Burren’s chefs in new pickling kit
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.
