About Us

The beginning

A backyard full of topinambours

A few years back I planted some topinambours in the backyard. Topinambours are Jerusalem artichokes, a native plant that produces a nutty, crunchy tuber in the fall. I expected a modest patch. What I got was a full takeover.

The problem

A job loss and buckets of tubers

Then I lost my job. The mortgage clock started ticking, and I was staring at buckets of tubers with no idea what to do with them. The problem with topinambours is that once they come out of the ground, they go soft within a few days. You have to do something with them fast.

The solution

Learning to pickle

So I started pickling. I tested brine ratios, filled jars, made a lot of mistakes, and eventually figured out something that tasted good and held its texture.

The business

A kitchen project becomes Zesty Harvest

A nearby farm heard what I was doing and got in touch. More produce started coming in. The kitchen project turned into a small business — small-batch pickles, relishes, jams, and jellies, water-bath canned the same week the produce comes in.

Today

Still making it the same way

Everything is made in small batches and water-bath canned the same week the produce comes in. We work with local farms, use whole ingredients, and don't cut corners on process. The topinambour relish is what started all of this, and it's still the one people come back for.