Don’t throw out that pickle juice

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By: Leah Koenig 

Mother Nature Network

Turns out that brine can punch up your potato salad, take the edge off onions and even make a good drink.. (Photo: Tanechka/Shutterstock)

 

Pickling is enjoying a comeback in American cuisine. Once a standard kitchen practice, home food preservation dwindled in the pro-industrial, pro-consumer climate that reigned over the last half of the 20th century. Today however, small-batch artisanal pickled products are popping up at specialty food shops and farmers markets across the country. These next-generation picklers offer everything from classic sour pickles to spicy pickled okra. The DIY community has also jumped in the proverbial pickle barrel, filling their crafty, food-focused blogs with odes and how-to recipes for all things briny and stuffed into mason jars.
The recent pickling craze is a natural offshoot of the eat local movement. Pickling along with jamming, canning and otherwise “putting up” fresh foods to maximize the summer’s bounty through the winter is the next logical step after committing to eat locally grown produce. But after the pickles are gone, there’s yet another opportunity to keep the sustainability chain going: Cook with the leftover pickle brine.

While the majority of pickle jar juice likely gets poured down the drain, the tangy liquid is a remarkably versatile ingredient. It also boasts nutritional benefits, including enough electrolytes to make it an increasingly popular alternative sports drink. [Editor’s note: A helpful reader called to say please be wary of broad statements about using pickle juice as a sports drink. Pickle juice, which contains potassium, will prevent muscle cramping, but it doesn’t contain carbohydrates.] When cooking, the trick is to think of it as a substitute for other acidic liquids like lemon juice or vinegar (many pickle brands actually contain good amounts of vinegar) — only amplified in flavor with garlic, dill and other spices.
Try spooning a few teaspoons of pickle juice into picnic favorites like potato salad, egg salad, coleslaw and pasta salad. And take the edge off of fresh chopped onions by steeping them in pickle juice for 15 minutes before adding them to bean salads. Stir some brine into homemade vinaigrette-style salad dressings and into saucy marinades for grilled chicken, fish or tofu. Drizzle a few tablespoons into borscht, gazpacho or other soups, and add extra zing to sautéed green beans, kale or beets by tossing some brine in right before serving. Serious pickle fanatics can dip potato chips directly into pickle juice, or stir it into yogurt for a tangy ranch-style dip.

And then, of course, there are the drinks. Pickle juice makes a natural substitute for olive juice in a dirty martini and a pleasingly sour addition to a Bloody Mary. The folks at artisanal pickle company McClure’s Pickles launched a Bloody Mary Mix that gets its spicy kick from the company’s own cayenne and habañero pepper-laced brine.
The Pickle Back — a shot of whiskey followed immediately by a shot of pickle brine — is another drink that has gained favor at hipster-friendly bars. Downing one (or three) is an “only the strong survive” kind of experience, but devotees swear that brine makes the perfect neutralizer for whiskey’s burn. Luckily, according to Linda Ziedrich’s “The Joy of Pickling” (2009), pickle juice doubles as its own hangover cure: “[In Poland, hangover sufferers] fill a glass with equal parts chilled pickle brine and ice-cold club soda, and drink the mixture down at once.”
Brine novices might want to start slowly with a recipe that features pickle juice as a flavoring, instead of the main ingredient — like this Pickle-Kissed Bean Salad.

Starting with a recipe that includes pickle juice as a flavoring so it’s not too overpowering. (Photo: Goode Imaging/Shutterstock)

Pickle Kissed Bean Salad
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1/2 red onion, chopped fine
1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons dill pickle brine
1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons sugar or honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Combine red onion and 1/4 cup pickle brine in a small bowl; stir and set aside for 10-15 minutes to allow the onion to mellow.
Meanwhile, add all three beans and celery to a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the parsley, olive oil, remaining 2 teaspoons of brine, sugar, salt and pepper. Add the dressing and the red onion mixture to the beans and toss to coat.

 

 

Pickle Soap

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By: Patra Beaulieu

Geek Alert 

 

You can find bath products inspired by just about every delicious fruit. Passion fruit, mango, raspberry… you name it, they’ve got it. There are many cucumber soaps that smell fresh, but if it’s the marinated cucumber scent you’re after look no further than Pickle Soap.

