Determination and Optimization of the Cabbage Fermentation Process to Produce a High-Quality Sauerkraut Product and Sustainable Sauerkraut Production within a Circular Economy

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The Pickle Station, located in Chatham-Kent, is an established cucumber and pepper growing, sorting, and grading operation that typically handles 35 million pounds of cucumbers annually. Successfully launching their brand of pickles, the Pickle Station is preparing a new fermented cabbage venture. Although fermenting cabbage to sauerkraut is a mature technology, the Pickle Station seeks assistance in optimizing the process to manufacture a high-quality product that matches the consumer preferences of the target population while also aligning with sustainable production goals within a circular economy.The collaborative project with Lambton College and The Pickle Station will focus on determining the optimum sauerkraut fermentation parameters at bench scale. The results from the bench-scale testing will then be used to inform scaled-up fermentation in 250 L barrels. The proposed project will also determine the value and suitability of using cabbage waste as a diet ingredient for insect and organic fertilizer production via feeding trials with invertebrate composting.The success of the proposed collaborative project will provide The Pickle Station with an optimal process for bulk sauerkraut production. As a growing market provincially and nationally, The Pickle station will be able to start production as an intermediary producer of fermented cabbage and supply artisan producers with bulk sauerkraut then transition to their line of jarred product to be supplied to retailers, resulting in the creation of an initial five new employment positions. As well, the results of this project will further support the Pickle Station and other companies with the knowledge to develop next-generation fermented cabbage products. The Canadian sector will also greatly benefit from the increased availability of locally produced and healthy food options while also having the advantage of stable demand as fermented cabbage is a consumable product.