About Sidekick

alex and jenny outside at their farmer's market booth

Who We Are

Sidekick co-creators Alex and Jenny have been inspired by flavors they both grew up with and incorporate these flavors into the fermented products they create.

Being able to transform raw vegetables into something incredibly tasty (and healthy) has become something they are passionate about sharing with their Chicago community.

Each small batch is produced in a commissary kitchen in Logan Square. All Sidekick fermented products are HACCP Certified and available for wholesale.

cucumbers being turned into pickles at the commercial kitchen

Lacto-Fermentation vs. Vinegar Pickling

Lacto-fermentation utilizes lactic acid bacteria (present on the skins of all fruits and vegetables) which converts natural sugars into lactic acid. The resulting acidic environment prevents any growth of harmful bacteria, making it one of the safest methods of food preservation.

The process of fermentation creates complex flavors and a diversity of beneficial bacteria (aka probiotics), while also enhancing its nutritional value.

Vinegar pickling is another form of food preservation but is acidified through directly adding vinegar. While also tasty in its own right, pickling in vinegar does not create probiotic bacteria.

How do fermented foods impact the body?

Because bacterial cells outnumber human cells in our bodies 10:1, this means we are mostly made of bacteria! About 100 trillion bacterial cells are found in our small intestine alone. Unlike human cells that contain our unique fixed DNA, bacterial cells can freely exchange information with other cells. Adding beneficial microbes (aka probiotics) to our diet helps create a protective layer in the intestinal lining. They have the ability to break down nutrients from food making certain organic compounds or minerals more digestible and easily absorbed into the body, while increasing the bioavailability of certain nutrients and vitamins.

Probiotic bacteria in our gut can communicate with immune cells and train them in regulating inflammation and creating beneficial immune responses. This also means that the source of many conditions caused by inflammation is largely influenced by what we eat!

It is important to note that adding probiotics to one’s diet is not a “cure all”, but rather helps support overall well-being. Of course, a number of factors influence well-being including restful sleep, moving the body, and eating a wholesome diet.

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-human-microbiome-project-defines-normal-bacterial-makeup-body

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9818925/

Bacteria can be found on every single part of our planet, from the air we breathe, to deep sea vents, in our soil, plants, animals, on our own skin and inside our bodies. Only 30,000 species of bacteria have been formally named out of an estimated one trillion species on earth. That means about 99.9% of bacteria is left to be discovered. What was done once purely for flavor and preservation is only now starting to be understood on a microbial level.

Fermentation is considered one of the oldest methods of food preservation, some estimate over thousands of years. And while there may have not been a microscope or understanding of what the bacteria were, these techniques evolved through observing natural phenomena and were passed down from generation to generation. In almost every culinary tradition around the world, there is a co-existing relationship with microbes and fermented foods that exist in some form.

Katz, Sandor Ellix. The Art of Fermentation: An In-depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes From Around the World. Chelsea Green Pub, 2012.

Redzepi, R., Zilber, D., Sung, E., & Troxler, P. The Noma Guide to Fermentation. Artisan, a division of Workman Publishing Co., Inc, 2018.