Picklesburgh is one big ‘dill’

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By: JoAnne Klimovich Harrop

TRIB Live  

(summitted Photo)

Picklesburgh is one big ‘dill’

 

Americans consume 26 billion pickles a year, which equals 9 pounds of pickles per person.
Here’s your chance to add to those numbers.
The fourth annual Picklesburgh event returns — this time for three days — July 20-22. Roberto Clemente Bridge in Pittsburgh will transform into Picklesburgh, highlighted by the beloved, giant flying Heinz Pickle.

Produced by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and presented by Heinz, it’s a culinary celebration that goes beyond the dill pickle to include international dishes and handcrafted foods from local chefs that feature house-cured pickled vegetables. There will be informative how-to demonstrations which embrace the farm-to-table movement and the rising popularity of do-it-yourself canning as well as fun pickle-themed merchandise, live music, and a “Lil Gherkins” area with free kids’ activities.
There will even be a competitive pickle juice drinking contest.

“We continue to be blown away by the creativity shown in our local culinary scene,” says Jeremy Waldrup, president and CEO of the “Picklesburgh” Downtown Partnership in a news release. “Each year our vendors continue to outdo themselves adding more unique and inspired items to their offerings. We expect 2018 to be our biggest year yet!”
Pickle-inspired foods and beverages

Locals Southern Tier Brewery and Great Lakes Brewery will offer pickled beers. Wigle Whiskey has created “Eau de Pickle,” a limited new pickle-flavored spirit that was crafted in celebration of the event. The drink is a complex, flavor-forward spirit. It incorporates classic pickle flavors, including dill, coriander, mustard seed and garlic into a rye-based high proof spirit.
Some restaurants will offer pickle-inspired items on their menu.
“We are very excited about the beers and the pickle whiskey,” says Leigh White, vice-president of marketing and communications for Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. “We have had a wonderful response from Downtown restaurants offering pickle-inspired cocktails.”

Why so popular?
White says this type of event is attractive because it’s a perfect mix of a county fair atmosphere because of the traditional pickle canning and the foodie experience for those who want to try something different. With Pittsburgh’s growth in the culinary scene being recognized — not just locally, but on a national scope — events like this continue to put our city in the dining spotlight.
“The offerings are culinary ingenuity and so creative,” White says. “The event is becoming well known and now brings in people from other cities because they want to try new items, especially those they might not immediately associate with pickles such as ice cream or beer or whiskey. But once they try a new food or drink, they love it.”
Pickle juice, anyone?

More than 60 contestants will down a quart of pickle juice in pursuit of a $500 prize. Preliminary heats will occur at 1, 2:30, 4, 5:30 and 7 p.m. with the grand finale at 8:30 p.m. July 21.
Prepared foods, drinks

BRGR: Try a gourmet burger with pickled toppings, fried pickles and add a specialty cocktail.

Gosia’s Pierogies: These pierogies combine buttery mashed potatoes in a dumpling with swirls of dill pickle, sauerkraut, sweet cabbage and cheese.

Millie’s Ice Cream: The homemade ice cream and sorbet company will feature two pickle flavors created just for this event.

Pretzel Revolution: Try the pickled chicken stuffed pretzel or a dill and cheese soft pretzel, among a variety of other “stuffed” snacks and sandwiches made fresh onsite.

Spirit: Wood-fired thin crust pizzas with pickled toppings, plus a plethora of pickled cocktails such as a summer sangria with pickled watermelon and gin and juice with pickled carrot.

Chocolate Moonshine Co.: The artisan chocolate company will serve a Pittsburgh pickle, peanut butter pickle swirl or Belgian chocolate covered pickle on a stick.

Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop: Purveyors of pickle juice soda, this company will offer pickle-themed mints and candy.

 

 

 

Kitchen Shrink: It’s a Dilly! All-Purpose Pickle Primer

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By:Catharine Kaufman

La Jolla Light 

Salmon and Gherkin Salad with Pickles  (Courtesy)

KITCHEN SHRINK:
Pickles of all manners are so beloved throughout the lands, they’ve been celebrated every May since 1948 during International Pickle Week, as diverse cultures pay tribute to their own version of the probiotic powerhouse. As summer swells into full bloom, it’s time to pick a peck of pickled pickles to enliven everything from burgers and brats to lobster rolls, assorted salads and ice cream (for pregnant cravings, of course) to suit sour, sweet, tangy and spicy palates.

