Islanders are the best at pickling

This is the slogan for Samsø Syltefabrik (Samsø Pickle Factory), which for more than 55 years has pickled fruits and vegetables from fields and bushes brought in from far and wide. “When we claim that islanders are the best pickle makers, it’s not just pleasant words on a label. Samsø has a long tradition of food pickling and today we build on that tradition,” as explained by factory manager Mads Quistgaard.

 

Good Heritage
”This is about pride. About history and deference to good produce,” Mads explains. ”We have inherited recipes from Samsø housewives which we use in the traditional part of our assortment. Recipes so good, that they will never go out of fashion. But we also move with the times by constantly developing new products with our customers, such as mustard, barbecue sauce, pesto, cherry sauce and many others.”

Change of Colour
During the season, we process a variety of different produce similar to traffic lights, one colour succeeded by another. ”We start the season with sliced cucumbers and gherkins. Shortly after, processing large seeded and pickled cucumbers, potatoes and pumpkins, and finishing off with red cabbage and beetroot. One effect of the many varied products is that, several times a year, we have to carry out some fascinating reconstruction to the factory,” Mads says.

At our factory, we are particularly busy during the red period. “During one season we process more than 5,000 tonnes of red cabbage and beetroot from Samsø, and when our 70 employees work on a 3 shift basis, we can manufacture up to 100,000 jars and buckets in 24 hours,” Mads explains.

Test Winning Acidity
”Through the ages, many products from Samsø Syltefabrik have won tasting tests, which we are, of course, proud of. One of our secrets is to be found in the vinegar room where the Vinegar Master constantly keeps an eye on the vinegar pickle. Some manufacturers in this trade don’t use vinegar at all, but use vinegar acid instead, but this doesn’t sound very appetising at all, if you ask me. On Samsø, we have some of the world’s best produce and it deserves to be processed properly,” Mads concludes.

Facts
• Since 1960, the factory has produced pickled products.
• Samsø Syltefabrik is the only manufacturer in Denmark of traditional Danish pickled products.
• Apart from their own brands, the factory also manufactures products from Løgismose, Meyers, Holm and others.
• Their assortment also includes organic and sugar-free variants.

Last updated: 12/08/2020 08:22