476109 Fri Jan 04 10:45:29 -0800 2008 62 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 3260969 What do you think is the best widely available dill pickles available? I currently have a jar of Vlassic dill spears in my refrigerator. They're not bad, but nothing to write home about. What do you prefer? Fri Jan 04 10:45:29 -0800 2008 12002 Reddyrat 1 3261105 Don Hermann garlic dills from NE Ohio. They're in some of the local grocery stores around here but I think you can find a website to order them directly from the pickle farm. Lots of people I know buy them by the BARREL. I don't know anyone who doesn't like them -- in fact, I think it's pretty much acknowledged that they are the best pickles in the universe. The kosher dills are good, too, but the garlic dills actually sizzle on your tongue. Fri Jan 04 11:22:56 -0800 2008 3260969 154635 sweetlikesugar 2 3262707 Sweetlikesugar, I live in NE-Ohio (Wooster area) and I have never heard of Don Hermann pickles, but Id love to try them. Are they available at a local chain grocery or a specialty retailer? I love Tony Packo's pickle and pepper mix. Fri Jan 04 19:14:26 -0800 2008 3261105 22220 Kelli2006 1 3261127 I like the Vlasic Zesty dill spears. They have a nice tang. My favorites, that are easy to find, are Claussen's Hearty Garlic Dill pickles. I like the sliced ones for sandwiches. The best are homemade, but you can't get that in a store! Fri Jan 04 11:27:54 -0800 2008 3260969 80937 danhole 2 3616608 My local Randall's has apparently stopped carrying Claussen's Hearty Garlic sandwich slices. Where are you finding them? Mon Apr 21 16:59:28 -0700 2008 3261127 134950 fat boy in austin 1 3261801 We just bought a good jar of Nathan's Kosher Spears which are pretty widely available in the Boston area and perhaps the East coast. Fri Jan 04 14:05:04 -0800 2008 3260969 11146 EllenMM 2 3269203 Agreed, and their half sours are great too. I even prefer them to the much lauded BaTampte. Mon Jan 07 08:03:44 -0800 2008 3261801 14386 BobB 3 3324270 But were they actually green? I find that BaTampte (my beloved childhood favorite) half-sours are never quite right when purchased outside of the NYC area... they can't sit too long or else they're not so hot. If they're dark green then they're no good. Bright green = jackpot pickle heaven. Wed Jan 23 09:59:20 -0800 2008 3269203 63462 missfunkysoul 1 3262423 I can't say that I've ever really had a jarred pickle that I thought was as good as one I'd have in my favoite Jewish Deli. I like fairly 'old' dills, which just don't seem to translate well to jars. Maybe the closest thing I've found is the Bubbie's brand. Not sure how nationally they're distributed. They also make sour tomatoes..... another one of my deli vices...... that seem closer to the 'real thing' than their pickles. There's also Batampte brand...... also pretty good for jarred. Fri Jan 04 17:19:47 -0800 2008 3260969 11405 Midlife 1 3262441 I don't know if they're nationally distributed, but Clausen's are really good. Fri Jan 04 17:25:30 -0800 2008 3260969 11980 MikeG 2 3291880 I second Clausen's - Clausen's kosher dills - crisp, sour and garlicy! Sun Jan 13 17:47:18 -0800 2008 3262441 16224 jackiecat 3 3475021 Yes, without running all over town Clausen's are pretty hard to beat! Sun Mar 09 10:23:41 -0700 2008 3291880 12130 malibumike 1 3262449 BaTampte half sours are the best (in my opinion) pickle I've had. Fri Jan 04 17:28:03 -0800 2008 3260969 11964 hotdoglover 2 3262570 Trader Joe's half sours are the best pickles for me, if I cant get a real Jewish deli one. They also please my Russian husband who does not like vinegary pickles. My other favorite pickle is a more pedestrian one, the Fred Meyer brand HOT bread and butter pickle! i cant eat tuna salad without them. Fri Jan 04 18:12:11 -0800 2008 3262449 81467 elainelena 3 3268021 I second the TJ's half sours for pickles in jars and fairly easy to find. The best pickle I have ever had was at a Jewish Deli in Florida. I still remember the taste and smell of that pickle .... pure bliss. I've not been able to replicate that experience yet but am still trying. Sun Jan 06 18:09:27 -0800 2008 3262570 15678 eartha 2 3270256 I'll second BaTampte half sours. I grew up in South Florida with many jewish delis in the area. While those were better, the BaTampte are a close second. Mon Jan 07 12:18:27 -0800 2008 3262449 108111 gatorfoodie 1 3267927 Love Bubbie's!! Sun Jan 06 17:37:02 -0800 2008 3260969 115579 Mother of four 1 3268036 Similar (though not