# Pickle lovers, let's talk. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 12, 2017, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickle-lovers-lets-talk/798645 "2017-10-12T15:20:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Buttercup\_Smith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buttercup_smith/32/473_2.png) [@Buttercup\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buttercup_Smith)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2017, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickle-lovers-lets-talk/798645/61 "2017-10-13T21:24:35Z")
Pickle juice is also an ingredient in some martini’s. ---
**Author:** ![Clark\_Cello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Clark\_Cello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clark_Cello)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2017, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickle-lovers-lets-talk/798645/62 "2017-10-13T21:45:07Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > Yes, fried pickles are delicious. Sadly, I have only ran across a few restaurants that serve them. You obviously do not live in the South. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2017, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickle-lovers-lets-talk/798645/63 "2017-10-13T22:00:00Z")
> [@Buttercup\_Smith](#): > > Pickle juice is also an ingredient in some martini’s. Also a great quick brine for chicken! ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2017, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickle-lovers-lets-talk/798645/64 "2017-10-13T23:49:48Z")
Anyone remember Cates or Aunt Jane? I love making my own pickles…I have two dill recipes (one of which is particularly good with lemon cucumbers and cucamelons), and a spice-loaded bread and butter version that even my mother (who typically avoids anything sweet) will eat. I finally switched to whole mustard seeds instead of the ground stuff, and I’ve started using a spice bag to contain the turmeric, both of which have improved the appearance of the brine drastically. Every now and then, the local Whole Foods will have a nice selection of pickled things on the salad bar: green tomatoes, red onions, green beans, cauliflower, and carrots. All are outstanding. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2017, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickle-lovers-lets-talk/798645/65 "2017-10-14T09:25:58Z")
> [@Aufgeblassen](#): > > You should keep in mind pickles are EXTREMELY high in SALT, so you could cause blood pressure/heart problems if you eat too many! :eek: Some people need extra salt. I use them partially for that purpose. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2017, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickle-lovers-lets-talk/798645/66 "2017-10-14T15:24:06Z")
It’s amazing to me how so many smart people can be so wrong. The best pickles are [Bubbie’s](https://bubbies.com/pantry). But even at that they are second best to kosher style dill pickles sold out of the original wooden pickle barrels in Montreal from Waldman’s market on St. Laurent by old Sam Waldman (RIP) himself. ---
**Author:** ![Trafalgar\_Laura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trafalgar_laura/32/2907_2.png) [@Trafalgar\_Laura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trafalgar_Laura)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2017, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickle-lovers-lets-talk/798645/67 "2017-10-14T15:42:44Z")
Pickled olives, ideally with pickled garlic inside. Giardiniera. Pickled onions. Pickled green tomatoes. Pickled peppers. Saurkraut! Ever since this thread started, all I can do is think of more things I like pickled. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2017, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickle-lovers-lets-talk/798645/68 "2017-10-14T15:55:12Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Can you get Medium eggs in your area? They’re about the size of a small beet. > > I always slice the beets for pickling, so the egg size doesn’t matter to me. (And I always buy Jumbo eggs, because I need to maximize my egg pleasure.) I think there are small eggs if I look hard enough. I can match the beet to the egg size, but the smaller, the better. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2017, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickle-lovers-lets-talk/798645/69 "2017-10-14T23:49:42Z")
> [@Buttercup\_Smith](#): > > Pickle juice is also an ingredient in some martini’s. No it isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2017, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickle-lovers-lets-talk/798645/70 "2017-10-15T01:28:55Z")
> [@Trafalgar\_Laura](#): > > Pickled olives, ideally with pickled garlic inside. Giardiniera. Pickled onions. Pickled green tomatoes. Pickled peppers. Saurkraut! > > Ever since this thread started, all I can do is think of more things I like pickled. No kidding - I see kimchi fried rice in my very near future. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2017, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickle-lovers-lets-talk/798645/71 "2017-10-15T02:23:17Z")
I love Kosher dills, but not much else. Sweet pickles are repulsive, but that might be because the one I tried was just bad. On Saipan, they pickle unripe mangoes. It’s called koko, although I don’t know about the spelling. It will turn your mouth inside out, but it’s totally worth it. My mom loves pickles, and made bread and butter pickles and pickled beets. Stank up the house, and I never liked them. I’ve never tried pickled eggs, but since whenever I saw one it was with the beets, I didn’t want to try. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2017, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickle-lovers-lets-talk/798645/72 "2017-10-15T02:30:31Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > No it isn’t. Come on, there’s being a purist, and then being a purist. I’m a martini purist, yet I have enjoyed many “dirty martinis” over the years. Just add a splash of the reeky olive juice to your cocktail shaker along with the gin and vermouth. In the case of the “tapas mix” I referenced above, the olive in my martini comes with a hefty aroma of vinegar, garlic, and anchovy. Makes a really fine drink. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2017, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickle-lovers-lets-talk/798645/73 "2017-10-15T17:29:02Z")
