Picklesburgh highlights the Steel City’s fascination with fermentation

At the fourth annual Picklesburgh festival in July, all things pickled were on display. In Pittsburgh, the festival’s home and the headquarters of Heinz, pickling and food preservation have held special cultural importance for more than a century. Last year, Pittsburgh-based Chatham University opened the Center for Regional Agriculture, Food & Transformation, which showcases sustainable food production practices, including fermentation for long-term preservation of local foods. The latest episode of Speaking of Chemistry visits the Steel City to dive into the molecular basis and motivations behind pickling.