identical) pickle question that might be interesting to you: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/468968 ~TDQ Sun Jan 06 18:17:49 -0800 2008 3260969 12005 The Dairy Queen 2 3268510 Best ones in North America: http://www.alvalgourmet.com/contact.html Sun Jan 06 21:43:43 -0800 2008 3268036 19117 Pollo 1 3269901 after moving from MN to California (where there are no good pickles, IMO) I found I really missed Gedney, the Minnesota Pickle. You can't go wrong with any of their regular pickles but if you want a real treat go for the Zingers - spicy dills. Mon Jan 07 11:00:22 -0800 2008 3260969 149048 babaoriley7 2 3321690 Being from Minnesota, With Zingers you can't go wrong if you're looking for a spicy pickle! http://www.gedneypickle.com/index.cfm/go/main.home Tue Jan 22 14:24:29 -0800 2008 3269901 122010 mikemcg62 3 3323264 That website reminded me of a local place here in Northern NJ called Pickle Licious (at first I thought it was linked on the site, but that is for a different Picklelicious). Anyway, a google search finds that they also do mail order, and their Spicy pickles are just insanely good (as are their other products)- the spiciness seems to be embedded in their DNA, and they are also nicely crisp and sour. Very recommended. http://shop.picklelicious.com/xship/home.php?cat=6 Wed Jan 23 04:35:04 -0800 2008 3321690 12713 TongoRad 2 3616749 the zingers are good. dh (the pickle fiend's) current fave is the gedney state fair hot bread and butter (nita schemmel's recipe), available locally. they are sweet and hot and addictive, and so good that he'll get up in the middle of the night for pickles, and i wake up and bust him with pickle breath, and the whole thing is just silly. sometimes we go through two 24oz jars in a week. Mon Apr 21 17:45:04 -0700 2008 3269901 46030 soupkitten 1 3270103 I like the Vlasic Kosher....grew up on them. But lately I've been devouring bottle after bottle of Roland Cornichons. It's actually kind of disturbing. Mon Jan 07 11:43:24 -0800 2008 3260969 82143 amanda3571 1 3270688 I also love Bubbies - lovely, sour, zingy pickles. But my all-time faves are full sours from Strub's, a family pickle producing company from Eastern Canada. Alas, here in Canada, we have slim pickings for pickles - no good loval deli made pickles, at least that I've found. When I first heard about whole STORES of nothing but pickles in New York (and other enlightened places) I was incredulous and immediately wanted to move. Mon Jan 07 13:43:19 -0800 2008 3260969 83022 MrsCris 1 3278506 Wickles!!! Learned about these from a Chowhound post a year ago. Thick, sweet, and spicy. MMMM good!!! Wed Jan 09 14:18:53 -0800 2008 3260969 20762 Phoebe 2 3316391 I second Wickles for sweet pickles! Mon Jan 21 07:27:26 -0800 2008 3278506 44363 sheilal 1 3291312 I was pleasantly surprised by the Dill Pickles at Trader Joe's, which is all over the place these days. Just like Granny used to can! And no preservatives! Also the Garlic Marinated Mushrooms there are AWESOME! Sun Jan 13 14:17:43 -0800 2008 3260969 122010 mikemcg62 2 3292137 totally agree w/ the dill pickles at TJ's...they're not that gross yellow color that most commercial pickles are. but i didn't mind the yellow color when i bought some nalley chili pepper petites...crispy and spicy. Sun Jan 13 19:27:35 -0800 2008 3291312 56183 soypower 3 3474648 Great, I read this the day after my trip to Trader Joe's. Now I need to wait a week. Poo! Sun Mar 09 07:24:40 -0700 2008 3292137 166570 nliedel 1 3292368 Another vote for half-sours and Batampte are the only ones available around here that I can find. I've had some that were a little off however and I read somewhere, perhaps here on CH, that can happen. Then I found it is really easy to make your own half-sours and I haven't bought any Batampte in months (haven't made any in some time either since the pickling cukes in the stores haven't looked very good. I kind of OD'd on them for a while, anyway). It takes a little time and care - they will really get nasty very quickly if you don't screw the lid on the jars in which you ferment them tight - and a little experience to find the right length of time to let them ferment before putting them in the fridge, but it's worth it. I got to where my pickles regularly were better than Batampte in my ever so humble opinion and a heck of a lot cheaper. There are lots of recipes on line. In addition to the pickling spices, dill, garlic and Kosher salt, I liked to add a wedge of a sweet onion like Texas 1015 to