Category Archives: Gundelsheim pickles

>Polish Goldmine

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I cannot resist a grocery store. I will wander the aisles of any grocery store anywhere and the further away it is from being a Wal-Mart or C-Town, the better, but still, I can kill some time in a Wal-Mart (hell, it’s practically a family tradition). It’s rare that I’m actually looking for something specific, it’s more that I’m excited that I will possibly find something weird that I can take home and display on a shelf or EAT and it will cost me no more than $4.99. That is strong bait for a Southerner…

So check out the Polish Pickle Gold Mine I wandered upon in Williamsburg at Topps Grocery store on North 6th street, just off of Bedford. 2 whole shelves full of not just “exotic” products, but PICKLES and oh yes, all for under 5 bucks!

First there was the sign:

I love that they have the Claussen Pickles hidden away in a dusty corner somewhere…

And then there was a huge basket filled with these:

Who doesn’t need a bag o’ pickles? I need a belt that I could use to strap these around my waist like a fanny pack.

There were several varieties by the Lowell Brand: pickles with hot peppers, with sweet peppers or just “cucumbers in brine”. I struggled with a decision for at least 10 minutes, but I ended up taking home a jar of the ones with hot peppers (of course). I’ll save the bag o’ cucumbers in brine for a gift if I’m ever invited to anything, ever again. There were also a few other varieties, like the simple Krakus Brand “Polish Dill Pickles” and some labeled “Pickled Dill Gherkins”.

I opened my jar as soon as I got “home” (I was house-sitting in Bushwick) and I wasn’t thrilled with the results… a little soft and barely spicy. Still, better than most common grocery store items and very similar to the German Gundelsheim pickles I use as my “everyday pickles” but I’m not done with my Polish exploration though, oh no. I think I’ll go back to basics and try the simplest ones and then work my way through the spices. Because it’s only a matter of time before I’m back in there wandering the aisles anyway.

Twitt

>Grocery Store Find: Poland’s Finest

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I can’t walk into a grocery store and NOT look at the pickles…it’s just a fact of my pickle discipline. So I was pleasantly surprised, when after 5 years of stalking the aisles of the Gristede’s grocery store on 26th Street in Manhattan, I finally saw something NEW. And not only are they new, but they are also POLISH, Poland’s Finest, they claim.

I took a jar home this past week and they are already gone. They aren’t the best pickles in the world, but as far as store brands are concerned, they are better than average. They are very similar in flavor to the Gundelsheim Pickles I buy often but they are a bit smaller and have a crunchier texture. They also come in a very cool jar, which reminds me to share a link to a blog I just discovered called Food In Jars!

All in all, I am happy to see these pickles on my local grocer’s shelf. I wish they were a little cheaper as they are a good “everyday pickle” for me. I practically ate my whole jar over the 4th of July weekend along with a big bag of Ruffles chips employing a Tackett family recipe for Pickle Sandwiches: a slice or bite of pickle in between 2 chips… Classic Tackett “cooking”.

Twitt

>Hot, Sweet & Spicy-Happy Valentine’s Day

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>What’s better than a fancy dinner, chocolates and candy or lingerie? Yep…there’s THAT and then there’s also pickles. As you should know by now, I like things HOT (and fried) so let’s get down and dirty and talk about some spicy pickles of my past, present and future.

The PAST:

What you are seeing here is the bottom of a jar of Gundelsheim Hot & Spicy Barrel Pickles after I’ve had my way with them (note the lack of pickle juice). I got hot ‘n heavy and devoured the jar in a couple of days. Gundelsheim pickles come in Regular, Garlic and now, Hot & Spicy (thank god). When I lived in MS I used to drive 30 minutes to the next town just to stock up on the Garlic flavored ones. I’ve spied this brand in Whole Foods stores and in my neighborhood Fairway but I never really bothered with them because they only carried the regular ones and I thought “well, crap, I could get the Garlic ones in MISSISSIPPI and Whole Foods only has the Regular? Nevermind” but just last week in my grocery store I happened to spot the new Hot & Spicy ones! At $4.99 a jar, they have become my new “everyday pickles” especially since I ravaged this whole jar in about 3 days. You have to get these pickles cold before you eat them so they stiffen up and they aren’t that spicy but they do have a unique flavor which I don’t really know how to describe besides “German”…On the smaller side they can still keep you satisfied and wanting more.

The PRESENT:

My Friend Jenn recently moved south from Brooklyn to New Orleans and after a recent pilgrimage to Avery Island where they bottle Tabasco, she mailed me a jar of the Tabasco Hot ‘N Sweet Pickles. I’d never heard of or seen these before so I was really excited to get them in the mail. My mailman left them on the radiator of our building so I decided a few days in the fridge was necessary before trying them.

I took it slow with Mr. McIlhenny’s pickles and really go to know them before going all the way with them. They are more SWEET than HOT and I tried to be gentle…in fact they are so sweet I have finally accepted them for what they are, my pickle friend and not my pickle lover. Sometimes you DO just need more sweet than heat and these pickles, I know, will always be there for me…

The FUTURE:

..but most of the time I want it HOT and heat is what I’m after…a fellow Pickle Freak that divides his time between Ohio and NY (hey Matt!) discovered Safies Hot & Zesty Garden Mix. He swears you will gasp, fall back and wipe your brow after every bite. They look amazing and I can’t wait to try them…I’m not crazy about the fact that there are other things pickled in there with them, but if it’s hot enough, I can be tricked into eating a carrot and some cauliflower (but it better be HOT!)

So if you don’t have a guy or girl (or squirrel) to set your heart on fire, do it yourself and wrap your lips around something that’s hot, sweet and spicy!
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Twitt