{"id":25351,"date":"2023-06-21T12:09:22","date_gmt":"2023-06-21T17:09:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gfs.com\/?p=25351"},"modified":"2025-12-23T15:09:59","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T20:09:59","slug":"add-flavor-depth-with-pickling-and-fermenting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gfs.com\/es-us\/ideas\/add-flavor-depth-with-pickling-and-fermenting\/","title":{"rendered":"Add Flavor Depth With Pickling and Fermenting"},"content":{"rendered":"
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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 flavors 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 flavors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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 flavor 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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 Flavors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pickling and fermenting not only add a flavor 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 flavor 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 flavor.<\/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. Gordon Food Service Nutrition Resource Center Dietitian Allison Stock recommends these tips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

    \n
  1. Use salt intended for pickling foods (not iodized table salt).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Follow a recipe so the brine has the right concentration for the amount of food being pickled.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Start with safe food. Vegetables should be cleaned, have no cuts or punctures in the skin, and shouldn\u2019t have signs of spoilage.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou don\u2019t need to pickle just-picked foods,\u201d Stock said. \u201cIf you wouldn\u2019t serve the food to guests, then you shouldn\u2019t pickle it, either.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

      \n
    1. Follow a trusted recipe \u2014 you are trying to create good bacteria and prevent harmful bacteria from flourishing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Achieve the right pH level in the first 24 to 48 hours. This varies by food product. Test strips or a pH meter can be used for this process.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Use a clean, unscratched (or cracked) jar, crock or plastic container, never metal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Start with safe food. If you wouldn\u2019t eat it, then don\u2019t ferment it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. Store it unopened up to three months in the refrigerator, or longer if you use a canning and sealing process. Once opened, use within three days.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      A final word of advice: \u201cCheck with your local health department. There are federal safety laws, state laws and even county laws \u2026 and they are always changing,\u201d Stock said. \u201cWhat works in Colorado might not be allowed in Chicago or Cook County.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Centuries-old techniques take global flavors to new heights.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":25352,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[132,68,131],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25351","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-catering-small-business","category-culinary-ideas","category-hotels-hospitality"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAdd Flavor 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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