the brine. Sun Jan 13 21:08:19 -0800 2008 3260969 24422 brucesw 2 3473325 Dear Brucesw, PLEASE share your pickle recipe! Please! Sat Mar 08 14:00:58 -0800 2008 3292368 173046 granda11 1 3292628 I can't seem to get enough of Krakus dill pickles. Also, I love BaTampte, especially the tomatoes, though. I miss my pickled tomatoes. Mon Jan 14 01:16:22 -0800 2008 3260969 16734 Lizard 2 3295375 YUMMM! Pickled green tomatoes and pickled watermelon rind too! Mon Jan 14 17:05:21 -0800 2008 3292628 16224 jackiecat 3 3315209 I've often wondered what watermelon rind tastes like. I'm not much of a fan of pickled tomatoes though if the tastes are at all similar. What isa pickled watermelon rind like? Sun Jan 20 17:13:12 -0800 2008 3295375 73756 enbell 4 3315800 It tastes like a sweet pickle with a mushy texture. I just tried it for the first time at Thanksgiving. That was enough for me. Sun Jan 20 21:30:28 -0800 2008 3315209 82143 amanda3571 5 3317263 Thanks - based on that I think I'll pass. I appreciate you doing the dirty work for me :) Mon Jan 21 11:44:54 -0800 2008 3315800 73756 enbell 5 3478115 You didn't have a good watermelon rind pickle. The ones my mom made were never mushy, but rather nice and crisp, especially right out of the fridge so they're ice cold. Mon Mar 10 10:43:34 -0700 2008 3315800 11067 Liana Krissoff 6 3478846 on the beach in virginia, we keep homemade watermelon rind pickles in our coolers in summertime. it is one of my favourite summertime snacks. as liana krissoff says, they are crisp. v.v. good cold and absolutely delish. and depending on who makes them, they usually have a little bit of bite or spiciness. yum. Mon Mar 10 13:40:11 -0700 2008 3478115 52834 tinymango 1 3296036 Strub's. I crave them if I'm away from them for long: http://www.strubpickles.com/ Mon Jan 14 20:51:43 -0800 2008 3260969 63925 thought_for_food 1 3296079 Mrs Elswoods are the best, the sweet and sours, and the haimische. Sadly never seen in the usa but if you have anyone visiting from England .... Mon Jan 14 21:16:40 -0800 2008 3260969 22559 smartie 1 3315114 Bubbie's in the refrigerator aisle. And they are kosher :) Sun Jan 20 16:34:16 -0800 2008 3260969 114057 bubblet4me 1 3315218 Yes to TJ's and Claussen. Add to that the Back to Nature brand. Sun Jan 20 17:15:39 -0800 2008 3260969 73756 enbell 1 3315314 I don't think anyone has mentioned my favorite. Claussen! Numero uno! Sun Jan 20 18:01:09 -0800 2008 3260969 141261 crt 2 3320507 Anyone know if Bubbie's or Wickles (love that name, Wickles Pickles!) are sold in Ohio? I've never heard of either. Tue Jan 22 10:05:35 -0800 2008 3315314 21203 jackrugby 3 3320572 Wickles are local to Alabama, so I'm not sure if they are distributed in Ohio. Like most consumer goods, they can be purchased on-line. http://www.wicklespickles.com Tue Jan 22 10:19:29 -0800 2008 3320507 44363 sheilal 1 3322441 For a classic kosher dill, I'm a Nathan's fan all the way, but I also lived in SE Ohio for a few years and developed a fierce love for Frog Ranch, a tiny local company out of teeny-tiny Glouster OH. Their spicy peppered pickle chunks are killer. Check it out. http://frogranch.com/products/product_info.php/products_id/37osCsid=091063ae3fcc0939675ecbad79f86a11 Tue Jan 22 18:12:03 -0800 2008 3260969 114415 LeslieB 1 3474614 Even though the OP asked for dill pickles, many have responded with the BaTempte half-sours. They are a different animal. BaTempte makes a Garlic Dill which is as good as it gets - the only warning being that BaTempte seems to have a problem sealing their jars properly so it's possible to be disappointed with them. Sun Mar 09 07:11:58 -0700 2008 3260969 10156 Steve 1 3474673 BaTemtpe Garlic pickles are indeed excellent but the best pickles in the world are Montreal sour pickles from Schwartz' Deli in Montreal. http://www.schwartzsdeli.com/index_eng.html is the link to its website where you can buy them by the half gallon or gallon and have them shipped to you. This website: http://feastinginphoenix.com/?p=271 has photos of them along with Schwartz' smoked meat and french fries. Montreal steak seasoning, by the way, was invented here. If anyone has a Harris Teeter near them Dietz and Watson sour barrel pickles are the best I've found in stores. For what it's worth Bubbie's (sold by Whole Foods), prominently mentioned throughout this thread as well as Strub's (sold by Wegman's) and Trader Joe's are ALL Canadian pickles. Mrs. Whyte's is a Montreal area company that, I think, sells a superior pickle to both Bubbie's