (eggs, meats, and fish, etc.) to funky fermented products (black garlic, soybean paste, mushrooms, etc.), the practices help operators extend the life of foods and bring new flavours to the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research by Datassential in 2022 shows pickled or fermented foods are on 55% of menus. That\u2019s up 3% since 2019, and it\u2019s a number that\u2019s expected to grow as more operators look to add global flavours.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Enhance Menu Selections<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pickled cucumber chips are familiar to anyone who\u2019s eaten a burger. Kimchi \u2014 the spicy Korean side dish made with salted vegetables napa cabbage, radishes, garlic, chile peppers and ginger \u2014 is a fermented food many dining guests will recognize. It\u2019s also an occasional burger topping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trend goes far beyond burger toppings. Boston-area Gordon Food Service Culinary Specialist Derek Seigfried sees pickling and fermenting as a way to flavour almost any dish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can take a product nearing the end of its shelf life and ferment it into a miso or a beverage, using those as ingredients to enhance and supplement menu items,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m starting to see Italian takes and Peruvian takes on fermentation.\u201d
Italian examples include cured meats, such as salami and prosciutto, as well as fermented vegetable giardiniera. From Peru, there\u2019s the red pepper salsa called aj\u00ed, and the fermented potato pulp drink known as tocosh. The king of non-alcohol fermented beverages is China\u2019s kombucha tea, prized for its probiotic properties and vitamins associated with health benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feature Local Flavours<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pickling and fermenting not only add a flavour twist to familiar foods, they also can be used to preserve and highlight local ingredients all year long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can pickle almost anything,\u201d said Houston-based Culinary Specialist Erin Copeland. \u201cA simple side of pickled vegetables helps cut the fat or richness of a dish and adds a depth of flavour that\u2019s super tasty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Culinary Specialist Kevin Green agrees. He helps Detroit-area restaurant operators incorporate pickling and umami flavour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve taken shiitake mushrooms, brined and then dried them and made shiitake bacon as a salad component,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don’t Overlook Food Safety<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Food preservation requires careful attention to safety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some general tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Pickling and Fermenting:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure you\u2019re using salt that is intended for pickling foods and follow a recipe so the brine has the right concentration for the amount of food pickled. Always start with safe food, ie: clean vegetables and vegetables that are not spoiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


When fermenting, follow a trusted recipe. Keep in mind you\u2019re trying to create good bacteria and prevent harmful bacteria from flourishing. Use clean, unscratched or cracked jars or plastic containers\u2013 never metal. Follow this link <\/a>for more guidelines.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Centuries-old techniques take global flavours to new heights.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":30966,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[122,68,123,112,69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-catering-small-business","category-culinary-ideas","category-hotels-hospitality","category-restaurant-bars","category-running-your-business"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAdd Flavour Depth With Pickling and Fermenting | Gordon Food Service<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Elevate your menu with expert pickling and fermenting techniques. 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