the dish
RO O Meet two Mentone-based makers who are taking an ancient form of food preservation to tasty new heights.
As Southerners, we know how to put up
so they shifted the farm’s focus. “Our
and preserve foods. We often save some of
fermented items were more popular than
each season’s abundance for later, canning
our produce,” Pete said. They began to put
and/or pickling a variety of fruits and
all of their harvest into their ferments,
veggies. But fermenting is another method
and demand grew so much, they had
that achieves the same end result—and
to supplement from other area farms.
that can also increase the flavor and even
Today, they no longer grow. “We are fully
the nutritional value of produce. While it
dedicated to fermenting, so we source all
is often associated with Asian cultures, a
our produce from our farming friends
young couple up in Northeast Alabama is
around us,” Pete said. This year, Harvest
putting a Southern spin on the tradition.
Roots is on track to ferment approximately
Peter Halupka and his wife Lindsay Whiteaker started Harvest Roots, their small organic farm, in Mentone in 2012. They began fermenting some of their
35,000 pounds of local produce. “So
SO, LIKE PICKLES? “Vinegar pickling and canning are good ways to preserve, but
when you buy our stuff, you’re not just
fermentation adds a
supporting us, you’re supporting Alabama
whole other layer of
farming families,” Pete said.
complex, deeper flavors that are very different,”
bounty to sell alongside their fresh
Fermenting is akin to pickling, but there
produce at farmers markets, turning
are distinct differences in method and
herbs and berries into kombucha, cabbage
outcome. There’s no added acid (like
and carrots into kraut, and radishes and
pickling’s vinegar); instead, fermentation
scallions into kimchi. Folks couldn’t get
relies on micro-organisms and natural
enough. Whether it was their uniqueness
bacteria to produce an anaerobic (zero-
each one unraveling
(there’s not a lot of kimchi at your corner
oxygen) environment, thus killing “bad”
as you eat it. We love
farm stand), their funky, tangy taste or
bacteria and safely preserving foods for
exposing people to that.”
both, it quickly became clear that their
months and even years. The result is a
fermented products were their best sellers,
powerfully pungent and tart flavor that’s
he said. “There’s more nuance. If you have five seasonings in your kraut, you can taste
BY JENNIFER STEWART KORNEGAY
18
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