preservation

Scientists are researching methods of preservation that can elongate shelf-lives of produce and already cooked items.

Country ham is America's version of Italian prosciutto or Spanish jamón. It's enjoying a renaissance in restaurants — here's where to buy your own.

Denver-based pickle company The Real Dill has what many companies only dream about: zero-waste status. Learn all about it!

Lucky for us, New York City (home of FR headquarters) is hosting its first fermentation festival on Saturday, February 25 at the Brooklyn Expo Center.

I have never been a dirty martini drinker. In fact, it’s probably the last drink I would think to order off a menu since, in many instances, it’s not a drink most bartenders can get creative with. However, the dirty martini took on a new life for me at the newly opened restaurant-meets-marketplace Sunday in Brooklyn,…

Linton Hopkins is a talker — that's for sure. Over the better part of an hour, the James Beard Award-winning chef muses about the emerging culinary scene in his hometown of Atlanta, discusses the continuous evolution of his 12-year-old restaurant Eugene, and dishes on his own latest restaurant openings and ambitious plans for the year ahead. He also…

Chances are that you know someone who drinks wine that was left open overnight. This person may not own a vacuum stopper, be a cork saver, or even have the wherewithal at the end of the night to wrap a little aluminum foil over the top of the bottle (and doesn't care what the result tastes like,…

The best gluten-free cookbooks don’t mess around with xantham gum and tapioca starch, because the best gluten-free food comes from nature that way. Join author Samantha Seneviratne on a recipe journey through additive-free, wheatless meals — you won’t miss the gluten a bit. Tip: If you remember, rub the chops with the garlic mixture in…

Ah, Shark Week. That magical time of the year when Discovery Channel stops subjecting us to dehydrated strangers trying to grill snakes over pine needle fires in their birthday suits, and gives us what we really want. In honor of this sacred weeklong broadcast event, beginning Sunday, June 26, San Antonio charcuterie center Cured is hosting…

The Do Book Company publishes a series of titles meant to motivate people to try new things. The latest, Do Preserve, instructs on how to make jams, chutneys, pickles and cordials. Coauthor Mimi Beaven features preserved products, along with the spoils of her picturesque Little Ghent Farm in upstate New York (think chickens, pork sausage, eggs and…

Whether you're shopping for fancy cold cuts, ordering a whole charcuterie board or simply selecting a salami, there are some key cured meat terms you should know. You don't have to be a master salumist to learn what's going on behind the scenes. Explore these charcuterie terms and discover how mold and salt play their parts, why fat is…

Nothing is really in season right now, and that's okay! Hopefully you took advantage of the end-of-summer cucumber bounty and jarred up some pickles to last you through the long, cold winter. And if you didn't, the supermarket is full of them. Furthermore, quick pickling is called quick pickling for a reason. Boil up some brine and…

If you’re making it from scratch, add a little something you fermented yourself. Award-winning baker and fermentation expert Charlotte Pike has a new book out that guides you through the steps of this near-magical natural process that yields worldwide culinary staples like yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi and pickles, then serves up a wide variety of recipes incorporating your…

Ethically minded butcher Bryan Mayer founded Philadelphia’s Kensington Quarters and helped develop a renowned butcher-training program at Brooklyn’s Fleisher’s. Today, he consults with farmers, chefs, butchers and anyone else who will listen. Normally, Mayer tackles a pressing issue facing both meat buyers and home cooks in his regular Ask Your Butcher column. This week, he takes a break from his…

Condiment of the Week is your place to find and demystify the latest, greatest sauces, pastes, pickles, mustards, goops, blends and sprinklables on the planet. The best ones have been around forever; you just didn't know about them. Indian pickle, otherwise known as achar, is one of those things. Steam up a pot of basmati and…

Chemical preservatives are a reality of processed foods, those products meant to last for weeks to months on the shelf. In general, preservatives are frowned upon, with the "eat fresh and local" movement gathering real steam. However, we all know that eating fresh all the time can be challenging. That's why the news of an emerging preservation…

Dean Poll is a towering figure with a deep voice and an even deeper affection for old-school New York City restaurants. “I go to all different types of restaurants, but I do tend to gravitate towards old restaurants,” says Poll. “I like La Grenouille. I like ‘21.’ I like Four Seasons.” For fans of historic…

DIY canning, pickling and fermenting is easy with food preservation and foraging expert Leda Meredith's latest book, Preserving Everything. Whether you're looking to store the last of your garden vegetables for the winter or simply craving a hearty stick of pork jerky, Meredith's techniques are time-tested and simple enough for the home cook to master. Ever…

DIY canning, pickling and fermenting is easy with food preservation and foraging expert Leda Meredith's latest book, Preserving Everything. Whether you're looking to store the last of your garden vegetables for the winter or simply craving a hearty stick of pork jerky, Meredith's techniques are time-tested and simple enough for the home cook to master.…

Oh, summer. You make it almost impossible not to eat well every day, supplying us with a bounty of vibrant, delicious produce that needs little embellishment — a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkling of salt. Summer fruit needs no help whatsoever: peaches, plums and berries are lovely in the season’s crumbles, buckles and crisps,…

We were inspired by a slew of stories dedicated to all things tart, fermented, pickled and otherwise made nice and sour (particularly this one from Slate — we're salivating). As it happens, we also have a ton of coverage on yogurt, pickles, kombucha, kimchi, kraut, vinegar and more, and as a result, we're currently discussing…

You scoured the wine menu and found your perfect match. The sommelier presses the correct combination of buttons — it's really only two; the system is incredibly user-friendly. Then, the wine case's backlight dims slowly and dramatically, save for the spotlight on the uncommon bottle you've chosen to savor a rare single glass of. It…

Happy International Pickles Week, everyone! While it may not have anything on Food Republic's Macaroni Salad Week, I'm loving on the idea that everyone has barbecue sides on the mind. It is Grilling Month, after all. While we're at it, it's also Celiac Awareness Month for anyone humoring their trendsetting friends/family members/significant others/Miley Cyrus. And,…

This potted salmon makes a great appetizer. The horseradish cuts the richness of the salmon and the pickled cucumber lifts everything. It looks great, too. If you’re pressed for time, you can eat the cucumbers right after making them, but they are best after a few days. The salmon will keep in the fridge for…

These little beauties can enliven so many dishes. Scatter a few into mushroom soup and enjoy the way the tart pickle plays against the soup’s earthy creaminess, or nestle a generous spoonful next to a game terrine or some smoked meats. You can use any mushrooms you like — I’ve used buttons and criminis to…