Make Kelp Pickles and Co-Pack Them Too!
In 2020, GreenWave received a USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) grant to help improve market opportunities for kelp farmers. As part of this grant, we worked with Farm Fresh Rhode Island’s Harvest Kitchen, a small-scale co-packing facility, to develop and manufacture four shelf-stable, value-added food products that profile fresh sugar kelp as a primary ingredient.
These recipes, along with the scheduled processes to mass-produce them, were validated by Cornell University’s Food Venture Center, and are now open-source and available to all farmers. Any farmer or co-packer across the country could replicate these recipes to create their own, branded shelf-stable kelp products.
+ What is co-packing?
A co-packer is a manufacturing company that operates on a contract basis to turn raw ingredients into finished value-added products for clients. Co-packers have certified commercial kitchens, professional-grade equipment, a team of trained employees, and deep expertise on food manufacturing and safety that allow them to produce large volumes of food products efficiently and cost-effectively. For general guidance on how to work with a co-packer, please see our Co-Packing 101 guidance document.
+ What does co-packing with kelp look like?
Because fresh and frozen sugar kelp is still a novel ingredient in the United States, it may be challenging to find a co-packer who is willing and able to work with it. That’s why GreenWave teamed up with Harvest Kitchen, a local small-scale co-manufacturer, to develop four shelf-stable, food-safety validated recipes, to serve as a reference when working with other co-packers. If you’re a sugar kelp farmer interested in working with Harvest Kitchen, please see our how-to guide.
+ Can I make these recipes at home?
Yes! We have adapted the original commercial-scale recipes to user-friendly versions for you to try at home! These delicious recipes make Bread and Butter Kelp Pickles, Giardiniera Pickles, Kelp Salsa Verde, and Kelp Dijon Mustard. Get the recipes here.
+ Can I take these recipes to a co-packer in my area?
Yes! The recipes developed by Harvest Kitchen are designed to be open source and easily replicable by another co-packing company. The original recipes with specifications to meet food safety requirements are available in the Resources section of the GreenWave Ocean Farming Hub, or available for download here.
+ Where can I learn more?
Join us for a Q&A discussion on November 18 at 4 pm EST with GreenWave’s Market Innovation Strategist Sam Garwin and Harvest Kitchen Program Director Sean Kontos to learn more about this project and working with co-packers.