Letters from the kitchen
The Daily Brine
Recipes, seasonal notes, and the occasional defense of doing things slowly, straight from our Cortland kitchen.
Featured · Local History
Kraut Country
How a dairy valley in Cortland County became the cabbage capital of Central New York.
The Land
What the Glaciers Left Behind
Why the Finger Lakes Region grows cabbage worth fermenting, starting with the last ice age.
History
The Women Who Worked These Fields
From farmhouse crocks to the kraut factory line to the Land Army, women have always kept Upstate New York fed.
In the Jar
Don't Pour Out the Brine
Kraut juice, pickle juice, and beet kvass: why people have been drinking the good part for centuries.
How We Make It
Four to Six Months in the Barrel
Our sauerkraut takes its time. Here's what all that waiting builds, from flavor to postbiotics.
On the Plate
The Living Carnivore Diet, Explained
What it is, how it works, and why the people eating it keep a jar of kraut next to the...
fermentation basics
What Is Fermentation? A Beginner’s Guide to Fermented Foods & Gut Health
Fermentation is one of the oldest ways people have prepared food. Here is what it is, why it matters, and...