Claussen Hot & Spicy Spears

Claussen Hot & Spicy Spears

I was in Kroger today and saw this new variety in the meat section next to the other refrigerated Claussen pickles. The fire-red label caught my eye (take note, marketeers!), and I had to have a look.  I've liked Claussen Deli Dills for their crisp crunch and unique flavor, and lately have had a thing for a little heat and spice, so $3.79 and a trip home, and I was set to give them a try.  Oh, if you have a Kroger card, they're only $3, so really, not even all that expensive!

As you can see in the picture, the bottom is layered with garlic, mustard seeds, herbs, dill and red pepper chunks.  Yummy!  The spears all look nicely cut and very uniform (take note, Vlasic, yours have been slipping lately).  The whole package is very inviting.

First, because they're Claussen deli dills, they're nice and crunchy, as we'd all expect.  They've got that Claussen flavor, heavy on garlic that will seem very familiar.  After the fist bite, there was a little heat at the back of your throat, but nothing terribly impressive.  My initial thought was that Claussen's interpretation of "hot" was a bit subtle and a little disappointing compared to the smack on the head that Vlasic Zesty's give you.  However, after the 3rd bite, the hot & spicy artillery caught up with the garlic scouts.  These things have a healthy punch afterall!  The heat is very nice, and not at all overpowering.  They're slow to throttle up, but never get wild enough to be objectionable.

I have to admit to eating a couple, putting the jar back, and then 20 minutes later, going back to the fridge to try another.  And, 20 minutes later, going back for another.  Hrm...seems they're mildly addictive...nothing on the label indicates such... ;)

I think Claussen hit a home run with these.  If you're in the mood for a Claussen Deli Dill, but want something with a little kick, the Hot & Spicy variety will fit the bill.

Cortas Pickled Cucumbers

My wife found these in a middle-eastern grocery store and picked them up, knowing that I'm a pickle nut...er...reviewer.  From the jar, they look like ordinary dill pickles, but looks can be deceiving...

These are possibly the weirdest pickles I've ever tasted.  I honestly can't decide if I like them or hate them.  The ingredient panel says they have garlic (you can see the clove of garlic in the picture, too!) and green pepper and "spices".  You can definitely pick out the garlic, but the rest of the flavor is not objectionable, but its definitely different.  Even though these are vinegar pickles, they have a flavor that reminds me of the "musty-ness" of fermented pickles.  I'm convinced it has to be the green pepper, but there's an additional spice that is in the mix.

They are exceptionally crisp pickles.  Texture-wise, they're exactly what I like: crunchy, and not at all soggy, like some pickles can get.  These are not skinned at all, which may contribute to their excellent texture.  I think they were picked rather young, too, so they have a gerkin quality about them.

You know these are "not from around here", because they're really-really long and slender cucumbers.  As you can see, this is a tall-style jar, and they chose that style jar for a reason: these babies are LONG.  This makes for a single pickle that'll answer any craving you might have, but as with all things positive, there's a catch.  These pickles are devilishly hard to get out of the jar when you first open it.  They're packed in there very tightly, and because they're long, it only provides more resistance to being moved.  They were hard enough to get out that I actually scraped the skin off of one with my fingers in my attempts!  My wife was laughing at me until she gave it a try--same results.

These pickles are unusual and they taste good, but they're definitely in condiment territory, and not in the habitual munching class.  I still can't figure out whether I like them or hate them....

Premium Selection Snackers

Okay, tonight I'm on a roll...

One of my all-time favorite sweet pickles are the Premium Selection Snackers Hot & Sweet pickles. They sell at Kroger stores exclusively for about $3.49, as the Premium Selection brand is a premium Kroger brand of foods. My wife and I have been pretty happy with Premium Selection brand items...they're as good or better than national brands, and often have flavors or combinations that you can't otherwise get.

In short, they are a crinkle-cut bread'n'butter pickle with a kick. As you can see at the bottom of the photo, the "kick" is accomplished by putting some Thai- or Chinese- style hot peppers into the pickles at brine time. DO NOT eat these things unless you really like hot stuff...they are wicked-hot!

Also from the photo, you can see they have generous amounts of minced onion, garlic and mustard seed in the jar, making these pickles a very flavorful variety. I've even found myself fishing out and eating the mixture with a fork after the pickles are gone its so yummy.

The pickles themselves are a very nice bread'n'butter sweet pickle. Not too vinegary, not terribly sweet, but a nice balance of the two. As with many bread'n'butter varieties, these have a high crunch factor...probably a 9 out of 10 on the Crunch-O-Meter. The cucumbers themselves are proper pickle-sized cukes, so they're not too mature and retain that crunch and firmness that makes this pickle distinctive.

The heat level of these isn't what I'd consider "mild", but neither is it "hot". Its in that nice spot where you can enjoy a little kick with your pickle and have to eat quite a few before it starts to accumulate to uncomfortable levels. The combination of the bread'n'butter flavor with some hotness makes these my favorite condiment to put on a cold (leftover) meatloaf sandwich. They really compliment the flavor of the meatloaf.

I've had other hot'n'sweet bread'n'butter pickles, but I really like these because they're nicely balanced between the vinegar, sweet and hot flavors. The crunch is perfect and they're not too expensive and readily available.

The Sidetrack Grill in Ypsilanti

The Sidetrack Bar & Grill in Depot Town in Ypsilanti, MI, is popular locally-owned eatery, situated right next to the Amtrack line in a building that dates back over 120 years. The train schedule is posted, and it rattles the whole place when the trains rumble by. The interior is filled with an eclectic mix of railroad, sports and regional decorations (look for the moose). The menu covers a range of cuisines and appetites, and I've never had a bad meal at the Sidetrack. You gotta try their famous burger, sweet potato fries and deep-fried pickles!

