Add pickle chips and other pickled vegetables for a cocktail garnish. Photo courtesy Jill Johnson | In A Pickle.
|
STEPHANIE ZONIE is a contributing editor at THE NIBBLE.
|
|
November 2013
|
|
Best Pickle Brands
Page 8d: Pickle Brands I To Q
This is Page 8d (page 12) of a 13-page article, the continuation of reviews of the best pickle brands. Click on the black links below to visit other pages.
Brand Reviews: I To Q
In A Pickle
Sold Shelf-Stable
Website
- Signature Spicy Pickle Spears. Serving size: 1 oz (28 g/about ¾ spear). Sodium content: 170 mg. Sugars: 6 g. Contains high fructose corn syrup, Polysorbate 80, artificial flavors, natural flavors, and yellow #5. A good balance of sweet and spicy, with an undertone of what wine writers call “shoe polish,” found in some Bordeaux wines. It’s not a negative term if you like the aroma of cordovan shoe polish and the associated hint of flavor. Medium spicy with a long finish.
|
|
Sophisticated labeling, good for gifting. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE. |
Jammin’ Crepes
Sold Shelf-Stable
Website
- Honey & Spice Jersey Pickles. Obtained at the West Windsor (NJ) Farmers’ Market. One of the few pickles encountered that uses honey as a sweetener.
- The pickles are sliced very thin. They look very pretty in the bottle, but are too thin to be “finger-pickin’ pickles.” Best for sandwiches and salads.
- No nutrition information.
|
|
Jammin’ Crepes’ Jersey pickles. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE. |
Jeffboyardee: Kickin Pickle Company
Sold Shelf-Stable
Website
- Serving size: 1/4 cup Sodium: 149 mg. Sugars: 11 g. All natural ingredients.
- Sugar & Spices Pickles are available in Mild and Hot. The slices are thicker than most. The Mild are nicely sweet and balanced; the Hot have an elegant kick: medium heat with a long, long finish. [FAVORITE]
- The Hot pickles are loaded with sliced onions, red and orange bell peppers, especially attractive (although the label could use a re-design to match the elegance of the pickles).
|
|
Jammin’ Crepes’ Jersey pickles. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE. |
Michael Flores Thin-fully Delicious Pickles
Sold Refrigerated
Website
- Serving size: 2 Tbsp (28 g). Sodium: 230 mg. Sugars: 11 g. Sold shelf-stable. Contains preservatives, Polysorbate 80, natural flavoring, and yellow #5.
- As the name implies, the slices are very thin and delicious. There’s just enough sweetness with a light touch of heat.
Mt. Olive Pickles
Sold Shelf-Stable
Certified kosher by The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations
Website
- Kosher Baby Dills. Serving size: 1 oz (28 g, about 1 pickle). Sodium: 260 mg. Sugars: 0 g. Good crunch. Jarring, unpleasant flavor with a similarly unpleasant aftertaste. Contains preservatives, natural flavors, and yellow #5.
|
|
Thin-fully Delicious pickles. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE. |
- Petite Snack Crunchers Kosher Dill. Serving size: 1 oz (28 g, about 3 pickles). Sodium: 310 mg. Sugars: 0 g. Good crunch, but very bland, with an unpleasant aftertaste; no dill presence at all. Dill is not listed as an ingredient. Contains preservatives, natural flavors, and yellow #5.
Oma’s Choice
Sold Shelf-Stable
Website
- Bread & Butter Pickles. Serving size: 2 oz (60 g). Sodium: 95 mg. Sugars: 14 g. Sold shelf-stable. Not very crisp. Strongly sweet, followed by a “hit” of vinegar and a mellow blend of spices.
- At this writing, the company sells pickles only in lots of one dozen pint jars.
Ozark Pickle Pantry
Sold Shelf-Stable
Website
- Ozark Hot Sweet Tangy Dill. Serving size: 5 pickles (57 g). Sodium: 290 mg. Sugars: 10 g. Contains sodium benzoate, Polysorbate 80, natural flavor, yellow #5. A nice contrast of sweet and heat, with a complex layering of spices
- Ozark Sweet Tangy Dill. Serving size: 5 pickles (57 g). Sodium: 140 mg. Sugars: 10 g. A nice dill presence and a good crunch, but the sweetness that’s initially appealing gradually becomes cloying. Contains sodium benzoate, Polysorbate 80, natural flavor, yellow #5.
- Ozark Sweet Tangy Dill Hot. Serving size: 5 pickles (57 g). Sodium: 140 mg. Sugars: 10 g. A nice contrast of heat and sweet. Contains sodium benzoate, Polysorbate 80, natural flavor, yellow #5.
|
|
Ozark Pickle Pantry. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE. |
Paul’s Gourmet Foods
Sold Refrigerated
Website
- Some of the most unusual pickle varieties I’ve run across. No nutrition information. All are delicious, hand-packed into deli-style plastic containers. There are both Favorites and Runners Up from this producer. Overall, our favorite producer in this article.
- 3/4 Sour. Very good crunch for a ¾ sour pickle. As they should be, these are more strongly-flavored than some other pickle types.
- Adobo. Delightfully crunchy, charming flavor.
- Asian. Not tried.
