On June 7th, the second annual Plymouth Pickle and Fermentation Festival was held at the Plymouth brewery, Independent Fermentations, better known as IndieFerm, to promote all things fermentable. The festival featured a wide range of delectable edibles made from fermentation. The list includes pierogies, egg rolls, coffee, and kombucha, as well as live demonstrations, craft beer, and live music.
This festival was a collaboration between IndieFerm, edible Southeastern Massachusetts, and the Pretentious Pickle Company. Vendors of all kinds were present, from purveyors of hot sauce to homemade ice cream, from jams and jellies to pickles. Among the companies present were Plymouth Bay Winery, Al’s Backwoods Berry Company, Speedwell Coffee, Crazy Uncle Red’s Ferments, and Kimchi by Og Lim.
A World of Fermentation
Rose Forbes, who, along with partner Paul Nixon, owns and operates IndieFerm, is the brains behind the Plymouth Pickle and Fermentation Festival. Now in its second year, the festival has grown in size to incorporate so many aspects of the fermentation world. In discussing the impetus of the festival, Rose explains that she has “always been excited about fermentation and wanted to share it with the people of Plymouth.” She elaborates that the pickle has been the gateway for many into the world of fermentation. For the festival, she has partnered with the highly regarded Pretentious Pickle Company. Using the pickle as a starting point, Rose hopes to bring awareness to fermented foods in general. She highlights the health benefits of fermented foods and points to the educational demonstrations of the festival, which are among the festival’s highlights.
Although IndieFerm is best known for its beer, it operates a homebrew store and also includes a line of kombucha, as well as hot sauce and fire cider. Talk about fermentation in action, from the beer to the hot sauce to the kombucha, all are fermented products. They were available to sample or take home at the festival.
Another of the vendors at the festival was Crazy Uncle Red’s ferments from New Bedford. This company makes an excellent array of homemade condiments from mustard to jellies. When asked about the festival, Jared Friedman of Crazy Uncle Red’s, elatedly proclaimed, “I love the festival!” and has been looking forward to this for over a year, as he was unable to attend the inaugural festival last year. Jared also elaborated, “It’s so cool to be surrounded by people doing other nerdy things,” and went on to explain that his condiments are “handmade in New Bedford” and are “healthy, and sustainable.”
So Many Fermented Foods!
Most folks don’t know that coffee is a fermentable food. Brittney Gross, head roaster at Speedwell Coffee, explains that “not only the fruit-forward, but also the mild-washed coffees are fermented”. The Plymouth brand was proudly showcasing its cold brew coffee. Kimchi by Og Lim offered delicious kimchi samples and jars to take home. They also served eggrolls to enjoy on site. The Pretentious Pickle Company had an array of pickles to take home in jars or a full pickle on a stick. Full disclosure–my oldest son, who couldn’t resist this whole pickle, ended up taking half of it home to-go (yes, they are that big). Burke’s Fermentory Hot Sauce showcased a full line of their sauces. Plymouth Bay Winery offered wine by the glass, as well as bottles to go. They also had a full selection of their jams and sauces for sale.
In addition to the demonstrations, which included salsa, cheese, and sourdough making, other information sessions were held. On the sweet side, the festival offered ice cream, chocolate from Suenos Heirloom Chocolate, and donuts. Johnny B.’s Rockin’ Donuts makes donuts from IndieFerm beer. These delicious bakery sensations come in two flavors: one with their pilsner and the other with their dark lager. Either way, these are winners!
Information about the Plymouth Pickle and Fermentation Festival
The second annual Plymouth Pickle and Fermentation Festival was a hit! Guests enjoyed sampling a variety of fermented foods and sipping on fermented beverages while listening to live music. Make sure to mark your calendar for next year’s festival. I know I’m counting down the days!
Written in conjunction with edible Southeastern Massachusetts. This article is also available on the edible Southeastern Massachusetts website
