Thread Number: 27816
In search of the World's Best Dill Pickles... |
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Post# 426139   4/1/2010 at 16:14 (5,333 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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I LOVE dill pickles. I even made my own last year. Unfortunately, Vlasic and Mt. Olive dominate the market anymore and smaller brands are quickly disappearing. Long gone are the days fo Cates Pickles (Faison, NC) or Paramount Pickles (Louisville, KY). Modern day pickles just don't cut it for me.
I wanted to ask the group to recommend either their favorite brand of dill pickles, or post their favorite recipe for homemade (canned) dill pickles. Surely there are some winners out there! |
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Post# 426155 , Reply# 3   4/1/2010 at 16:35 (5,333 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay)   |   | |
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My mom used to put up dill pickles every summer. My sister still does, so I will get the recipe from her and post it here or email it to you directly. It's fairly easy, and people used to love my mom's pickles. I haven't yet tried the batch I helped with last August. When I eat pickles, they keep reminding me that I've done so for quite a while afterward.
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Post# 426160 , Reply# 4   4/1/2010 at 16:42 (5,333 days old) by sudsman ()   |   | |
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Made right here in Ft Worth. |
Post# 426170 , Reply# 7   4/1/2010 at 17:11 (5,333 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions)   |   | |
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Post# 426173 , Reply# 9   4/1/2010 at 17:26 (5,333 days old) by petek (Ontari ari ari O )   |   | |
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Steinfelds (Oregon) were really good but then Vlasic must have paid off the Cdn groceries because you can't get them anymore. Vlasic are terrible imho. I won't buy them.
2nd the opinion on Clausens, very good too as well as Strubs, both are always in the refrigerator case but they're kind of expensive but worth it |
Post# 426184 , Reply# 11   4/1/2010 at 18:45 (5,333 days old) by nurdlinger (Tucson AZ)   |   | |
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This was a hometown Detroit brand, and when it was the pickles were very good. Later on it was sold to some enormous national company and the quality was never the same. I still buy them because I like them better than other brands.
When I was in high school, I was a caddie at the country club where Bob Vlasic was a member. He was always a gentleman, treated us with a good amount of respect. Plus, he was an above-average tipper. |
Post# 426217 , Reply# 13   4/1/2010 at 22:18 (5,333 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)   |   | |
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Post# 426220 , Reply# 14   4/1/2010 at 22:27 (5,333 days old) by CircleW (NE Cincinnati OH area)   |   | |
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I'm in agreement with Goatfarmer - Sechler's makes my favorite pickles. Their sweet relish is the best I've ever eaten. I DO NOT like Mt. Olive pickles or relish; they have a strange off taste. Why they sell so well I have no idea. |
Post# 426235 , Reply# 15   4/1/2010 at 23:32 (5,333 days old) by petek (Ontari ari ari O )   |   | |
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Lawrence you can put up dill pickles without going through all the boiling water bath technique. Not sure if that method is in the recipe books you're looking at.. It's referred to as refrigerator canning since once you jarred them up you must keep them in the refrigerator. Worth a try. All you really need are the pickles, pickling salt and vinegar some garlics and lotsa dill weed you can get at a local market in the late summer or plant some out back or out front wherever you get some sun.
A guy at work used to make his this way and boy were they tasty. You have to do the boiling water bath if you want to store them unrefrigerated and for years. |
Post# 426238 , Reply# 17   4/2/2010 at 00:52 (5,333 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California)   |   | |
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I used to love Vlasic's Polish dill pickles. They said something like "Polski Wyrob" on the label. But again since Vlasic changed hands a few times, that pickle has disappeared, except for the spears, which I haven't tried but don't look the same anyway.
