1st Annual Pickle Palooza in NYC

On Sunday, September 30 be sure to check out the 1st Annual Pickle Palooza at Greenwich Village Country Club. Tickets are sort of high, $30, so there better be a palooza-load of pickles there for eating! According to this article from Gothamist, there will also be lots of PBR and pickle back shots, so it’s actually a good deal since you can barely get a single can of PBR in the city for less than $5.

Oh and my pals Brooklyn Brine and Horman’s Best will be there, so go and check them out and give them a big hug from ME! Pickles and Booze. Amen!

 

Pickle Palooza Poster!

 

Twitt

Pickle Candy!

Sack full o’ pickle candy!

Ever since the 2nd grade, when our teacher announced we would exchange letters with pen pals in New Mexico, I have loved getting mail. I mean, I LOVE it…so getting pickle stuff in the mail on a pretty regular basis is probably my main reason for living, and of course, eating the stuff that comes in the mail…and blogging about it.

My most recent surprise pickle mail was this pretty little bag of pickle candies that are a direct result of the awesome job I have. I manage a co-working space in NOLA called Launch Pad, which means we provide professional work space for freelancers, startups, independent/young businesses etc. It’s a really fun mix of people, who are doing their own thing and following their passions. Last October we hosted a lovely writer from Brooklyn who was in NOLA for a month to soak up as much art, music, food and culture as she and her husband could while he also had his own show at a local art gallery. While she was working from Launch Pad that month we talked about blogging, Brooklyn and pickles and found it hilarious that she had once interviewed and written about my favorite pickling brothers, Bob & Joe McClure!

Colleen is one of those special people that sends handwritten thank you notes, that I try to be more like (and am failing, big time), but never would I have suspected she’d FIND and SEND me a bag of pickle shaped candies! Once I calmed down from the excitement, I had to find her on Facebook and ask her where in the F did she find these!?

Here: Sugar Shop-in Brooklyn (of course). You can’t order these online, but I have a hunch that if you called them up, they would pack up as many of these babies as you need and mail them to you too. The candy is NOT pickle flavored (sad face) but something more like green apple flavored and it’s somewhere between hard candy and gum…sort of like a hollow, pickle shaped, chewy sweettart (smiley face).

There ARE other pickle candies out there. I have a tin of Pickle Mints that I also received in the mail from my most favorite band of all time, The Wedding Present, and I know that there are pickle flavored gum-balls available (I’ve never had them but I can’t explain to you how excited pickle flavored gum gets me-no, I really can’t explain it)

Pickle GumBalls

AND I have come across a bucket of Haribo Gummy Pickles…if you know me well, you know that I have a very serious Haribo gummy addiction and if I find out you’re going to Europe I will INSIST that you bring me back Haribo gummies because the ones made over there are SO MUCH BETTER than the ones made here (typical). I’ve never ordered the Haribo Saure Gurken mainly because they aren’t pickle flavored…but hey, if you’re going to Europe and you see some….pick  me up a bucket? Colleen-any plans to go to Europe soon?

Haribo Saure Gurken-I think they could do better…

 

 

 

 

Twitt

Epic Pickles

Epic Trio-Garlic Dills, Spicy String Beans, Hot Dills

It’s been awhile since I received a hefty box of goods from the guys at Epic Pickles full of what you see above: their Garlic Dills, Hot Dills and Spicy String Beans, which means I don’t have any of them left, except for the one jar I decided to leave in the fridge where I work. This is only because my desk is in an open work area and I feel the need to shield my colleagues from the sight that would be, left to my own devices, me eating pickles ALL. THE. TIME.

So anyway, as I unpacked the box (at work) the first thing I exclaimed was “Oh, how  handsome are these pickles!?” and then after ooohing and ahhhhing over them I realized that they really reminded me of one of my first and still VERY strong pickle crushes — McClure’s Pickles. Look at those labels. Everyone (that pays attention) knows that I have a crush almost as big on the McClure’s label as I do the pickles (and relish and bloody mary mix). I’ve urged them to have sheets, pillow cases and sleeping bags made with their label on them. How luxurious, and oh-so-seductive, would it be to sleep encased in McClure’s packaging? EXTREMELY. Do you wonder why I’m still single?

A side by side comparison shot taken in my fridge.

