Category Archives: McClures Pickles

>I Had a Very Merry Chipsmas

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Happy New Year everyone! I had a really great holiday break but I’m back and ready to tackle a couple of my New Years Resolutions:
1-Blog more
2-Eat more

…and I’m doing it right now.

BEHOLD the McClure’s Pickles pickle flavored chips in Garlic Dill and Spicy Pickle. These beauties were born when Detroit based Better Made chips partnered with my favorite pickle brothers. I ordered a case of them and had them shipped to my nieces’ house in Mississippi for Xmas. A selfless act of love I assure you.

Let’s start with the bag. Isn’t that the most handsome bag of chips you’ve ever laid your eyes on? I’m hopeful that the brothers McClure will create a duvet cover, pillow cases and sheet set so I can pretend to crawl into one of these bags every night and sleep. A sleeping bag and maybe some drapes would also be nice.

Now let’s open the bag. Are you as surprised as I am to find the chips ridged? I just assumed they would take the form of a thin and crispy chip, much like my original favorite brand of Golden Flake or that they would be a kettle style chip like my other fave Zapps but WOW, they are ridged and I LOVED them for it! You know what ridged chips are great for? Soaking in pickle juice and still being crunchy! Not that these chips needed any more pickle flavor. I tried both flavors but if you’re like me and like a little spice, opt for the Spicy Pickle variety.

I also advise you order by the case, which you have to do if these aren’t available in your area, but still, if you can buy a bag one at a time, why torture yourself with the tedium? I only took 1 bag home with me back to NOLA and that’s the one you see up there, empty. Now what do I do? I guess the next case will be an act of self love.

Twitt

>A Pickle Carol

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Ahhh, it’s the holidays and here I am lips burning, eating a Van Holten’s Hot Pickle and gazing at my pickle ornament covered Xmas tree. I’m going to take this moment to watch yet another episode of Cops rather than watch It’s a Wonderful Life and share with you my pickles of the past, present and future, lord willing.

Pickles Past

You probably already know (or assume) that Santa has been leaving me pickles for many years now. It began with a gallon jar of pickles under the tree, and then a case of Van Holten’s in my “stocking” and eventually advanced to having a box of McClure’s pickles shipped from Brooklyn to Mississippi. Yes, Santa know’s me well, but seriously, any scrooge or elf or baby Jesus knows I LOVE PICKLES.

Pickles Present
So let’s hope Santa is quick enough to realize I’ve moved and that I have a few new pickles I’d like to find in my stocking this year. The first is Brooklyn Brine, a pickle really from my past but one I’m keeping in the present by letting Santa know he can order them online, buy them from Williams-Sonoma or give me a ticket to LGA so I can visit my pickle pal Shamus who makes the most amazing pickled Lavendar Asparagus, Whiskey Sours and Serrano Green beans among many others. Santa can also pick me up a case or two of my new local, “everyday” pickles-Stuarts Cajun Dills-these are spicy spears with a great homemade taste that I wish also came in slices and whole dills because they are so good and really hit my pickle spot.

Pickles Future
I have a whole list of pickles I want to try in the future but for now it’s going to take a Xmas Miracle to get these in my unemployed stocking, but I can say I DO believe in miracles and I might add I’ve been a pretty good girl this year. So here goes:
Tex Critter Pickles-a rootin’ tootin’ version of a Wickle which you know is my pickle CRACK

Rocket Pickles from Blackpowder Foods-hot habanero pickles!

Tru Pickles-how beautiful do these look?

Oh and Santa, I’d also like to mention that McClures Pickles now sell JUGS OF BRINE and I know how much we both like jugs.

Twitt

>UnFancy VS Fancy

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>Last Sunday was the 4th Annual UnFancy Food Show held at The Bell House in Brooklyn and I went to check it out. As I approached the venue I saw a few food vendors outside offering sausages and pizza and made a mental note, but I went ahead to the bar and got straight to Pickle Freak business: my first “official” bloody mary made with McClure’s Pickles Bloody Mary Mix.

I say “official” for 2 reasons. One, I worked for McClures at Pickle Fest a few years ago and it was my duty that day to pour sample shots of their spicy brine mixed with tomato juice. I knocked back many a shot that day which surprised me because there was no booze included and I didn’t even think I liked tomato juice! The second reason is because I’ve never ordered a Bloody Mary from a bar, ever. Well, what can I say? My life has changed FOREVER. It was a spicy meal in a glass with booze! Who needs solid food when you can sip the best meal ever through a straw AND get a buzz? Am I late to the whole idea of Bloody Marys or am I early to the “Drink This, Don’t Eat That, Loose Weight and Maybe Be an Alcoholic Diet”? Well, as the kids say “it’s all good”.

