Pitchfork Preserves
Spicy pickle spears, dilly beans and natural fruit juice syrups from a family farm in Vermont
We love pickles. From McClure’s pickle flavored potato chips to Gordy’s small batch sweet relish, we can’t pass up an opportunity to sample fresh natural ingredients and family recipes. On a recent trip to Vermont we picked up a handful of goods from Pitchfork Preserves, a family operation that has been canning fruits and vegetables from their own farm and other local farms since 2010.
Each glass jar holds sustainably grown vegetables pickled in a flavorful mix of vinegar, garlic, peppers, spices and a bit of sugar to balance the tartness. While the Garlic Spears make a nice alternative to your routine gherkin, the CH kitchen was buzzing with excitement over the Spicy Spears and Dilly Beans for their perfect flavor-to-crunch ratio. The pickle spears were generously infused with ginger and horseradish, while the dill string beans soaked up just enough red pepper and sea salt for a subtly crisp kick.
Outside of pickling, Pitchfork Preserves also offers a few mouthwateringly thick syrups ideal for flavoring summery cocktails, sparkling water and virgin smoothies, and a homemade tomato ketchup for backyard barbeques. The rhubarb syrup in particular provided us with lots of inspiration for a range of drinks, and their savory ketchup and suprisingly tasty cranberry ketchup also appealed for summertime dining. Pitchfork Preserves—which also includes a range of jams, jellies, pie fillings, relishes and salsas—is currently only available directly from the makers themselves at select farmers markets, including the Dorset Farmers Market. For more information or to contact Pitchfork Preserves visit their website.
Images by Graham Hiemstra
