Before Firefly Kitchens was even a twinkle in Julie O’Brien’s gut flora, this entrepreneurial foodie was raising kids, and planning a career as a nutritional therapist. Following this path, she stumbled upon a very short chapter on the health benefits and disease prevention capabilities of fermented foods, specifically kraut. Julie immediately began making her own krauts at home, and after two years of developing and perfecting recipes in her Seattle kitchen, Firefly Kitchens emerged from the cocoon.
Since then, Julie has become a self-described fermentation fanatic. She’s made it her mission to produce fresh ferments packed with crunch, tang, and zest while showing people how to incorporate these beneficial probiotic-powered foods into their daily menus. Her 2014 cookbook, Fresh & Fermented, features favorites like mac ‘n cheese, tuna salad, carrot cake, and chocolate pudding — all kraut-ified for maximum health benefits, and absolutely delicious, for maximum enjoyment of every bite.
Sustainability is a core piece of Firefly’s business ethos, and they’re a certified partner with Washington State’s EnviroStars Program—a truly inspiring green business community. Their products are packed in forever-recyclable glass. Each fall, they purchase vegetables almost exclusively from organic Washington farms, to support local farmers and to support soil health. And 90% of their vegetable scraps are picked up and fed to the animals on a pasture-raised hog farm.
We’re proud to work with this woman-owned Washington company. The care they put into each product is as apparent as the care they take in nurturing their business relationships—with their employees, their farmers, and with our team.
And be sure and check out our Talk & Taste Event with Julie O’Brien, founder of Firefly Kitchens, one of our favorite fermented food friends.