 

The delicious taste of Pickles can be all over you forever! Bathe that horrid scent of mountain fresh springs off yourself and get all Pickled-up. The scent will make everyone’s nostrils perk up in excitement and send Delis into a wild frenzy. You’ve done it: gotten yourself into quite a Pickle. – Fresh Dill Pickle scent. – “Pickle Soap” carved on top. – Net wt. 2.3 oz (65 g). – Tin size: 3-3/4″ x 2-3/8″ x 7/8″ (9.5 cm x 6 cm x 2 cm).
Just when you thought life was good with the invention of pickle-flavored potato chips, your lucky stars are now shining down upon you with the existence of pickle soap. Ever notice how pickles last forever in a jar? Maybe a little pickle juice is what your skin needs to stay supple and smooth throughout the day. People sometimes bathe in milk, right? Same difference.
If you’re a pickle hater but someone you know and love is a pickle fiend, pickle soap is a great gag gift to give. Even after you’ve unwrapped the bar of soap, the words ‘pickle soap’ are still engraved in the bar for show-off purposes. Having a Super Bowl party? Everyone’s hands are going to smell of chips, pizza, wings and things anyway, so why not let guests wash their hands with a bar of pickle soap?
Pickle Soap is sold for $8.49 at Stupid.com. Pickle fans will be pickled pink, or green, to know that there are also Pickle Adhesive Bandages and Pickle Fingers to wear for fun.

Done Hiding Their Shameful Secret, Pickle-Juice Drinkers Go Public

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By Julie Jargon

The Wall Street Journal 

 

‘I am a closeted pickle-juice drinker,’ says Dawn Crosswhite. Photo: Dawn Crosswhite

Nikki Ashton West of Evadale, Texas, has gone to great lengths to hide her habit of drinking pickle juice.

“I have to sneak around,” says Ms. Ashton West, 19, “and go brush my teeth right afterwards.”
Her brother, Travis Keith, remembers one Fourth of July family gathering when he suspected she was furtively sipping from a jar of Vlasic dills.
“I was putting pickles on my burger, like a regular person,” says Mr. Keith, 22, “and when I came back for seconds, the juice was gone. It was a brand-new jar.” She had a Diet Coke, which he knew she didn’t drink. He investigated by sniffing the can.

It was pickle juice. “I was like, ‘This is sad.’ ”

 

our reactions have long driven an untold population of Americans to swig the stuff covertly. “I am a closeted pickle-juice drinker,” says Dawn Crosswhite, 51, a therapist and clinical-social-work professor in Denver, who recently admitted her habit to friend Millete Birhanemaskel.

“I thought I knew my friend,” says Ms. Birhanemaskel, 37, a Denver coffee-shop owner who said the idea is disgusting. “What else don’t I know?”
But now there’s hope. People who privately partake of pickle juice are finding it easier to go public, thanks to endurance sports. Athletes have discovered its electrolyte-replenishing qualities can be a savory alternative to sports drinks. There are more than 33,000 Instagram posts containing “#picklejuice,” many showing people chugging the stuff.

Ms. Crosswhite, a triathlete, has been stealing sips since childhood. A few months ago, a friend offered her what looked like a small energy shot containing pickle juice after a grueling bike ride in the Colorado Rockies.

“I thought, ‘Oh thank God, now I have a place to drink this,’ ” she says. “That little jar in a strange way validates that it’s OK to drink pickle juice.”

Devotees say they like pickles but like the juice even more because it satisfies a salt craving they can’t quite explain. Some gulp with pickles still in the jar, irking nondrinkers. When Mr. Keith went for more pickles at the July Fourth picnic, they were so dry from his sister’s quaffing the fluid that they resembled pickle chips, he says. “She could have waited until the pickles were gone.”
Katie Cerniglia, a Los Angeles podcast producer, tweeted at pickle purveyor Claussen to sell jars of juice without the pickles. Kraft Heinz Co. , maker of Claussen and Heinz pickles, says it is aware people drink the fluid but doesn’t plan to sell jars of it.

