How Pickle Envy Is Turning Fermentation Into an Act of Resistance
Brining for justice
By Andrew Turner, Fri., Jan. 5, 2024
Until recently, if you were in the mood for classic kosher-style pickles in Austin, your options were not plentiful. And if you wanted your pickles to come with a side of righteous fury at Greg Abbott's cruel border policy, you were really out of luck. That is, until Pickle Envy came on the scene.
Libby Goldman and Mae Hardebeck – best friends, business partners, and platonic life partners – run Pickle Envy, an Austin-based pickling company dedicated to bringing Old World-style Jewish deli pickles to Austin. They moved to Austin five years ago – Goldman from Chicago and Hardebeck from the Boston area.
After quitting their day jobs, the two decided to start selling their tasty, crunchy, salty blend of pickles and other fermented vegetables full time.
"Libby and I first imagined this business together many years ago," says Hardebeck. "I made an apron for Libby based on how many pickles and kimchi they were coming up with and sending to friends across the country." The duo (both of whom use they pronouns) sold their first jar at South by Southwest 2023 and it has been off to the races since then.
"I didn't realize this was going to converge as much as it did, but I come to fermentation from a wine perspective. There's many similarities between people who love food, who love wine, who love fermentation – it's like a very virtuous circle. I really like that," continues Hardebeck, whose last job was as a floor sommelier at June's All Day.
"I think we as a business really want to emphasize how it's a special process [fermentation] for us and we're kind of re-creating flavors and tastes that Libby has experienced throughout childhood at Chicago Jewish delis," Hardebeck says.
"The pickles that we make are kosher dill pickles – we're not making bread-and-butter pickles," Goldman continues. "It's such an opportunity to dig into Jewish food history, Japanese food history. Mae's mom just taught them how to make miso. So Pickle Envy is us seeing the kind of food we want to see in Austin, and selfishly lets us do really fun things."
When they're not up to their elbows in salt, vinegar, brining tubs, and pickle jars, the duo engages in the struggle for migrant justice alongside their fellow progressive Jews through Never Again Action. NAA is a national Jewish nonprofit protesting the inhumane treatment of migrants by the United States government, particularly the family separation policy instituted by the Trump administration in 2019. The group was inspired by the trip to the border and the migrant detention centers by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as her comment that the migrant detention centers along the border reminded her of concentration camps.
Goldman helped refound the Austin chapter particularly in opposition to Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star, the policy launched in March 2021 to increase the militarized aspect of enforcement along the border by sending Texas state troopers and National Guardsmen there. Goldman explains how they were further inspired by a trip to the border organized by Austin justice organization Grassroots Leadership.
"We went on the human rights delegation to bear witness to OLS. It became really clear that we need more people in the fight, and, where are Jews? There were no Jewish people, Jewish organizations being a part of this. So we came back to Austin to restart the chapter here," says Goldman. "So one thing led to another, we formed a strategy team, we started getting together every month on Shabbat to plan and strategize together. We need to organize ourselves to be able to do anything."
"The desire for Jewish space, and wanting to exist and be ourselves in Jewish space, you grew into more of an awareness of wanting that," Hardebeck adds. "So in terms of NAA, it is a group effort, but Libby hosted the first meeting, which was setting the ground for who wants to do this."
The duo is quick to point out that NAA and the fight against OLS are group efforts, although they did take the lead in getting them off the ground here in Austin. "If anything, it isn't that there isn't enough leftist Jewish organizing – it's so hard in such a big city to know where it's all happening. But as a result of seeking it and not finding it, starting this up has been a way to welcome like-minded folks and become the space that we were working for."
Running a pickle business and taking on the governor's deportation machine can be a lot of work, but the two have found that one can help boost the other. To its founders, Pickle Envy is not simply about making money, at least not entirely. It allows them a degree of independence as well as the time and energy to focus on organizing. You could very well say that supporting Pickle Envy is a way to support Never Again Action.
"Libby and I are really excited to have full control over how we spend our money. From the very beginning we have been really interested in being a part of the local agricultural and economic ecosystem, as opposed to expanding really big," Hardebeck says.
To that end, don't expect to see Pickle Envy pop up in supermarkets anytime soon. That independence allows them to be an explicitly political company. Goldman and Hardebeck are very clear that being anti-Greg Abbott and anti-Operation Lone Star is a part of their company's core values.
"If you were to say that buying a jar of kosher-style pickles from us would be one step to ending Operation Lone Star, I don't think that you would be wrong," says Hardebeck.
Where to Find Pickle Envy
In addition to pickles, Pickle Envy also offers a consistent menu of kimchis and krauts, with the caveat that the offerings change with the seasons because they source from local farms. There's also pickled okra, creamy vegan pickle dip (an occasional treat), and their flagship probiotic pickle juice. Online ordering is available 24/7 on their website (pickleenvy.com), with options for local pickup and delivery. Pickle Envy can also be found at SFC Farmers' Market at Sunset Valley (Saturdays, 9am-1pm), Flitch Coffee (Saturdays, 9am-noon), and Austin Aritsan Market at Veracuz Tacos (Sundays, 9am-2pm), as well as at periodic pop-ups; check their Instagram profile (@pickleenvyatx) for the most up-to-date information.
