Suddenly Sauer was born in Blair Nosan’s home kitchen in the Summer of 2010. Our pickles have been served at each monthly Corktown Community Brunch since its inception, as well as a handful of Detroit Evolution catered events. A Detroit based business, Suddenly Sauer got its first taste of community support at Soup at Spaulding where we took home the event’s first ever (super) micro-grant. Fueled by other’s belief in our product, we began developing a plan for how to build a business based on slow growth and community support. We believe in capturing the bounty of the peak growing season and bringing it to folks who might not have the time or knowledge to preserve food themselves. Tapping into urban farming and gardening projects in Detroit, as well as the occasional peri-urban or rural southeast Michigan food grower, Suddenly Sauer uses chemical-free produce grown by farmers we know and trust.
All our pickled products are produced in small (1-5 gallon) batches using a technique called lacto-fermentation. This technique, practiced into antiquity, involves harnessing naturally present bacteria and using their digestive process to convert plant sugars into lactic acid, which acts as a naturally acidic preservative. Lacto-fermented products can be refrigerated once they’ve reached desired sauerness because bacteria are live and remain active (i.e. continue to sauer/ferment) above 55 degrees. These products are extremely safe, can last for up to one year if stored in their brine, and have a unique and flavorful complexity. Additionally, they are “pro-biotic,” meaning they house a plethora of beneficial bacteria that help balance our digestive system in much the same way as yogurt.
All of this experimentation has created a desire to foment a similar sense of wonder and discovery in others. Suddenly Sauer has been leading workshops and teaching classes since 2008 and we’re thrilled to bring our skills to you. From teaching the preservation series through the Garden Resource Program, Dairy Fermentation and Ice Cream Making with Urban Ecology Detroit, to leading the fermentation workshop at the Hazon food conference for three years running, Suddenly Sauer has had a variety of teaching experiences to draw on.
Cultured products have been a part of human communities since time immemorial and when you taste our product, or host/attend one of our classes, you’ll see for yourself what makes food preserving such an important thing to, well…. preserve!