Armagh’s enterprising chefs get themselves 'in a pickle'
Experienced chef Bob McDonald is aiming to breathe new life into a skill used in households across Northern Ireland and worldwide before the advent of fridge freezers.
Bob, a director of multi-award-winning Burren Balsamics in Richhill, Co Armagh, a specialist in culinary vinegars, as well as chutneys, jams and relishes, is behind the creation of new pickling kits in classic and spicy varieties.
“Our new food kits are perfect for home cooks who love experimenting in the kitchen, explains Bob. “They are crafted with sustainable, local Irish ingredients. It’s foodie-favourite gift for Christmas that will last well beyond the festive season,” adds Bob.
Multi-award-winning Burren Balsamics, a Food NI member, was founded by Susie Hamilton Stubber, another chef with experience in top London restaurants, in 2014.
Bob joined later as product development director.
Each kit comes with novel recipes created by Bob, a respected Master Chef participant with decades of experience within the UK restaurant industry, and is packed with everything needed including jars, labels, pickling spices and the innovation-led company’s acclaimed White Condiment.
The handy kits also include peppercorns, sea salt, mustard seeds and bay leaves.
They are vegan friendly and gluten free.
A global leader in vinegars and other innovative culinary products which enhance the flavours of foods for chefs and home cooks, Burren created its UK Great Taste winning White Condiment - ideal for salads - from Italian white grapes.
Dating back centuries to Asia and the Middle East, pickling, Bob continues, has long been recognised as an effective technique for preserving or extending the shelf-life of foods, especially vegetables, either by fermentation in brine or immersion in vinegar.
The pickling procedure typically affects the food's texture and especially flavour.
Burren Balsamics, one of Ireland’s most creative food producers, sells its main range of vinegars to major retailers such as Marks and Spencer, Harrods and El Palacio de Hierro in Mexico, as well as hundreds of delis here and in Britain.
Images
Duo: Pioneering chefs Susie Hamilton Stubber and Bob McDonald of multi-
award-winning food processor Burren Balsamics have created unique pickling
kits
Kit: The novel pickling kit created by Armagh’s Burren Balsamics, a leader in
culinary vinegars and condiments