Katie Cerniglia prefers Claussen dill-pickle juice. Photo: Katie Cerniglia

spokeswoman for Vlasic maker Pinnacle Foods Inc. says: “We are not actively promoting drinking pickle juice, but if it’s healthy and it sells more pickles, we’re all for it.”
Other food makers are tapping the trend with pickle-juice soda, pickle-juice candy canes and pickle-juice ice pops. Sonic Drive-In introduced a pickle-juice slush this month.
Delayla Bess, 18, a high-school graduate near Seattle, grew up thinking it was normal to sip from the pickle jar. Her mom and other relatives do it, after all.
When Sonic offered its slush, she tweeted: “DID I HEAR PICKLE JUICE SLUSHIES???? I LOVE LIFE.” She says: “My friends were like, ‘Wait, you actually like pickle juice?’ ”

 

Sonic Pickle Slush Photo: Sonic

 

Sonic Corp. executives got the idea during a 2016 trip to Austin, Texas, where they were scouting for frozen-drink trends and noticed dill-pickle-juice offerings at snow-cone stands. The base of Sonic’s slush is sweet, turning off some purist pickle-juice fans who prefer the sour notes, says Scott Uehlein, Sonic’s vice president of product innovation and development.

He understands why connoisseurs sip in secret, says Mr. Uehlein, who says he doesn’t drink it himself but likes the slush version. “I can tell you, if I was going to drink pickle juice at my house, I would probably have to do so behind closed doors because my wife would look at me like I’m crazy.”

Some bartenders use pickle juice in place of olive juice in dirty martinis. A drink called the “pickleback” involves chasing whiskey with a shot of pickle juice and is served at bars across the country, from Austin, Texas, the alleged birthplace of the drink, to Los Angeles. The Crocodile Lounge in New York’s East Village serves it with a twist: a spicy pickle brine that contains Tabasco sauce.
When Niles Abston, 23, first saw Ms. Cerniglia of Los Angeles drink pickle juice at the catering company where they once worked, he asked her whether she was pregnant. He says: “It’s just weird.”

 

 

Who drank the juice?

 

Ms. Cerniglia, 29, says other friends, too, have shamed her, but she doesn’t care. She is, however, particular about her daily drink, which must be Claussen dill—“none of that bread-and-butter garbage”—from the refrigerated pickle section.

Ms. Bess says she doesn’t discriminate between dill and sweet. Ms. Crosswhite prefers Claussen dill juice because the sweet kind “doesn’t give me the same jolt.”
Ms. Ashton West says she usually buys Mt. Olive Pickle Co. dills. The company gets requests to sell its juice alone, says a spokeswoman, but the fluid without the pickles to balance it would be too strong. “We suggest people blend the pickles and the juice in a blender and strain it to make their own.”

Nutritionist Bonnie Taub-Dix says too much pickle juice could be a bad thing for people with high blood pressure or some pregnant women, given the high sodium content. “I wouldn’t drink pickle juice as you would your morning juice,” she says. “A shot glass is probably OK.”

Michael Chiappini, 45, a software developer in Parker, Colo., craves pickle juice only when he runs. During a 24-hour race in Las Vegas, he brought a large jar and took a big swig when he went through his campsite during each 5-mile loop, leaving the pickles in place. For him, it’s strictly a sports drink. “Would I just drink it out of the fridge? No.”
Some athletes pooh-pooh pickle juice. During the recent training ride, Ms. Crosswhite says, other riders ribbed her for drinking it. “There were a few riders that were like, ‘Ew that’s so gross, how can you do that?’ ”

Kayla Ferguson, 28, a Denver corporate-event planner, didn’t like the juice until she got into a pickle during the last leg of a 100-mile Utah race. After mile 65, her legs were cramping, her feet hurt and she felt nauseated. Someone suggested she throw back some of the briny stuff—she rallied and placed third.

“Now,” she says, “I will go nowhere without pickle juice.”

Sonic’s Secret Pickle Menu Will Let You Flavor Literally Anything On The Menu With Pickle

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By:Callie  Tansill-Suddath

Bustle

Phot0 by: Sonic

Sonic secret pickle menu

 

2018 is the summer of the pickle. The beloved verdant partner of deli sandwiches is at long last being recognized for what it brings to the table on its own. But, now pickles in their purest form are not the only options to make you pucker. If you can dream pickle, chances are you can eat and drink pickle, as well. But, the option is not always going to be so crystal clear. Case-in-point: a delicious, yet secret pickle menu at Sonic. Grab your magnifying glasses, because the pickle fare of your dreams might just be hiding in plain sight.

