Britt's Live Cultured foods

Britt’s Live Cultured Foods on Whidbey Island, Washington, makes pickles and other fermented vegetables the old-fashioned way: in oak barrels where they’re brined for up to six weeks. The result is raw, live, cultured vegetables that are as tasty as they are healthful.

PCC has sold Britt’s fermented vegetables in jars for some time — but now we’re pleased to announce we sell them in bulk at our “fermented foods stations” in seven PCC stores, including Edmonds, Redmond, Issaquah, Fremont, Greenlake Village, Columbia City and West Seattle. You’ll find the bulk Caraway Kraut, Curry Kraut, Kimchi and Britt’s Mix — a medley of cultured seasonal vegetables — available exclusively at PCC.

Why naturally fermented?

Most conventional (shelf-stable) pickles are processed using vinegar and calcium chloride, cooked under extreme heat and then pasteurized. This causes the cucumbers to lose most of their vitamin C and enzymes and kills off the healthy bacteria that aid digestion, fight disease and provide amazing flavor.

Instead of using vinegar, Britt’s uses natural fermentation. Oak barrels are perfect containers for fermenting foods. The natural tannins in the wood help lower the pH of the brine, which in turn helps the lactic acid bacteria preserve the vegetables.

The process of fermenting vegetables using lactic acid bacteria has been used for thousands of years.

Rich in probiotics

Cultured foods are having a moment. From artisan sauerkrauts to cultured cottage cheese to kombucha, eaters can’t seem to get enough of foods teeming with good bacteria. These bacteria, called probiotics, assist with normal digestion and benefit our immune system, warding off colds and even boosting our mood.

In addition to finding probiotics in Britt’s, you’ll find them in fermented vegetables from the brands Firefly Kitchen and OlyKraut, yogurt, kefir, miso, tempeh, Good Belly probiotic drinks and a range of supplements at PCC.