Wait, wait, wait!!! Why is a restaurant in a pickle blog!??

Well...if you visit this fine establishment and order a drink or some of their fine food, the waiter will bring a tray of condiments to your table as standard fare. It contains, the usual ketchup, mustard, hot sauces, pepperocini, and (you guessed it), pickles!

I doubt that they're made by the Sidetrack, but they're basically a deli dill, but sliced into very thin disks. They serve them in a small lidded pot, as if you might wait long enough to stack them on a hand-packed burger or sandwich. They are the perfect munchie to snack on while you're waiting for your meal or drink. Mild and garlicy, these little delights are almost a signature part of the Sidetrack experience. Try the pepperocini as well...but beware, they can pack a punch!

Cracovia Kartuskie Dill Pickles

Its been pointed out to me that its been over a year since my last post, so apologies Pickle Fans, I've been neglecting my duties!

Today's delectable dill comes from Poland--the Cracovia Kartuskie Dill Pickles. I found these at the Copernicus European Deli for $3.99 on Main Street in Ann Arbor, where they carry the complete Cracovia line of Polish foods...jarred pickles, salads, sourkrauts, beets and canned fish. It all looked very delectable, so I don't think you could go wrong with any of it. But I digress...

The thing that caught my eye on the shelf of these gems were the spices and veggies used to season the pickles...onions, red peppers, and of course, nice sized gherkins. It was torture waiting to get home from a dinner party to try them.

This pickle was a surprise, though...I expected a very vinegary pickle but these cross the boundary between a bread'n'butter variety and a mild dill pickle. The typical dill pickle taste we're all used to is completely absent, but in its place is a very mild, savory and slightly sweet pickle where all of the flavors combine yet don't disappear individually. The sweetness is very light--nothing like a bread'n'butter, so if you're not a sweet pickle fan, these won't really offend. They really do bridge the gap between a vinegar dill and a bread'n'butter variety, which really surprised me.

The flavor is a very mild, blended variety, with no one spice or flavor dominating the others. Its common to see bold flavors that stand out to define the pickle, but in these, its the blending that stands out--nothing obtrusive, nothing offensive, nothing particularly notable, but yet together, distinctive. Even the brine is pretty balanced, not at all bitey--the polar opposite of the McClure varieties.

The Kartuskies get a solid 8 out of 10 on the Crunch-O-Meter scale, and that seems to be a pretty high mark for european pickles, which I've not found to have the crunch that we seem to like here in the US. In this way, I was pleasantly surprised, since I was expecting something a bit softer.

To wrap things up, I think these are a nice change of pace if you're straddling the fence deciding on whether to go sweet or vinegary, or if you're just wanting to go for something different. The balance of flavor is how these pickles stand out from the pack.

Frog Ranch Peppered Pickles - Zesty Bread & Butter

Homemade. That sums up these little babies. Decent-sized chunks of cucumber, along with real slices of onion (no minced nonsense), mustard seeds and the works make these look and taste like something your grandmother might have made years ago. But wait! There's more! Frog Ranch has done the wonderful and spiked granny's bread'n'butter pickles with slices of jalepeno pepper, to give these crunchy, not-too-sweet BNB's a little warmth.

I found these by-surprise at Kroger for a very reasonable $3.49. I'd tried Frog Ranch's salsa and found it to be excellent, so trying a jar of their pickles was a pretty safe bet.

I like Kroger's Premium Select brand hot-sweet BNB's, but I think Frog Ranch just topped 'em. I really like the thick chunks of pickle...no whimpy slices to get soggy. The heat level is very mild, but enough so that you still notice. The slices of onion look like onion should, not minced pieces that have somehow lost their character. The onion tastes as yummy as the pickles do, too! Finally, the sweetness isn't sickly sweet--something the Vlasic's new zesty BNB's and Premium Select can't seem to get quite right. Frog Ranch manages to balance the vinegar and sweet flavors so that you're faced with the combination, not one or the other.

Frog Ranch has hit a home run with these, and in my pickle journey, they really are the best of breed! Enjoy!

Nathan's Famous New York Kosher Halves

Its only fair to take a look at an authentic Kosher dill from Coney Island in Brooklyn, NY, after reviewing a newcomer like McClure's. Nathan's is the name synonymous with Coney Island Hot Dogs and the condiment served is their kosher dill pickle.

I found these at Kroger for around $3.79 in the refrigerated pickle section, alongside the Claussen varieties. To our local Kroger's credit, they're carrying a better variety than they have in the past. As the picture shows, there's generous amounts of mustard seed, garlic and other goodies in the jar, so they looked like a good pick.

I was expecting bold flavors of dill, garlic and herbs, but these were considerably mild. The cucumber taste prevailed, with only a hint of dill and garlic. The brine itself was considerably less vinegary than, say McClure's or Vlasic, and even the Kroger-brand fresh dills. As I said, with the amount of stuff in the jar, it was a little surprising that the flavors were so subtle.

The crunch was good, but it was average--not like the crisp Kroger dills or McClure's bites. I tend to find spears or halves less crunchy than a whole pickle...the contiguous cucumber skin definitely changes the bite texture while in the jar.

Now, I'm not saying these were a bad bite, but they definitely differed from my expectations, having eaten true deli dills in New York, and at Ann Arbor's own world-famous Zingerman's Deli. Nathan's Kosher dills would make a fine side to something like a chili-dog where you needed something fresh and neutral to wash off the strong chili flavor. Like McClure's add zing to something bland, these subtly flavored halves provide a crisp refresher to bring you back from the brink with spicy food.