Christmas is coming and the Hickory Farms pop-up store in the mall is its first harbinger. In other threads, we’ve talked about salami and pickles, and I’m wondering if y’all have any recommendations WRT Hickory Farms products. (Feel free to bring in other mail order food purveyors, too–Fiji’s comes to mind.)
When I was young and broke and Hickory Farms had a permanent, full-size store in the mall, I used to go in there and partake liberally of all the samples they had out, and there were plenty. Could almost make a free lunch out of it, hehe.
I don’t know - the cheeses all taste the same to me.
Agree on the summer sausages, however - especially if you can hold out until December 26, when they’re something like half price. (Now there’s an idea - Hickory Farms Calendar Club.)
Hehe, The Hickory Farms Christmas gift pack. That brings back some memories form when I was a kid
Among the packages from random acquaintances of my parents there was always at least one that was clearly a Hickory Farms box. And it signaled the kickoff of the real Christmas, because about a week before Christmas it was the first package to be unwrapped.
I loved the port wine cheese spread personally, but that was thirty+ years ago.
^ I remember that port wine cheese spread; good stuff.
Either everyone I’ve known is a consummate actor (:rolleyes:), or everybody over the years has loved getting Hickory Farms. They tear into it immediately. Down the hatch.
I think I love everything. I woluld LOVE Santa to bring me a great big huge box of Hickory Farms, the works. (But somehow I get the usual: sweaters, sweatshirts with pictures of kitties on them, coffee mugs, socks, and one of those chocolate oranges.) Can’t go wrong with summer sausage, crackers, and hot sweet mustard. If you have people ‘dropping in’ during Christmas, it’s helpful to get the goodies sooner than later, so you have something to offer.
Yep, their sweet-hot mustard is fantastic. I miss the permanent mall store. I used to brave the mall at Christmas just to go to Hickory Farms but now that I can order online I don’t have to elbow my way through crowds. No samples though…
I somehow one year got one of their turkey sausages instead of the regular summer sausage and even that was good. Different texture and sweeter but still good.
Mom loves the peppermint melty candies.
We almost always had a Hickory Farms gift pack at New Years’ Eve. And oh yeah, those strawberry candies were great too.
I’m really surprised there’s so much lurve for Hickory Farms. I expected the usual Doper Disdain for the big company, processed, generic holiday basket, blahblahblah. I will definitely be getting me some HF stuff when the store opens.
I shop at Honey Baked during the year–their turkey salad is outstanding. You can buy slices and also buy (and eat) sandwiches in the store now. Makes it possible for one-person households to shop there now.
I used to go to a hairdresser next door to a Honey Baked store and you had to beat your way through a huge line to get in right around Thanksgiving and Easter.
My grandfather made summer sausage. No one in the family picked up the skill when he died. Hickory Farms summer sausage is a pretty good substitute, and brings back memories.
Can’t go wrong with smoked cheese, AFAIK.
I will also mention one of my favorite little tricks. Cut summer sausage thin, then put on a plate in the fridge till it dries. Summer sausage jerky is awesome.
and he says Hickory Farms’ mustards are excellent.