And yes indeed, everything else I had that day was good too. After I sipped my breakfast/lunch I crawled through the super crowded aisles and did some sampling: bacon flavored peanut brittle, beer flavored popcorn, ginger soda, bread and olive oil and my absolute favorite of the whole day, besides the magical Bloody Mary, Sweet and Spicy Beef Jerky from Geralds. Holy cow, I would like to eat a whole cow’s worth of that stuff.

And then I remembered the vendors outdoors…I had worked up a thirst, so I got a raspberry and basil popsicle from People’s Pops while Moto made me a fresh margarhita pizza…and damn, after that I was done. The UnFancy Food Show was definitely a successful event, but I felt like this year’s new location was already outgrown by the event. The vendors were packed in and the aisles were teeming with people, add to that mix live bands, DJ’s and booze and you have a party more than a showcase and that’s why I had to leave before I snapped and yelled at the 400th person to elbow past me, stop, turn around 3 times, and then elbow me again.

The next day I set out for the Fancy Food Show at the Javitz Center in Manhattan. This was my first time to go and its sheer massiveness was a refreshing change from the day before. I could somewhat leisurely wander the aisles and I was able to chat with the vendors at every single booth I stopped by and my first booth to find was Miss Jenny’s Pickles from Kernersville, NC.

I reviewed Miss Jenny’s Pickles a few months back and I was excited to meet my fellow Southern pickle pals so I could thank them for getting me a pass into the show. I found them on the outer fringe of the room and was graciously welcomed. OH how I love Southern Hospitality! Miss Jenny introduced me to her husband and BFF and I introduced her to The Pickle CLub TV and William from “50 Best.com” who is compliling a list of the 50 best pickles (I hope he is using PickleFreak.com as an invaluable resource). I was lucky to have the chance to sample all of their pickles once again, including their new Habanero Bread & Butter Pickles, which I literally ate an entire jar of for supper the next night.

It wasn’t just Miss Jenny and her crew who were super nice that day. I found every vendor who’s booth I wandered into extremely gracious that day. I fell hard for several products from Low Country Produce, especially their spicy pickled garlic and Noel, the owner, couldnt have been nicer. I also met the woman behind Cheriwith Valley Pickles which happen to be the very first “fancy” pickles I got hooked on…$14 a jar at Dean and Deluca, but man….totally worth the price if you can’t make your own! Of course I saw Rick from Rick’s Picks too. He was a little swamped with wheelin’ and dealin’ but he totally took the time to give me a Pickle Person t- shirt, which, of course, I will probably be buried in, so, Thank You Rick! Oh and I got to try his new Sriracha Flavored “Hotties” Pickle-I have an unopened jar with me right now (I’m on a bus to Boston by the way!) that I will eat over this 4th of July weekend! I also met the woman behind Root Cellar Preserves based in Boston and my, was she lovely! I tried her whole line of pickles and it was such an awesome experience-truly like being a kid in a candy store.

I’ll be sharing more with everyone soon on all the old AND new pickle vendors I staggered across that awesome weekend. But I’m due at the beach, so later!

Twitt

>Let’s Catch Up: Summer Edition

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This weekend is the Fancy Food Show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, a place where I actually have no business being, except that pickles are considered FANCY FOOD! But before I head to that on Monday, I’ll be much more at home on Sunday at the UNFANCY FOOD SHOW in Brooklyn!

I attended last year and stocked up on McClures Pickles, Taza Chocolate and homemade Beef Jerky and this year I’m looking forward to hoarding Brooklyn Brine’s Lavendar Asparagus and Serrano Green Beans, which are pretty fancy, actually. Even I’m surprised I like both so much but that should tell you just how seriously good this stuff is. I can eat an entire jar of the asparagus in minutes…

I also hope to get caught up and tell you about some of the GREAT pickles I’ve received in the mail (you know how much I love mail), like the spears, jams and salsas I got from Lani in California all because I answered a question for her (the answer was WHEEL HOUSE PICKLES), the pickles and asparagus I got from a cop in Wisconsin, to the garlicky pickles from Brad Owens in the windy city…these are the pickles that got me reprimanded in a diner…but I’ll tell you all of this later. OH-one last thing - there is an exciting NEW PICKLE from Rick’s Picks that is guaranteed to spice up the summer!

Ok, we’ll chat more later, we have so much to get caught up on!