 

So, you may not have to dig super deep to find Sonic’s secret pickle menu— it just takes a little bit of ingenuity. The deal is that Sonic recently added an unprecedented Pickle Slush to its legendary menu of icy treats. Earlier this month, customers at America’s Drive-In were the first to be given the option to swap their traditional fruity, saccharine sippable treat for one more subtly sour. What flavors the pickle slush is a signature briney-sweet syrup. With that in mind, what is stopping you from adding it to any number of other products? Nothing, if you ask Scott Uehlein, the VP of Product Innovation and Development at Sonic.
At a recent menu preview, Uehlein and his team noted a trend of customers asking to add a few pumps of pickle syrup to other sweet choices, like Sonic’s iconic cherry limeade. “Pickle juice theoretically could go into anything — anything that’s a beverage, anything that’s ice cream, it could get squirted on waffle fries, anything,” Uehlein said, according to Delish. “You can do anything with it, not that you would.”

Delish reports, when asked specifically, Uehlein emphasized customers have the option to add pickle syrup to ANYTHING. Want some damp, vaguely verdant tots? Sonic can pickle (syrup) it. How about a straw-pickle milkshake? Sonic can pickle (syrup) it. Pickle French Toast Sticks to get your morning going? Sonic can pickle (syrup) it, too. The options are limitless, and maybe even a bit troubling.

While unquestionably remarkable, don’t think the summer of the pickle is limited to Sonic’s syrup. Your choices of pickle snacks are endless.
Heluva Good!, a longstanding New York-based cheese and dip company recently added a Dill Pickle-flavored Dip to its already extensive lineup. The condiment is reportedly made from a combination of different milks, salt, garlic, onion, spices, dill, mustard, vinegar, and turmeric, making it smooth, creamy, and a little bit sour. It’s a perfect accompaniment for any crunchy snack (or for dipping a pickle in, if you’re feeling really adventurous).

KFC, the country’s leading fast food fried chicken restaurant, is also getting in on the action. After tweeting some not so subtle hints regarding a new mystery chicken flavor being added to the menu, KFC formally introduced its Pickle Fried Chicken earlier this week. According to KFC, it starts with a base of their famous Extra Crispy Chicken which is then “coated it in pickle sauce,” which features, “…onion and garlic notes, buttermilk and a white and black pepper blend — a combination that is sure to satisfy even the ultimate foodie’s palate.” Watch out 17 herbs and spices, there’s a new sheriff in town.

On the decision to be the first fast food restaurant to add pickle fried chicken to the menu, KFC’s US Chief Marketing Officer Andrea Zahumensky said, “People are crazy about pickles, and pickle-flavored products are becoming today’s trendiest menu item.” Clearly, she’s on to something.

Press Table: For tender, tasty pork chops, try pickle juice marinade

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By: KIM GOMOLL

Lancaster Online

Sometimes trying a new recipe that’s passed along by a friend or gleaned from some Internet posting requires a little bit of trust. Sometimes it requires a lot of trust. That was the case a few years ago when a friend shared a recipe that he’d “heard about somewhere.”
It went something like this: “You know what I saw today? Dill pickle pork chops!”
“What?”

Dill pickle pork chops! You marinate them in leftover pickle juice.”
My first thought was. “Absolutely not.” Don’t misunderstand: I love pickles. All kinds of pickles and almost all pickled foods (sorry okra and pig’s feet). I eat pickles every single day. I like pork, too. It’s on the menu at our house often, marinated and cooked any number of ways. But pickle juice?
As odd as that seems, what you want in a marinade is something a little bit acidic, something a little salty, something a little sweet, and a nice hit of flavor all in balance. That’s exactly what dill pickle juice is, isn’t it?

As odd , with only a pork chop or two to lose we decided to try it.

I covered two thick, boneless pork chops in dill pickle juice and marinated them all day. I flipped them once when I got home from work, but didn’t bother them again until tossing them on the grill.
The results were surprising. The chops were not “pickle-y” at all. The meat was very tender and had a different but delicious flavor. It’s a really nice change from sticky sauces, rubs or other marinades, and it couldn’t possibly be any easier. You don’t even have to stir anything. We have eaten a lot of pickles and marinated a lot of chops since that first experiment.

