pickles

Issue #10

June 2002

Sour Pickles rule! by The Beloved Pickle Maven (Not his real name) On my way home from PS 82, I would detour down Featherbed Lane to the pickle store, where a nickle would, indeed, get me a sour pickle.

In those days, there was clearly a season for sour pickles. First the half-sours would arrive in the barrels - bright green. I never liked them. Then the sour pickles, a dull, translucent green would show up. Quality would vary (as it should with products not precision machined in factories), but that's OK. Some years were better than others, just like wine.

When I moved west, I discovered that the outlanders didn't know from sour pickles. The pickles shown me reeked of vinegar! Feh! Ptui! Real sour pickles are brine pickles, and I believe, are made sour by lactic acid bacteria, not vinegar (Ptui!).

A few years ago, I came upon an amazing find in my local supermarket - a jar of dull green pickles, cured only in brine! It was my first exposure to Bubbi's. I tried them, I liked them. It was like emerging from the wilderness. More recently I discovered that Trader Joe's had their own brand of sour pickles (mislabeled 'Kosher Dills' in my book), so it was time to do a taste test. I bought one jar of each , and after allowing them to cool in the refrigerator overnight, took the plunge.

The Bubbi's pickles were a bit larger than Trader Joe's, and had that characteristic dull green color . Both brands were salty and garlicky, and about equally firm and crunchy. To my taste, Bubbies had an edge - a bit sourer, and a bit more tang due to the greater quantity of red pepper in the mix, As tasting went on the Trader Joe's seemed to lose steam, while Bubbies retained their strength.

Although Bubbi's were more expensive, due in part to getting them at a yuppie supermarket, to me they were worth it. Safeway used to carry them at around $4 per jar, but don't anymore for reasons never explained. The Trader Joe's were certainly satisfactory (my wife preferred them). Now, if I could only find a decent pastrami sandwich ....

Statistics:

Trader Joe's Kosher Dill Pickles - Rated B+

Net 33.8 Fl Oz (1 Ltr). Approx drained wt 21 Oz (1lb 5 oz) 600g.
Ingredients:
Cucumbers, water, salt, spices, garlic, dill, Calcium Chloride
Product of Canada
Serving size 1 oz / 28 g (about 1 pickle) about 20 Per container
Sodium 10% (230 mg)
calcium 2%
calories 0
Trader Joe's - $2.49

Bubbies Pure Kosher Dills - Rated A-

33 Fl oz (1 Ltr)
Ingredients:
cucumbers, well water, garlic, salt, dill spices
Sodium 14%
Serving size 28 g (about ½ large Pickle), 18 per container
Calories 3 [Calories from fat - 0]
Doesn't say Product of Canada, but it used to.
Andronicos - $4.79

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