Twitt

>Available (and you know you want it) at Market

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Last Fourth of July my friend The Swarthy Menace (look at that chest ladies!) was in town and he invited me to a barbecue in Ditmas Park. When The Swarthy Menace invites you somewhere, you just go, but I was already “Ditmas curious” and the idea of grilling out in a yard, with grass, was heavenly to a homesick Southerner. I didn’t want to show up empty handed, so I grabbed a jar of McClure’s Hot and Spicy spears and hit the door. When I got there The Menace introduced me to the host, Tim, and a yard full of lovely people and while they helped themselves to the pickles I brought, I helped myself to the first of many Budweiser Tallboys…Happy Birthday America…

…I slept on the couch that night. Wait, no I didn’t, I slept on the cushions from the couch on the floor. But who cares. Playing croquet for 4 hours (that was just ONE game) and drinking all night with The Menace was worth it. The next day, Tim, our ever patient host, asked me more about the pickles I brought and where they came from, and where the hell I came from, and then eventually kindly called a car to shuttle my pounding head home. I bid farewell to The Swarthy Menace and left Ditmas Park determined to come again. Well, I moved here a few months ago but I’ve yet to make my way back to Tim’s croquet course (I have seen The Swarthy Menace again-this time in swarthy New Orleans)but I did, just last week, receive an email from him. I was expecting an invoice to have those couch cushions cleaned, but instead, Tim wrote to let me know how excited he was to find McClure’s Pickles in our neighborhood. What a pleasant surprise!

That’s right McClure’s Pickles are now available right here in Ditmas Park. Coincidence? Of course. But I’ll still take credit for it anyway. Mimi’s Hummus , on Cortelyou Road has recently expanded to have a small shop next door called Market. I stopped in last week to have a peek at the pickle selection. Not only do they carry McClure’s but also a couple of varieties from Brooklyn Brine (check out their hot new blog). I also spotted some clear quart containers with a handwritten label saying “Mimi’s Pickles” – house-made pickles for just 3 bucks!

So, Tim, I guess this means you don’t have to invite me over again just to get more pickles…but you can if you want to! I might be better behaved without a swarthy influence, but I can’t make any promises.

** And now the New York Times is, once again, finally caught up with Pickle Freak.

Twitt

>Three’s a Charm

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>*Note: This event is just ONE DAY AWAY! Woo HOO!
**Note: All of these pics are from our Pickle Happy Hour back in January at Uncle Vanya’s
***Note: My mom says this first picture looks like 4 green turds. Thanks Mom!

The third pickle party of this still brand new year is just days away and I’m here to lure you there. Here I go:

Pickles


Booze


Pickles and Booze

Need more?
Ok-The Pickle Club and some of New York’s best pickle vendors and fans will gather on Thursday, February 25 in an effort to do OUR part for the aid of earthquake victims in Haiti. All you and I have to do is show up and eat pickles…we can have a nice cocktail and bid on items in a silent auction and eat pickles and have a nice cocktail. Did I mention there will be pickles and booze?

Seriously, please come out. Not only is it a good cause but it’ll be a whole room full of amazing, cool people. Come alone and mingle, bring a date or bring your office after work. It’s for a great cause and you know you want a pickle! I’ll be there eating my weight in pickles (for a good cause!) from Brooklyn Brine, McClure’s, Ricks Picks, Horman’s Best, The Pickle Guys, and Katchkie Farms (Thunder Pickles!) on Thursday, February 25, from 6-10 at the GS Lounge@ Gas Light, 39 West 9th Avenue at 14th Street.

Is it Thursday, February 25th yet?

Twitt

>The Gift of Pickles

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If you’ve been reading Pickle Freak since the beginning, then you may recall that pickles have long been a special part of Xmas for me. It all started with trips to the Hickory Farms store in the mall where I not only longed for the summer sausage but also discovered HOT pickles in a bag. Santa started leaving a case (a mere 12 pickles!) in my “stocking” every year and I would do my best to make them last past Elvis’ birthday (January 8th). I’ve continued to make pickles a part of my Xmas since then and of course, I encourage you all to do the same!

Here are a few ideas:

Ship a case of McClure’s Pickles to your family. They’ll be waiting for you when you get there and you can use the leftover brine for bloody marys and we all know you’ll need it.

If you like to give the impression that you could win Top Chef if you only applied, send your critics any one of the gift packs from Ricks Picks and they’ll believe you (and their mouths will be full). Also, be sure to throw in a jar of Handy Corn for yourself.

If your grandmother collects soaps for the guest bathroom AND just recovered from the swine flu then she would love these.

Here’s a Pickle themed shirt that would make any man, woman or child happy from Horman’s Best Pickles.

I recommend these for traveling, pickle emergencies, and any romantic occasion. Nothing says “be prepared for natural disaster” or “I love you” like pickles in a can.

I’m finally getting my own proper canning equipment for Xmas this year so I can keep my habit going strong, but thankfully in the meantime, I have Hot Heirloom Cukes from Brooklyn Brine.

Merry Xmas everyone!

