You know pickles don’t grow on trees, right?
But pickles are part of the family tree at Star Cider, which will be hosting its first Pickle Fest on Friday, Sept. 11, to Sunday, Sept. 13, and another Friday, Oct. 16, to Sunday, Oct. 18.
The family of Cortni Stahl, one of the Canandaigua cidery’s co-owners, used to gather up some cucumbers and begin the process of preserving them during a pickle-making day every summer. The art of pickle-making has been passed down with each generation, Stahl said.
Back before Star Cider opened its brick-and-mortar location in 2019, its first production facility was housed in an old pickle factory, a rented barn where pickles were made.
And if you really want to get technical, vinegar is the end stage of cider, which
is a stage of the cider-making process they don’t want at Star Cider, Stahl said, although they have made vinegar before, just not where the cider is produced.
And apple cider vinegar is included in a lot of pickle recipes.
Pickles and cider pair well at Star Cider
So, pickles and cider do make a good combo, and that’s not even factoring in the interest from visitors and vendors when the idea of the festival was first floated.
“It has a family tradition aspect to it,” Stahl said. “It’s also just fun. It’s our first one so we’re excited and we’re hoping to keep building on it each year.”
Some events, such as live music, and other fun activities are planned for both weekends. Some of the vendors will only be there for one weekend.
But it’s all going to be pickle related, including the drinks.
Pickle pairings at Star Cider
Visitors will be able to sample boozy and nonalcoholic cider flights paired with different kinds of pickles.
Star’s old favorite Frisky Whisky will be paired with a sweet gherkin pickle, for example.
For those with adventurous tastes, how does this sound? Star’s ciderita slushie, an apple cider play on the margarita drink, will be paired with spicy pickles.
Pickle pizza pies at Star Cider
As for food, event coordinator Lauren McGregor suggests the chicken bacon ranch pickle pizza, which will be made by guest brewery Gem Creek Brewing Co. in Canandaigua. Don’t worry; she’s taste-tested it.
A pie like this does sound hard to pass up, as its dill pickle ranch base, mozzarella cheddar cheese mix, crispy chicken, smoky bacon and dill pickle slices get the mouthwatering in anticipation. And it’s topped with a drizzle of ranch.
“We’ll be cooking them on demand,” McGregor said.
More at Star Cider's Pickle Fest
You think you know pickles? There will be a blind pickle juice tasting contest. And if you don't know pickles (or need a refresher course), a pickle-making workshop will teach visitors how to make their own 16-ounce jar of refrigerator dill pickles.
Brunch will be served the Sunday of the festival’s first weekend, and the Dainty Donut Factory will have some sort of themed doughnuts to try. The Star Cider mixologists also will be fixing up bloody mary cocktails with a pickle garnish.
Maybe you just want a giant pickle in a bag. They’ll have that, too.
To answer the earlier question, if you didn’t know pickles don’t come on trees, here's what we can tell you. Star Cider will be using “an obscene amount” of fresh local cucumbers, dill and garlic for its pickly products, Stahl said.
“There’s all the pickles you could ever need, in every form,” Stahl said.
For more information
Star Cider is at 3365 state Route 364, Canandaigua.
For more details on the Pickle Fest schedule as well as menu items, visit https://www.starcidery.com/ or call 585-412-8785.
Mike Murphy covers Canandaigua and other communities in Ontario County and writes the Eat, Drink and Be Murphy food and drink column. He can be reached at mmurphy@messengerpostmedia.com. Follow him on X at @MPN_MikeMurphy.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Star Cider brings pickle pizza to new festival
