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?

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….

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!