My favorite brand of pickles is [Kruegermann](http://kruegermann.com/). They make many types of pickles and sauerkraut - my favorites are their hausfrauenart pickles and their spicy garlic pickles. Unfortunately for most of you, they’re mainly a California brand (and they’re not common even in the Bay Area, where I live). Amazon carries them, but that’s a really expensive way to buy pickles (nearly $50 for a 32-ounce jar of hausfrauenarts!). Pickle lovers should check out their [list of retailers](http://kruegermann.com/retailers.html) to see whether they can find them anywhere close to home. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickle-lovers-lets-talk/798645/74 "2017-10-19T17:48:14Z")
I have a serious cross cultural pickle fixation. Kim chi, Branston pickle (especially on sharp cheddar all melty on good toast), Polski Ogorkis, sour dills with a Montreal smoked meat sandwich, Piccalilli, pickled Japanese diakon and ginger, pickled eggs, sauerkraut or pickled red cabbage, homemade refrigerator bread and butters, pickled green beans ([Extreme Bean Ceasars](http://www.foodjunkiechronicles.net/2013/07/matt-steves-extreme-bean.html) FTW!). It’s all good! ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickle-lovers-lets-talk/798645/75 "2017-10-19T18:08:52Z")
> [@swampspruce](#): > > I have a serious cross cultural pickle fixation. Kim chi, Branston pickle (especially on sharp cheddar all melty on good toast), Polski Ogorkis, sour dills with a Montreal smoked meat sandwich, Piccalilli, pickled Japanese diakon and ginger, pickled eggs, sauerkraut or pickled red cabbage, homemade refrigerator bread and butters, pickled green beans ([Extreme Bean Ceasars](http://www.foodjunkiechronicles.net/2013/07/matt-steves-extreme-bean.html) FTW!). It’s all good! World Peace (or whirled \*pickled \*peas) through Pickle Sharing! I’m getting a mental vision of United Nations delegates with trays and jars of their country’s pickled specialties–chatting, laughing, passing cups of tea and thimble-sized glasses of brandy… sharing recipes in their mothers’ handwriting. \ Nice picture. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickle-lovers-lets-talk/798645/76 "2017-10-20T13:31:45Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > The best pickles are Bubbie’s. Oh God, that’s them! I’m dead sure those are the kosher dills I had at my friend’s house back in DC. They were _delicious_. I may have to get the apron for when I’m cooking dinner… ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickle-lovers-lets-talk/798645/77 "2017-10-20T14:04:03Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > World Peace (or whirled \*pickled \*peas) through Pickle Sharing! I’m getting a mental vision of United Nations delegates with trays and jars of their country’s pickled specialties–chatting, laughing, passing cups of tea and thimble-sized glasses of brandy… sharing recipes in their mothers’ handwriting. \ Nice picture. Add some nice chutney , a cheese board and some vino and I’m completely on board with this idea! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickle-lovers-lets-talk/798645/78 "2017-10-20T15:45:28Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Also, this may be closer to you, but you might want to try Kolatek’s just north of Grand on Harlem: [Redirecting...](https://www.facebook.com/Kolateks-Bakery-Deli-420828031342266/) > > I’ve never been there, but it looks like the kind of place that would have their own homemade pickles. Looking at the Hungry Hound review of the place, it seems they ferment their own borscht and sauerkraut, so I’d be surprised if there weren’t any pickles there. > [@zoid](#): > > Right across the street from Caputo’s! Perfect - Thanks! So I went to Kolateks and no barrel love ☹ BUT as I was walking out I spied what appeared to be clear plastic tubs of house made pickles - no labels what-so-ever. THIS, I thought, is what I’m looking for… So I brought a tub home but they were pretty bland. The container has what looks like a nice cloudy brine so I’m thinking, why not let 'em ferment a bit more… They’ve been sitting on my windowsill since last Saturday - I have to burp the container once a day because of the gas build up but they seem to be progressing nicely! If I don’t check back in just assume I died of pickle poisoning. Eh, there are worse ways to go. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickle-lovers-lets-talk/798645/79 "2017-10-20T16:12:56Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I used to be in that camp until we started canning our own. There is zero comparison between store pickles and home-canned. The bread and butter pickles we make are now my favorites and the dills have become a distant second. If I can avoid it, I’ll never buy another jar of pickles. I think it’s more “flavor overload” for me. same reason I don’t like pineapple on pizza, too many competing basic flavors. Sweet & sour? Ok. sweet & savory? OK. savory & sour? Ok. Sweet, sour, _and_ savory? no thanks. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickle-lovers-lets-talk/798645/80 "2017-10-20T16:30:15Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > So I went to Kolateks and no barrel love ☹ > BUT as I was walking out I spied what appeared to be clear plastic tubs of house made pickles - no labels what-so-ever. THIS, I thought, is what I’m looking for… > > So I brought a tub home but they were pretty bland. The container has what looks like a nice cloudy brine so I’m thinking, why not let 'em ferment a bit more… > > They’ve been sitting on my windowsill since last Saturday - I have to burp the container once a day because of the gas build up but they seem to be progressing nicely! > > If I don’t check back in just assume I died of pickle poisoning. > Eh, there are worse ways to go. 😃 You’ll be fine. I wonder if those were intentionally half sours, or just pulled from the brine early. I actually prefer my pickles a little bit on the less sour side,which is why I pointed out that the ones I had at Shop & Save were a little bit more sour that I’m used to. When we used to pickle our own pickles (and I do every now and again still), we would just leave the jars out in the sun with a cheesecloth over them, and check every day after about the second or third to see if they were sour enough for our liking. So it only should take a couple days for your pickles to really sour up. I’d bet they’d be fine by now. I don’t recall ever going beyond five days from fresh brine to being soured the way we like them. I find brined/fermented pickles to have a much gentler sourness (from the lactic acid) than vinegar pickles (from acetic acid), which is why I prefer them. But they still can get plenty sharp if you let them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickle-lovers-lets-talk/798645.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickle-lovers-lets-talk/798645.md?page=5)