PICKLE JUICE PORK CHOPS
Directions:
1. Marinate boneless pork chops in the pickle juice for as long as you can. I try to marinate overnight if possible.
2. Sprinkle pepper on both sides, and salt if you want it. Some pickle brines are very salty on their own; some are not.
3. Grill over medium heat/medium flame for 8 to 10 minutes per side. I usually use fairly thick-cut chops, so they take a while. The recommended safe internal temperature is 145 degrees. Just don’t overdo it or you’ll lose all the tenderness gained by the long marinade.
4. Enjoy … then convince your friends that pork in pickle juice really is a good thing. Once we’ve convinced a friend or family member to try it, they’re always happy with the result.
Tips:
• What do you do if you’re not as pickle obsessed as I am and don’t routinely have multiple containers of pickles sloshing around the fridge? Visit your local sandwich shop, deli or restaurant. I’ve found that most places just dump the leftover brine when the pickles are gone and will probably fill a container for you or let you know when they’re ready to toss the leftover liquid.
• You’re also not limited to dill pickle juice. We love using the brine from horseradish pickles, but almost any kind would work. I haven’t tried sweet pickle juice just because it’s so easy to burn sweet glazes on the grill. That one might work better in the oven. Garlic or spicy pickle juice would probably be delicious.

 

Everett brewery crafts sour ‘pickle beer’ ahead of Boston Pickle Fair

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By:Kristin LaFratta

Mass Live

(Photo/Down the Road Beer Co.)

Pucker up for some Pickle Beer !

Everett’s Down the Road Beer Company is very ready for the Boston Pickle Fair: the brewery announced its newest beer, Sam-Sam The Pickle Man, will debut at the fair this weekend.
Beer-makers describe their newest concoction as a “spicy dill-pickle sour with real pickle brine,” brewed in collaboration with Boston’s Grillo Pickles.
The original brew will make its first public appearance at the Boston Pickle Fair at the Innovation and Design Building on Saturday, June 23. Following the festival, the beer will be on draft at Down the Road’s Everett taproom and in purchase takeaway cans.
Tickets for the Saturday event, which boasts having all-things pickle, are already sold out, but organizers say a limited amount of tickets will be sold at the door.

As craft breweries continue to be pop up around Massachusetts, a growing trend of sour, tangy and fruity beers is on the rise. That promising trend, combined with an upcoming June pickle fair in Boston, inspired an innovative creation from Down the Road brewers.
“We crafted an American kettle sour with dill-spiced brine from our friends at Grillo’s,” Down the Road founder and brewmaster Donovan Bailey said in a statement.

The can illustration on Sam-Sam the Pickle Man includes more signature artwork by Montana-based artist Nikki Rossignol, who designs mythological scenes and characters on Down the Road’s cans. Similar colorful artwork can be seen on the walls of the company’s taproom in Everett as well.

Bailey opened a physical space for the brewery in Everett just last year, located in an area he described as once being an “industrial wasteland.” The result was a casual, comfortable and spacious place to drink craft brews — and play vintage pinball. A row of restored classic pinball machines line the walls of the taproom.

 

Trader Joe’s Popcorn In A Pickle Is A Must-Have Staple For All Pickle Fans

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By:Callie Tansill-Suddath

Bustle

Trader Joe’s Pickle flavored popcorn

Photo By :Trader Joe’s

 

 

Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Popcorn — that’s how that old tongue-twister goes, right? OK, maybe not. But thanks to Trader Joe’s briniest item on its extensive lineup of snack foods there might just be the need for an updated riddle. Move over caramel corn, a saltier snack is here to claim the spotlight: in case you didn’t already know about it, or need some reminding now that summer is here, Trader Joe’s Popcorn in a Pickle is the perfect side dish for the upcoming barbecue season.

Yes, Trader Joe’s has had this offering around for awhile, but the magic of Instagram is bringing it back into the limelight so we don’t all make a mistake and sleep on it this summer. Michigan-based Instagrammer JunkFoodMom, who documents her interesting supermarket snack finds, recently posted about the snack and put it back on the internet’s radar. She posted a photo of the large bag, and a handful of popcorn displayed in the foreground. Her accompanying caption reads: “TJ’s popcorn with the ‘bite and tang of dill pickles.’ I’m not a huge fan of pickle flavored snacks but found this strangely addicting. Dill oil is used to make these perfectly picklelicious.”

If you’re on the fence about tasting, perhaps JunkFoodMom’s assessment will sway you. If not, maybe you’ll be enticed by the darling anthropomorphic pickle displayed on the bag. The little leaf even looks vaguely like a hat.