The Mt. Olive polish dills are ok, but not as good as what Vlasic used to make. The story of Vlasic is kind of sad. It was a family owned company for decades, and then it was bought out by a company that sucked all the profits out and drove the company into the ground. I think it went bankrupt at one point, and then resurfaced but it's never been the same. For a while Costco sold big gallon containers of pickles - "Home Style", that were very close in taste to the Vlasic whole dills, but even those have gone away and the new stuff is too acidic and flavorless. |
Post# 426268 , Reply# 19   4/2/2010 at 07:09 (5,332 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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Thanks Mark! I'll add that recipe to the my batch this year! I love Heinz Genuine Dill Pickles. They have been my gold standard for years...but wished they were still "Cured in Wood" barrels, but they stopped that in the early 1990s. They've never really been the same since...but still pretty good. Curing them like Jack Daniels in those barrels gave them an awesome flavor that's hard to duplicate.
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Post# 426272 , Reply# 20   4/2/2010 at 07:22 (5,332 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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Here's some pics from my first adventure last year--looking forward to trying new recipes this year. My current favorite pickles currently are Bubbies (but they are too hot, wish they made a mild version), Heinz Genuine Dills, Kaiser Dill Pickles (in a pouch) from Cincinnati. I have had my eye on some Best Maid pickles, but can't seem to find them. I'll look up some of the other brands online. The problem with buying pickles on the internet is that the shipping is more than the products, by 2x!
I'm also looking at McClure's in NY, Guss' Pickles in NY, and any that you guys recommend. I like pickles that have an authentic (fermented) flavor--but I'm not ready to try the crock yet. I'm looking forward to trying new recipes! Yum! Keep those tart and tangy recipes coming! Now where's my seed catalog...? |
Post# 426277 , Reply# 21   4/2/2010 at 07:49 (5,332 days old) by petek (Ontari ari ari O )   |   | |
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Post# 426285 , Reply# 23   4/2/2010 at 08:11 (5,332 days old) by polkanut (Wausau, WI )   |   | |
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Post# 426302 , Reply# 24   4/2/2010 at 10:05 (5,332 days old) by mrcleanjeans (milwaukee wi)   |   | |
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All I know is Aunt Bee's are the worst,lol! |
Post# 426317 , Reply# 26   4/2/2010 at 11:42 (5,332 days old) by nurdlinger (Tucson AZ)   |   | |
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Post# 426355 , Reply# 27   4/2/2010 at 14:59 (5,332 days old) by polkanut (Wausau, WI )   |   | |
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Post# 426364 , Reply# 28   4/2/2010 at 16:19 (5,332 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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Post# 426471 , Reply# 30   4/3/2010 at 00:44 (5,332 days old) by LordKenmore (The Laundry Room)   |   | |
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Post# 426646 , Reply# 31   4/3/2010 at 23:10 (5,331 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California)   |   | |
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Our local Costco's don't stock the little Polish dills any more. I think the last time I saw them locally was about five years ago. Don't recall trying them, as I prefer the grand size.
Also haven't seen any polish pickles at Walmart, but it would the one thing that would bring me into that store if it was there. It's much easier to get authentic Mexican or Asian ingredients in this area than Polish, I think. Last year I got into making my own Kim Chee. It wasn't difficult but definitely took some time. Still, it's been a while and I think I need to make up another batch. Almost as good as the old Vlasic Polski Wyrob. I think I'll add some cucumber slices to the kim chee this time. |
Post# 426720 , Reply# 32   4/4/2010 at 11:36 (5,330 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay)   |   | |
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Post# 426880 , Reply# 33   4/4/2010 at 21:55 (5,330 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California)   |   | |
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Post# 427499 , Reply# 35   4/7/2010 at 20:10 (5,327 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California)   |   | |
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Rayjay,
My bad. I was in my local Costco today and I found the little Polish dills. Wow, are they tiny! The label says: "Wiejske Wyroby" "OGoRKlzKOPREM" They are made by Pinnacle Foods Corporation in New Jersey. I bought a 2-pack (typical Costco mass consumption!) and yes they are good... but I still prefer the big Polish dills. These are very crisp and would make for great appetizers hors d'ouerves. Maybe Pinnacle sells the big kind too? |