Twitt

>Sampled

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>Pickle Day (yep, STILL talkin’ about it!) is all about the samples and there were so many great vendors at Pickle Day this year I didn’t even get to check them ALL out.

I was pleased to be stationed all day right next to my faves, McClures Pickles,where the line for pickles and samples went on forever. I didn’t linger around the free samples and pretend like I’d never had their pickles before, well, because they know me too well, but I DID get to meet Daddy McClure this year and that was a real treat. It was an honor to meet him and he couldn’t have been nicer and more proud of how far his 2 sons, Joe and Bob, have taken the family recipe. I walked away with a jar of pickles, a t-shirt and a fantasy of a soap opera worthy plot to fake DNA samples to prove I’m a long lost McClure daughter…and I’m hoping that next year I’ll meet my real mother at the festival.

I didn’t have to even ASK Rick Field of Rick’s Picks for a lock of hair to prove our kinship, he just came right on over to my tent like family…we posed for family portraits with the big pickle but damn if my camera didn’t get stolen. Rick was being generous that day with other samples, pickle related samples, as well-he had fried smokra and Handy Corn quesadillas. I haven’t officially talked about Handy Corn yet, but oooooh lordy, is it good. It’s a delicious corn relish with a pickle twang that drives me wild! I’m really sorry that I missed out on those samples, but it feels good to use a little restraint every once in awhile…I guess…

One area where I did NOT use any restraint was at the Brooklyn Brine table. I’d only become aware of these new local picklers a couple of weeks before the big day and I’d just gotten my first jar a few days before. I started with a jar of their Hot Heirloom Cucumbers and was immediately smitten. When I ate one of the peppers from the jar and had to lay down for 20 minutes afterwards, I knew, I was in looooove. I made my way down the table of samples and tried to keep my cool. I failed. Brooklyn Brine is a brand new pickle company that uses all organic, local produce and is producing an amazing line of products that changes all the time. I hear from a well connected source that their latest whiskey barrel cured sours are ready and I can’t wait to try them! I’ll be writing more about these guys for sure and am really excited for me…I mean them.

Twitt

>Getting Pickled

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I’m no stranger to a pickle cocktail, in fact, if you call slurping pickle juice right out of the jar a “cocktail” then I’m having one right now!

But there are many ways to add a party to your pickle jar or just a pickle to your party.

Above is my standard, the classic Pickle Martini. I prefer McClure’s Spicy Pickle Juice to really dirty up my martini. Since it’s pretty common for me to have a jar on me, I just hand it over to my bartender and let them do the rest. This one was made by the lovely Rebecca at Teddy’s in Williamsburg, which is conveniently located near The Bedford Cheese Shop where I stock up on pickles.

Below is a new discovery-the Cucumber Margarita. Over brunch at Alma, the much adored Mexican restaurant on Columbia Street, the cocktail menu was too enticing to pass up. I went with the Pineapple Vanilla Margarita and Charles had the Cucumber Margarita. It was cool and refreshing just like you’d imagine (and exactly how it LOOKS) but also had a slightly spicy kick due to a dash of homemade habanero sauce.

Is there a full fledged pickle margarita out there somewhere? Perhaps I need to infuse a bottle of tequila with a few spicy McClures and get to it myself! Regardless, there are plenty of ways to make getting pickled more pickled.

Pickle juice is great in martinis and bloody marys and I’ve even been known to “add a dash” of pickle juice to my beer. I find the spicy brine compliments most of the alcohol I’m drinking! So whether its a cocktail (pickle martini, margarita), a shot (The Delta), an eye opener (Bloody Mary), a dash (Wickles juice in your beer!) or just a slurp from the jar, I’m gettin’ pickled one way or the other!

Twitt

>Fine Print (Details)

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My friend David in Memphis sent me this article from Details Magazine today. I know it’s a little hard to read and I spent about 2 minutes online trying to find the link but I gave up. So let me just read the fine print for you.

First of all it declares that “Pickling, once used to make fruits and vegetables last through barren winters, has officially gone from homespun necessity to highbrow obsession.”

That’s right, HIGHBROW. So if making pickles is now a highbrow obsession, what does that make talking about a highbrow obsession? I guess I just went from “crazy” to “passionate”.

To the left is a list of the best jarred varieties of cucumbers, green beans, carrots, etc. Congrats to MY FAVES McClure’s Pickles for best pickled cucumbers and to all the others as well, Rick’s Picks, Wheelhouse Pickles and Real Pickles, all of which are linked to right here on Pickle Freak…except for a new one to me, Tillen Farms. I checked them out and while they don’t have a straightforward pickle variety they DO offer pickled sweet bell peppers…ummmmm…highbrow!

Twitt