- Bacon. This pickle contains bacon bits (according to Paul, the Health Department won’t let him use real bacon). A great crunch, with more of a vinegary/herbal/salty flavor than a bacon taste.
|
|
Paul’s Gourmet Foods hand-packs pickles in deli-style plastic containers. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE. |
- Barbecue. The brine for this pickle has a tangy-sweet note, but the pickles didn’t have any noticeable barbecue flavor component.
- Blueberry Lemonade. A wild-looking purplish-blue brine with actual blueberries in it houses these pickles. Great crunch. The dominant flavor is “pickly” (vinegary/herbal/salty) with a hint of lemon, but just at the end there’s a note of berry.
- Cranberry Horseradish and Horseradish. Lots of horseradish in the brine. The bright red cranberries make an attractive garnish. [FAVORITE]
- Hot & Spicy. Not tasted.
- Jalapeño Pineapple. A bit unusual, our least favorite of an excellent line.
- Lemonade. Although the pickles are in a lemonade brine, there’s no lemon flavor here. Crunchy and “pickly.”
- Mustard. The brine here is an opaque yellow, evidence of the mustard present in it. There’s a bit more sharpness to the brine, but it doesn’t overpower. Great crunch to the pickle. A good choice for a sandwich.
- Red Beet Horseradish. A delight for beet lovers. [FAVORITE]
- Smoky. A great idea to add some smoke to a classic dill. [RUNNER UP]
- Sweet & Hot. Not tried.
- Sweet & Sour. These have the somewhat less crunchy texture of a sour pickle with only a moderate “sour” taste. Interesting.
- Tabasco. Not tried.
- Tropical. Chunks of mango and kiwi are in this brine. The pickles are very crunchy, but there were no “tropical” flavor notes.
- Wasabi. A hit with wasabi lovers.
Perky Pickles
Sold Shelf-Stable
Website
- Hot Bread & Butter. Nice visual contrast in the jar, with onions, bell pepper, mustard seed, and some pieces of habanero contrasting with the green pickles.
- Mustard. These are the only pickles tasted for this article that might possibly contain gluten, as flour or cornstarch is used as a thickening agent. These pickles are in an opaque yellow brine that looks, appropriately enough, like thin mustard. Moderate to good crunch. A sweet/tangy/mustardy/vinegary flavor. Good.
- No nutrition information.
Pickle Licious
Not Shelf Stable (sold from barrels at farmers markets)
Certified kosher by Va’ad Harabanim, The Rabbinical Council of Bergen County (NJ).
Website
- Half Sour. These are fermented pickles, without vinegar. Great crunch. A judicious hand was used with the herbs/spices. Good.
- Kosher Dills. Most notable for their incredible crunch. Some vinegar “bite”, slight pepper presence, but only a hint of dill at the finish.
- New Pickles. These are fermented pickles, without vinegar. Very crunchy! These closely resemble fresh cucumbers, of course, as they are only lightly pickled. Fresh-tasting, and there’s a nice, light hand with the herbs/spices. Good.
- Sweet Pickle Chips. Contains corn syrup (not HFCS). Salt is not listed as an ingredient in these pickles, but according to a company representative, these do indeed contain “a little salt”. Not as crunchy as the other varieties, perhaps due to the thinness of the slices. Sharp vinegar “bite” with a lengthy, somewhat cloying sweetness at the end.
- No nutrition information.
Picklena
Sold Shelf-Stable
Website
- Cool. Serving size: 28 g. Sodium: 100 mg. Sugars: 1 g. A nicely balanced bread and butter pickle: just sweet enough without being pronouncedly sweet.
- Hot. Serving size: 28 g. Sodium: 90 mg. Sugars: 1 g. The hotter sibling; like Cool, restraint is the name of the game. The sizzle is light enough to be enjoyed by almost everyone.
- These are smaller jars with attractive fabric tops in different colors announcing “Cool” or “Hot.” They’re definitely “giftier” than many other pickles.
|
|
Smaller jars with “gifty” packaging. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE. |
The Pickle Guys
Sold Shelf-Stable
Certified kosher by Rabbi Shmuel Fishelis; Brooklyn location certified kosher by Va’ad Hakashrus of Flatbush
Website
- These are fermented pickles, without vinegar. Sold refrigerated.
- 3/4 Sour. As should be expected from a more fully sour pickle, these are less crunchy, though there is still a decent crunch to them. Briny, salty taste, but the blend of spices and herbs is terrific. The garlic adds flavor without overwhelming. [FAVORITE]
- Horseradish. As you can see in the photo, there’s a lot of horseradish floating in the jar. A horseradish lover’s delight.
|
|
Hot and horseradish (the “white” jar). Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE. |
- Hot. Lots of chopped chiles and their seeds decorate the brine. The pickles are medium-hot, not burning but with a long sizzling finish. There’s a hint of lemon in the brine.
- New. Very good crunch, fresh-tasting cucumbers. The degree of pickling is light, but there are complex and delicious flavors going on, including a lilt of lemon. [FAVORITE]
- Sour. Modestly crunchy, with a strong, robust flavor. The full-on sour pickle experience.
Continue To Page 8e: Pickle Brand Reviews R To Z
Go To The Article Index Above
|