Ok, Ok, back to the pickles. So the labels are very similar but hold on Epic Pickles, I’m not THAT EASY! Just because you look like McClure’s doesn’t mean you can just jump in to my pickle sheets! I took home the Spicy Dills and the Spicy String Beans and slapped ‘em in the fridge for as long as I could stand it. I tried the string beans first, just so I could try something totally different since McClure’s has never made a pickled green bean…yet. I’m happy to report that the Epic Spicy String Beans are FANTASTIC-undoubtedly my favorite pickled green bean that I’ve ever had (my 2nd place winner would be Stuarts Cajun String Beans made locally). The flavor is very strong and spicy, ROBUST I think is the perfect word to use here but the best thing about these beans is how gigantic they are! Size does matter for the sometimes poor and skinny string bean.

The robust flavor of the string beans is reproduced in the Spicy Dills. My jar of pickle spears had a nice bedding of about 2 inches of spices and crushed red pepper which gave them a nice red tinge, always a good sign in my opinion. I have to say that there is really no comparison in the flavor of these pickles to McClure’s Pickles except that they are both of exceptional quality. McClure’s Pickles have a bright, tart, vinegary crunch to them and the heat is clean and pure while Epic Pickles have a more seasoned, spiced taste to them, with a heat that builds with every bite. Perhaps, of the 3 varieties that I tried, the Garlic Dills (which are actually my favorite) could be most closely associated with McClure’s but I’m confident that anyone could tell the difference between the two in a blind taste test, and love them both and I’d like to sign up for one of those just to prove it….

Mmmmms….Epic Garlic Dills

The guys in York, PA making Epic Pickles totally have my attention and I cannot wait to get my hands on more and see what other great Epic flavors they are cooking up. I like to think that the similarity of the labels was a cheap ploy just to get my attention, that totally worked, but I’m even more in love now that they’ve recently undergone a sexy new makeover. Welcome to my list of pickles to stalk Epic Pickles! 

Yeah, That’s Good Lookin’

 

 

 

 

 

Twitt

The Good Food Awards-Deadline to Enter is AUG 31

Good Food Awards Call for Entries 2013

Hey Pickle People-click the link above and check out the requirements for entering YOUR delicious pickles into the Good Food Awards. The deadline is August 31 and your’s truly is on the Pickle Committee!

This does not mean I’m a judge and picking any winners so any sweet talkin’ will only win you my love and not a Good Food Award. You have to enter for that, so do it now!

 

Twitt

Mexican Pickles

9 years ago I traveled to Mexico with my friend Randy. It was my first time out of the country,  I’d never lived outside of Mississippi even. Last week I returned to the same place in Mexico with the same friend but this time I felt a lot different…because, you know, I’m WORLDLY now. Joining Randy and I this time was one of my former roommates from my Brooklyn days, Maggie. Hurricane Ernesto threatened our beach time, so we three headed to the market to stock up on supplies-tequila, some food and for me, pickles.

I’ve swallowed pills bigger than this.

Oh good, they’re KOSHER!

Everyone survived Ernesto, except for those tiny pickles. I polished off that jar from breakfast one day in about 3 minutes. The spears were left behind in our fridge for the next guests. They were soft and mushy and tasted very artificial, like they were just cucumbers wearing a store-bought pickle costume. Mexico excels in many, many areas but not in the pickle world. Besides all of the delicious food, the beautiful people and the landscape, my personal highlight of the trip was a delicious and SPICY microbrew beer simply called Chili Beer.

So spicy, you’ll need another beer.

I can’t remember if I ate the chili when I was done with the beer…so let’s just say I did. Por que no?

Twitt

Pickling Class at Merchant

Zach & Jim teach us some pickling basics.


A few weeks ago I attended a pickling class held at Merchant-a lovely local coffee and crepe shop in the CBD (central business district) of New Orleans. The class was a very charming balance of information and exploration and most important of all, I walked away with a small jar of the best pickles I have ever had in my life. EVER.

Taught by Zach, formerly of Cochon, and Jim, currently a grower of micro greens for all the best chefs in NOLA, we had a gorgeous spread of local vegetables from Holly Grove to grab and prep for our own jars.

A beautiful bounty of local veggies & fruit for pickling!