If there is one thing hipster grocer extraordinaire Trader Joe’s has mastered, it is combining flavors in unexpected ways — and making it work beautifully. In fact, Bustle has rounded up a whole slew of unexpected Trader Joe’s combos that sound sketchy, but are actually delicious, from the Roasted Garlic & Onion Jam to the Mashed Cauliflower.

And pickle fans, fear not: although the TJ’s offering isn’t new, there are in fact countless pickle-flavored edibles to add to your summer lineup. Pickles, it would appear, are taking over the snack table this summer. Almost every food you can think of is being reinvented with a pickly twist. If you’re tired of cloyingly sweet summer sips, and bored of classic snacks, be a little adventurous in the coming months and add some add some pickle to your repertoire. It goes without saying the options aren’t limited to the vegetable.

In the meantime, let this either be your PSA or reminder that Popcorn in a Pickle is available at Trader Joe’s, and your taste buds deserve it.

Pickle-Brined Fried Chicken

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By Abby Reisner

Tasting Table 

Check the pickleback at the door and use that brine for a new take on the classic sandwich

Photo: Eric Wolfinger © 2018

 

Chris Kronner knows burgers. In fact, he’s made a name for himself off of them. And in his new cookbook, A Burger to Believe In, Kronner shares tips, tricks and recipes for making the perfect burger. Now, the classic is always reliable, but his burger knowledge goes beyond beef—like for these chicken thighs that are marinated in pickle juice and buttermilk, then fried until golden and topped with a black pepper slaw. The recipe takes a bit of forethought; you’ll want to make sure you have enough time to marinate for maximum tenderness. But the effort is mainly hands-off and the results more than worth it.

Pickle-Brined Fried Chicken
Reprinted with permission from ‘A Burger to Believe In: Recipes and Fundamentals,’ by Chris Kronner with Paolo Lucchesi, copyright © 2018. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

 

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes, plus overnight brining
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the Chicken:
4 boneless chicken thighs (skin-on or skinless)
3 cups dill pickle juice
3 cups buttermilk
For the Slaw:
½ head green cabbage, cored and sliced
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon Urfa, Marash or Aleppo chile flakes
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Sandwiches:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
8 cups rice bran oil, for frying
4 pain de mie buns
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions

1. In a large bowl or jar, fully submerge the chicken thighs in dill pickle juice. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or up to 24 hours.
2. Remove the chicken thighs from the pickle juice, and then fully submerge them in the buttermilk in a second large bowl or jar. Cover and refrigerate. Let the chicken soak for at least 1 hour, or up to 12 hours.
3. Make the slaw: On the day you fry the chicken, put the cabbage in a large bowl. Add the vinegar, honey, salt, chile flakes, and pepper and toss until combined. Let sit while you fry the chicken.
4. When ready to fry the chicken, stir together the flour, cornstarch, pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk, then dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, turning it to completely coat.
5. In a Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the oil to 345°F over high heat. (If you’re a beginning fryer, it’s probably best to fry one thigh at a time; once you get the hang of it, you can try doing more at once.) Fry the chicken until it’s golden brown or it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, about 6 to 8 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain the temperature at 325°F. Using a spider skimmer or other small strainer, remove the chicken from the oil and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt as desired.
6. While the chicken rests, toast the buns. Heat a cast-iron skillet or similar surface over high heat. Slice the buns in half horizontally. Smear the butter on the buns and place, butter side down, on the hot surface, working in batches if necessary. Toast until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Place a large handful of the coleslaw on a bottom bun and top with a chicken thigh. Be sure not to put a mountain of slaw on the sandwich; you want just enough to add some crunch and acid to the fried chicken. Cap it off. Repeat with your other sandwiches. Eat immediately.

 

 

 

What is a pickle? Texas couple suing over the definition of this savory snack

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By: Erica Chayes Wida

TODAY

Texas couple in a bit of a Pickle .

(summitted Photo)

A Texas law about pickles has left a sour taste in the mouths of one couple — and they’re doing something about it to help fellow farmers around the state.
Anita and Jim McHaney moved to a 10-acre farm in Hearne, Texas, after retiring in 2013. The fields were fertile so the McHaneys were able to bring their produce to the local farmers’ market every Saturday to sell. It was their retirement dream fulfilled.

