When it comes to small-batch pickles, Tom Peter of Crisp & Co. thinks big. From his Hockessin, Delaware, workshop, he brines local vegetables while dreaming up ambitious new pickling projects. Take, for example, his unusual and award-winning mushroom pickles.
“Most gourmet pickle companies are looking for products that cost less than 50 cents a pound. The Kennett Square creminis I use for these pickles cost $1.60 per pound,” says Peter He seasons them with thyme, garlic and olive oil before the mushrooms are pickled and jarred. The result is a flavor-forward pickle that works equally well as a snack or as an ingredient. “I like to mince the mushrooms and fold them into goat cheese to spread on a baguette,” says Peter
A major fan of local Szechuan chain Han Dynasty Peter is currently experimenting with a pickled version of that restaurant’s famous Spicy Crispy Cucumbers. “We’ve been working on this one a long time. It’s pending approval from the restaurant, but we hope to make it available soon,” he says. And though he has a definite penchant for experimentation, he loves the classics, too. This summer will also see the release of Crisp & Co.’s first classic dill.
Visit crisppickles.com to buy pickles by the case or for a list of shops and farmers’ markets where Crisp & Co. pickles are sold.