Post# 427860 , Reply# 37   4/9/2010 at 23:28 (5,325 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California)   |   | |
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Ray,
I checked out a local Walmart yesterday and all they carried were regular dills from Vlasic. I'll try a larger store this weekend. I did some web searching and apparently you can get real whole polish dills under the Pinnacle umbrella with the "Bick's" name... in CANADA! No, I'm not Polish, but my maternal grandparents came from part of Eastern Europe called Galicia that is now in Poland right on the border with the Ukraine. I once asked one of my uncles about it, and he said that ethnically/linguistically the closest nationality would be Byelorussian, or "White Russian", or "Little Russian", but in doing more research on my own I think it might be a Ruthenian blend, which in itself is a rather vague and flexible term. As far as I can tell, they observed the Eastern Rite of the Catholic Church - not exactly Orthodox or Latin. Anyway, although my mom became rather decidedly 1st gen American and didn't identify much at all with the Russian/Polish heritage, I do remember potato pancakes as one of the comfort foods of home. At the turn of the century when my maternal grandparents emigrated to the USA, Galicia was a crown colony of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and I've heard that my maternal grandfather was a big fan of the Emperor Franz Joseph. Perhaps it's because at the time Galicia enjoyed its best years under his rule. Their town - Przemysl - was a key strategic location and as such was the focus of many battles over the centuries. |
Post# 428445 , Reply# 39   4/13/2010 at 14:02 (5,321 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay)   |   | |
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Here's my mom's recipe, made each year on the '49 Westy stove. Everybody loved them. My sister still puts them up each summer. She used to work for rock show promoter Bill Graham and he absolutely loved them--that is the "Bill" she references below.
Dan, if you prefer, I'll send you the document by e-mail. ALMA'S DILL PICKLES One "lug" of medium size pickling cucumbers makes 20 quarts of pickles & takes 3 recipes of brine. Use wide-mouth quart jars. Order in advance, but bring the cucumbers home the same day you’ll put them up. They should be dumped into a bucket of ice water, scrubbed with a brush, and then put into a holding bucket of clean ice water. Stand the dill in a tall bucket or heavy vase with water if you’ll be keeping it a while. Bring to a boil & simmer: 3.5 quarts water 1 pint white vinegar 2/3 cup table or Kosher salt (not iodized salt) Into sterilized quart jars (run them through the dishwasher), put: sprigs of fresh dill (flower, stems & leaves) a clove of garlic (I put 2 or 3 cloves in the batches I made for Bill) a half a hot chili pepper a pinch of powdered alum Then stuff with cucumbers as tightly as possible but down far enough that they'll clear the lid. Pour hot brine to fill jars & cover immediately with scalded lids. You'll hear the lids pop as they seal. Store in a cool, dark place for at least 3 weeks. Note: If you want to make pints instead, get small size cucumbers & twice as many jars. Always use wide mouth for easy filling & taking out! |
Post# 428504 , Reply# 40   4/13/2010 at 17:42 (5,321 days old) by DanManTN (Tennessee)   |   | |
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Awesome! I will make these this summer! Thank You! I am planting the seeds at the first of May, and I'm going to grow my own dill this year as well. This is an interesting recipe as it doesn't use a lot of vinegar (usually it's 1:3 or even 1:1! I'll have to not use the hot chili (I'm not compatible)...but everything else looks good!
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Post# 428510 , Reply# 41   4/13/2010 at 18:59 (5,321 days old) by mathewhebailey0 (port arthur tx)   |   | |
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I'm wondering if anyone is familiar with the Chilly Dillys or other pickles advertised at drive in theatres. |
Post# 428704 , Reply# 44   4/14/2010 at 11:42 (5,320 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay)   |   | |
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Dan, you might want to try a jar or two with the chili pepper. As I recall, it's just a basic pepper and not a really hot one, probably not even as hot as jalapeno. It really doesn't make the finished product all that hot, just a bit of a bite is all. I don't think the peppers make or break the recipe, so if you don't feel like including them I think the pickles will still turn out fine.
I'll be looking forward to a post from you later in the summer advising on how it all went and how your various recipes turned out. Ralph |