One of the best ways the couple tried to supplement their income was to pickle leftover items like beets and okra, particularly in between market days and during the hot Texas summers. But when the McHaneys went to a class to ensure they were doing everything right when it came to farming and selling their wares, they realized their little Berry Ridge Farm was facing a big problem … at least when it came to pickles.

The Texas Department of State Health Services enforces the Cottage Food Law, which allows some types of home food production to be “exempt from the requirements of a food service establishment.” The law enables mom and pop businesses and farmers to make and sell certain food items without having to abide by commercial kitchen regulations.

While the law was updated in 2013 to include a myriad of farmers’ market friendly items — from baked goods to roasted coffees and dehydrated fruits — its definition of a “pickle” included only one vegetable: the cucumber.

“Pickles are seen as a value-added product. In Texas, we love our pickles. We eat all kinds of pickles. When we read this, I said, ‘You’re going to tell everyone in Texas that pickled jalapeno peppers aren’t real?’ Excuse me,” Anita McHaney told TODAY Food. Texan-pickle pride aside, the language set forth by health services means some farmers like the McHaneys, who can’t grow cucumbers due to sunlit, sandy soil, will miss out on income. Anita told TODAY that selling only fresh produce at the Saturday markets does not allow them to break even, and pickling is a common solution. “We know a lot of people who make and sell [cucumber] pickles and they are inundated with people at the market who say ‘Where are the pickled beets, where’s the pickled okra?’ And the [farmers] have to tell them they’re not allowed to sell those,” Anita said.

If purveyors sell pickled vegetables that aren’t cucumbers at farmers’ markets, The Texas Monitor reported they can face fines up to $25,000.
Rather than forgo lucrative farmers’ market sales, the McHaney’s sought the help of Institute for Justice in Austin, Texas. The couple filed a lawsuit against the State Department of State Health Services on May 31 with the law firm Drinker, Biddle and Reath, which took on the case pro bono.

“We’re pretty conservative people,” Anita told TODAY Food. “When we see a law is wrong, we don’t just break it. We try to get it changed to be rational. That’s what we’re trying to do here.” Anita said she believes a change to the law could help a lot of Texans — especially single moms or stay-at-home moms who can easily pickle produce and make “a little extra cash.” According to The Institute for Justice, women represent 83 percent of cottage food producers in the United States.

One of the McHaneys’ attorneys, Nate Bilhartz, told The Associated Press that the state’s narrow pickle definition ignores “recent Texas Supreme Court precedent upholding the right under the Texas Constitution to earn an honest living free from unreasonable government interference.”

Fans to gauge Pickles’ success in Year 3

/in , /by

Portland Tribune

By :Braden Johnson

 

The Portland Pickles Mascot

( Phot0 by: Tribune File Photo: Chase Allgood )

 

In only two seasons, the Portland Pickles have established themselves as a successful organization and entertainment option. But owners say the team has barely scratched the surface building its brand.
Heading into Year 3, which begins on Friday at home against the Port Angeles Lefties, Pickles co-owners Bill Stewart and Alan Miller hope to expand the fan experience at Walker Stadium.
The Pickles, a summer wood-bat baseball team, are the newest member of the well-established West Coast League. That will provide new and closer opponents, such as the Corvallis Knights and Bend Elks.

The Pickles also have revamped the concourse and concessions at their Lents Park stadium, added promotions and brought in new sponsors and partners.
“We have a really golden opportunity because we are the Pickles — MLB can’t tell us not to do something, and the only people who are going to judge us are the fans,” Miller says.
Stewart called 2017 a “learning experience” for the Pickles and their revised ownership group. The front office ramped up promotions, giveaways and entertainment acts, while adding right-field berm seating and the long-awaited field box seats.

The club averaged more than 1,600 fans per home game at Walker Stadium in 2017. That ranked 18th among all college summer baseball organizations, according to Ballpark Digest. It was a slight bump from the 1,561 average in 2016, the Pickles’ inaugural season as a member of the Great West League.
Miller, a Southern California resident and businessman who founded COLLiDE Agency and develops marketing campaigns, has focused on being more creative with Pickles promotions.
This year, the Pickles will bring back several popular theme nights, including Columbia Bank Night and Star Wars Night on July 1 and 21, respectively.
But the club is tapping different markets as well. The Pickles will have their first Pride Night on June 14 and will try some other ideas, such as Independence Day Hangover (July 5) and ’80s Night (July 11).

