Our Ingredients

This year, we moved to a new home, still on gorgeous Salt Spring. I am in awe. Everywhere we look is beauty. We are surrounded by wild arbutus and cedar, permaculture gardens, and ocean life.
Culturalive has grown. We are now focusing mainly on fermenting, and leaving the growing of produce to farmers, both regioanlly and abroad. In the winter months we purchase our vegetables from the Lower Mainland or south of the border.

A few of our ingredients come from further away. The dulse comes from the East Coast of Canada and we currently source the coriander, turmeric, cumin and ginger from tropical, organic farms. The salt we use is raw Himalayan pink salt for its high mineral content.

The fermenting time varies depending on the temperature, and the quantity of vegetables. We ferment our vegetables from 2-5 weeks, depending on the season. In the heat of the summer bacteria multiply at a faster rate, so our fermentations are at their finest after two weeks. In the cold of winter, the bacteria move and reproduce slower so it takes longer for the sauerkrauts to reach their maturity. We determine when they are ready the old fashioned way: by taste, crunchiness and colour.