While Jim gave us all a few pickling tips and answered any questions we had, we were also able to snack on cheese, sip wine and sample a few pickled things prepared beforehand. I tried pickled blueberries for the first time and LOVED them. That was my first taste of the delicious brine that we would be using in the glass. Jim had prepared a large pot of the brine and even had some set aside for shots. I couldn’t control myself.

Shot glasses ready & waiting for a spicy shot of brine.

A shot glass just wasn’t big enough for me.

 

I fell in love with that brine people. Trust me, it was amazing. I ate as many pickled peppers that were sitting around as possible without making a scene too. Jim didn’t tell us exactly how he made the brine but he did mention a few things I’d never done before. 1) was the fact that he treats his brine more like a stock. He creates lots of flavors in the brine and brings it all to a slow simmer and then strains it. This allows him to infuse the brine with the flavors rather than just throwing your spices in the jar along with your veggies. 2) he mentioned he’d added a little touch of bloody mary mix to his brine which is what gives it that beautiful hint of red to the coloring of the brine.

My jar of packed veggies for pickling!

 

I still packed plenty of spices and flavors in to my jar though. I used sliced cucumbers, heirloom eggplant, carrots, garlic, thyme, greenbeans and of course, hot peppers, and man, where they HOT. I think this tiny jar of pickles pleased me so much because of the quality of the ingredients, that amazing brine and of course, those spicy peppers.

I waited over one whole week before opening the jar which goes to show I’m learning something called “self control” but once I opened the jar, the real battle of the will began. I almost offed the whole thing in one sitting and of course was drinking the juice, when a tiny voice said, “Katy…WAIT, if you save some of the brine you can add more vegetables to the brine and stretch it out a bit more!!!!” So that is the plan…until the next class at Merchant.

One of the guys at Merchant said they hoped to hold more classes there in the evenings and if they do, no matter what they are teaching. I advise you to go. The space is gorgeous and the quality couldn’t be better!

 

 

Twitt

Cheers to the New Pickle Freak Site!

Pickling brine from Pickling Class held at Merchant, New Orleans.

Hi Everyone,

A quick post to let you know that lots of exciting changes are taking place behind the scenes at www.picklefreak.com!

I’ve got lots to learn but as soon as I’ve mastered a few tricks there will be lots of new content up on the site, so stay tuned!

Twitt

>Gordy’s Pickle Jar: Pickle of the Month-February

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Well hello and Happy Mardi Gras everyone!!

It’s practically the end of February and here I am just getting around to telling you about my February Pickle of the Month-Gordy’s Pickle Jar Hot Chili Spears! Why? Because I’ve been busy going to parades, dancing in the streets, wear wigs, making costumes, eating lots of jello-shots and oh yeah, having the time of my LIFE! You should try it sometime.

It’s the busiest time of year here in New Orleans which leaves me little time to “cook”. I’ve taken to calling the simple task of filling my ice trays with water “cooking” because it’s about all I’ve done in my kitchen lately (I’ve gotta have ice for my re-hydration needs on Sundays). Ice and pickles-that pretty much sums up the contents of my fridge these days (or any day) and I’m happy to have one more jar of these guys left in there, especially since pickle juice is such a great help for hangovers and quick hydration!

My new year’s resolution was to order and try a new type of pickle a month and share my finds with you guys. Gordy’s Pickles are from Washington DC and have a classic kosher pickle flavor with a nice blend of spices, although as usual, if they made an “extra spicy” version that would be very welcomed in my opinion. The packaging is very appealing and I think it’s safe to say these guys are holding down the fort in the artisan pickle world of DC.

OK people, I’m off to the Mardi Gras-afterwards I’m gonna need all the ice, pickles and pickle juice my fridge can hold!

Twitt

>Lazy People Don’t Like to Be Busy

>…BUT that’s been my reality. This is the last time I’ll go “on and on” about how busy I am because, well, I’m sure you don’t believe me anyway.

I’ve got so much pickle STUFF to tell you about and I want to do another Pickle Xmas Wish List to show a tally of how much I would end up spending if I bought them all. The price will be STAGGERING I tell ya! I’m also working on my pickle new year resolutions and one will definitely be to order a new jar (or old favorite) of pickles every month.

I gotta go. Pickles need eating.

Katy

Twitt