Miller is the mastermind behind the additions, “because I’m personally such a fan of minor league sports,” he says.
“A lot of nights are done around the country because it’s just a filler night. And I have a certain disdain for that, because it’s very uncreative,” Miller says.
Stewart and Miller, as well as co-owner/Seattle Seahawks punter Jon Ryan, are excited to test out Mexican Baseball Night on June 20. Miller and Ryan have attended games in the Mexican Baseball League and want to bring that experience to Portland. The Pickles will play that night as a team from Mexico, with music from the league and Latin American food options at certain concession stands.
When it comes to merchandise sales, Stewart and Miller say premium giveaways, such as hats, T-shirts and bobbleheads, see the most traction. The Pickles are planning three 2018 bobblehead giveaways, including a Ryan-themed design.

Also on the schedule is a Hawaiian T-shirt giveaway on June 8 and Adventist Health scarf giveaway on July 27.
Stewart worked to expand customer service and increase in-game entertainment during the offseason. From talking to fans in 2016 and 2017, he says he learned there is a demand for more variety.
“We learned a lot, that if we invest back into our product, then fans will support it,” he says. “It also told us we can be a lot more creative.”

The Pickles have partnered with Oregon Food Bank and Hollywood Senior Center to add ushers on the concourse and in the pavilion and outfield seating areas.
Stewart says the front office also relocated concession stands to the edge of the left- and right-field berms to clear up congestion on the concourse and bring products closer to fans.
Stewart will bring back the ZOOperstars! and Tyler’s Amazing Balancing Act for in-game entertainment, and the Pickles have added Birdzerk! for shows on June 29 and July 3.

Stewart expects group ticket packages to become more popular. The Pickles are opening up the Northside Ford Party Deck, which sits below the press box, to fans in 2018. It features a cook-to-order chef, and holds 20 to 30 people at $30 per ticket.
“I think it’s going to be popular,” Stewart says. “Not those first couple sets of games, but once people realize it’s only eight dollars more (than other private areas), it’s going to become a very popular area.”

Miller says his work at COLLiDE has a “lot of carryover” with creating new business partnerships with the Pickles.
Miller began working with New Era in and Baseballism to create new hat designs in 2017. This weekend, the Pickles are releasing a full New Era hat collection with three new designs.
Miller also helped create a partnership with the Trail Blazers. The Pickles attended a game at Moda Center in February and will have a Portland Trail Blazers Night on July 12.
The Pickles also are releasing a Blazers-themed merchandise line this weekend, including a “Dill City” hat that incorporates the teams’ logos.

 

They were really the first (sports) organization in the city to welcome us,” Stewart says. “They’ve bent over backwards to help us when they don’t have to. They’re creative guys who only want to see us succeed, and they come out to games.”
Nike has partnered with the Pickles to create new uniforms for the team.
And, the Pickles have added five day games to their schedule in attempt to continue bringing in youth groups and fans from retirement homes. The team played afternoon exhibition games on July 3 and 4 in 2017, and Stewart says it added a new element to the ballpark.
“It brings in a whole different market to us,” Stewart says, “and that’s exciting to see, because sometimes those people don’t want to come out on a Tuesday night. They want to come out on a Saturday afternoon.”
Even with changes made to the concourse, concessions and merchandise, the Pickles are leaving elements at Walker Stadium the same as they were in 2017.
League games Monday-Saturday again will start at 7:05 p.m., and Sunday games are still at 5:05 p.m.

The Pickles are retaining their weekday food and drink specials, as well. Their “$2 Tuesday” returns — with domestic beer, water, soda, hot dogs, popcorn and cotton candy all for the same price. On Wednesdays, $3 craft beers will be offered, and $2 domestic beers, water and soda will be available on Thursdays.
Public-address voice Robert Jones is back for his third season.

“I really believe he’s one of the best in the business,” Stewart says. “He has a great command of what he has to do, and he energizes the crowd. He’s a real special guy.”
Miller says the goal is to continue to make the ballpark experience multi-generational and add to the fan experience. He says he expected to start from scratch in 2017, when he joined Rose City Baseball LLC, and was “blown away” by how supportive (Pickles) fans already were.
“The dads can sit back and drink any of the 22 beers we have on tap, and the kids can run around and get autographs. For the baseball fan, you can sit up close and watch a really good product, and then you have all the fun promotions and giveaways.
“We’re going to treat this like Portland’s major league baseball team.”