Shoppers at the Oak Park Farmers Market got a hands-on pickling lesson Saturday, July 11, courtesy of Knockout Pickles, the pickle enterprise run by local nonprofit Opportunity Knocks that employs 11 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
John Asta, an Opportunity Knocks staff member, stood behind a table stacked with cucumbers, onions, carrots, peaches, and cherries, walking visitors through the basics of a cold-brine refrigerator pickle.
"Half a cup of vinegar and half a cup of water," Asta told the crowd. "The ratios and volumes of salt, sugar, and vinegar is going to be more concentrated than if you were doing a hot brine."
Two other Opportunity Knocks staff members prepped vegetables and handed out samples. Visitors could take home a starter kit: a Mason jar packed with sugar and salt packets, ready for a first batch.
The enterprise
Knockout Pickles launched in 2014 as a seed-to-jar operation, selling 400 jars at special events in its first year. The enterprise has since produced more than 1,900 pounds of pickles and now works with nine local retail and restaurant partners, according to the Opportunity Knocks website. Jars sell for $8 to $10 in four flavors: Classic, Deli, Spicy, and Bread & Butter.
Oak Park residents can find jars at Sugar Beet Co-op, Alpine Food Shop, and Riverside Foods.
Opportunity Knocks, a tax-exempt nonprofit founded in 2009 and headquartered at 8020 Madison St. in the River Forest Community Center, serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Oak Park, Forest Park, and River Forest. Mike Carmody founded the organization in response to the needs of his younger brother, John.
Growing the supply
The nonprofit lost its Maywood farm plot at 50 Madison St. when AV Chicago purchased the property. That plot had produced 1,085 pounds of produce in its final growing season. In May 2025, Forest Park commissioners approved a 180-day permit for Opportunity Knocks to establish a new 75-by-55-foot farm at the village-owned Altenheim property, giving the pickle operation a local source for cucumbers and other produce.
How the demo came together
Market commissioners Woody Meachum and Macaire Ament organized the July 11 appearance. Meachum said the demo fit the market's sustainability focus. Ament said the event introduced shoppers to new possibilities, noting she had never considered pickling fruit before hearing the Knockout Pickles team discuss it.
Madeleine Gancer, a Knockout Kitchen staff member and farmer who has been with Opportunity Knocks since 2018, said the reception was warm.
What's next
The Oak Park Farmers Market runs 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday through Saturday, Nov. 14, in the Pilgrim Church parking lot at 460 Lake St. Jars of Knockout Pickles remain available at Sugar Beet Co-op, Alpine Food Shop, and Riverside Foods.