and Straub's. http://www.whytes.ca/mrsWhytes/pickles.aspx Their best pickle is the "full brine" dill. I am not certain but I believe that Mrs. Whyte is the company that supplies Schwartz. Guss' in Manhattan are the legendary New York deli pickles but I personally prefer Schwartz's. You can also order directly from Guss and have them shipped to you: http://www.gusspickle.com/ This is a particular noteworthy Chowhound thread on the best pickles: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/257448 Wickles are sold regionally by Harris Teeter as are Tony Packo's. Sun Mar 09 07:35:21 -0700 2008 3260969 12689 Joe H 2 3645167 Mrs. Whyte's kosher dills can be hard to find, but are the very best. I occasionally can find the gallon jar at a local market and a series of them has been resident in my refrigerator for the last couple of years. Sometimes the extra-large ones can be found sold individually in deli cases as well. Wed Apr 30 18:49:21 -0700 2008 3474673 12103 Greg B 1 3475510 i am a fan of rick's picks. and though it is not pickles, i especially love the "phat beets" tee hee. Sun Mar 09 13:42:06 -0700 2008 3260969 52834 tinymango 1 3478086 Tony Packo's. I can eat jars of their Really Chunky Garlic Dills and Pickles and Peppers in one sitting if I let myself. Mon Mar 10 10:36:58 -0700 2008 3260969 111207 rweater 1 3537037 Last week bought a jar of TJ's Organic Kosher Sandwich Pickles 'Fresh Pack'. Cut thinner than Claussen's sandwich pickles...and well because of that, they beat out Claussens. Great on a sandwich. Great on their own as a snack. Can't refuse eating one or two while making a sandwich! Fri Mar 28 09:52:00 -0700 2008 3260969 141261 crt 1 3618326 Vlassic is actually a pretty good brand. I think the style is more important. I like kosher pickles but really prefer the baby whole pickles, but not the real tiny ones that Vlassic makes these days. I dont like most presliced pickles or quartered pickles, too soft and briny. I did like the Stackers for sandwiches, These are the lengthwise slices. Tue Apr 22 08:13:14 -0700 2008 3260969 169309 chassroc 1 3619109 i'm fond of mt.olive pickles.i was surprised to see no mention of them. http://www.mtolivepickles.com/Home.html Tue Apr 22 11:22:43 -0700 2008 3260969 173151 davmar77 2 3645928 Vlassic pickles usually but since on a restricted diet I make my own salt free bread and butter that are to die for!! Thu May 01 05:02:26 -0700 2008 3619109 180068 Smileelisa 3 3646414 salt-free b&b? could we coax you to post a recipe? i'd love to try them! Thu May 01 08:32:50 -0700 2008 3645928 46030 soupkitten 2 3653837 Sorry, but Mt.Olive are the worst of the worst. All things Vlasic and Claussen are also inedible to me, but still not thoroughly awful. Have you tried Ba-Tempte Garlic Dills? Not easy to find in all areas, but I don't think you'll be pleased with Mt. Olive after you try them. Sat May 03 16:07:58 -0700 2008 3619109 10156 Steve 3 3654018 I prefer the Ba-Tampte half sours. I haven't tried Mt. Olive except for the kosher dill slices made to top hamburgers. Five Guys hamburger restaurants use them and they are delicious. Sat May 03 17:42:23 -0700 2008 3653837 11964 hotdoglover 1 3647426 I LOVE Moon Brine brand- http://moonbrine.com/ The liquid is really good, i add it to bloody marys. Thu May 01 12:32:59 -0700 2008 3260969 158016 cassoulady 1 3655301 Ba Tempte and Trader Joe's half sours are great. I think the best processed pickles around are Heinz kosher dills. They have about double the garlic of Vlasic, Mt Olive, etc. and I think they're the only pickles that use black peppercorns for flavoring that gives them a unique taste. They were very hard to find in Michigan until I found them at Menards. (just the place for groceries!) Sun May 04 11:11:48 -0700 2008 3260969 145651 Goldendog 1 5162212 My wife is the pickle fan. Up to last week 3 jars weekly of Batempte Garlic Dills were perfect for her, except as has been said the tendency for the jar to leak. NOW they are new jars, no leaks and no garlic. Not sure how they make garlic pickles without any garlic in the jar. They removed the leaking problem and removed the taste from the pickle. Now she must locate another pickle. Any ideas? Fri Nov 06 15:42:30 -0800 2009 3260969 1122373 Lucky351 1 5162522 Not sure how available they are outside of Texas, but Del Dixie sour dills are my fave. Then again, I've not had very many pickles I didn't like as long as they don't taste too watered down. Fri Nov 06 19:01:32 -0800 2009 3260969 253542 cycloneillini