Pickling is one of the oldest methods of food preservation tracing back 5,000 years when Mesopotamians soaked vegetables and fruits in a briny bath of salt, vinegar, herbs and spices until they nicely fermented. A few centuries later once the cucumber was cultivated in India and then pickled in the Tigris Valley its popularity soon trickled throughout ancient societies. In Egypt Cleopatra attributed her beauty and sex appeal to incorporating the sassy sour cuke into her diet.
From Julius Caesar to Christopher Columbus, both emperor and explorer believed that pickles had super powers to fortify soldiers and ward off scurvy in sailors. Eastern European Jews dialed up their bland diet with fermented cabbage, beets and cucumbers, sealed in barrels, and stored in cellars for use throughout the winter. During the wave of immigration to the United States settlers brought kosher dills to the Big Apple, along with the method of fermentation in wooden barrels using kosher salt, fresh dill, garlic and spices, where they were sold straight out of these vessels at Jewish delis.

Not all pickles are created equal depending on the species of cucumber, length of fermentation, type of brining vessel, amalgamation of pickling spices, (allspice, bay leaves, peppercorns, dill and mustard seeds, cardamom, juniper berries, crushed hot peppers), and international flavorings (soy sauce, curry, wasabi, sriracha, Cajun) used.
How a pickle is sliced is a matter of personal preference, whether lengthwise or crosswise (pickle chips), cut in waffles, spears, cubes, sticks, halves, diced, or eaten whole.
Twenty billion pickles are consumed every year in this country, the dill the most popular brined in a mixture of vinegar, salt, fresh dill or dill oil, and fermented until it becomes a lip-puckeringly sour, soggy, jade green delight. The half-sour dills are crisp, bright green pickles due to their short fermentation period in a vinegar-less brine with reduced salt, refrigerated throughout the process. Kosher-style dills are brined in kosher salt, along with plenty of dill and garlic, giving them a flavor oomph compared to traditional dills. The Polish-style dill is similar to the kosher dill, but is cured in a salty brine without vinegar, along with a load of garlic, while the German-style dill is pickled only in vinegar and lemon juice.

Southern parts have not only contributed the deep-fried pickle, but also the Kool-Aid pickle, known as the Koolickle. After soaking a dill in a bath of Kool-Aid and sugar for days, this sweet and sour pickle glows in electric hues of blue, red or orange. For a healthier riff try natural food coloring along with stevia or coconut sugar.
Sweet tooths might also indulge in tangy bread and butter pickles brined in a sugary vinegar base, usually pickled with onions and bell peppers, and cut into coins with ridged edges.
Diminutive “cornichons,” French for “gherkins” are either garden cucumbers harvested when they’re only a couple of inches long, or the naturally smaller West Indian or Burr species then fermented in a blend of wine vinegar and garlic, usually paired with pearl onions. These sweet, tangy petites make an ideal sandwich or cocktail garnish.

“Tsukemono,” which translates to “pickled things,” is the Japanese rendition with a blend of cucumbers, daikon radishes, turnips and plums pickled in miso paste, rice bran or sake creating colorful little snacking gems. While relish is a condiment of minced sweet pickles straight up or mixed with mustard to top sausages, dogs or burgers with an added crunch and flavor.
Cook’s Tip: Save pickle juice to add a zing to salad dressings, marinades, Dirty Martinis, or freeze in ice cube trays to use in other savory drinks.
The multi-purpose pickle can be wrapped in bacon, sliced on sandwiches, incorporated into sushi rolls, minced and tossed in chilled soups, Tzatziki dips, seafood cocktails, crab cakes, Cobb, egg, macaroni or redskin potato salads, or this delightful salmon mousse to stuff into hollows of heirloom tomatoes, avocado halves or spread on your favorite bread.

Sno Cone-Flavored Pickles Come In Snack Packs On Amazon & They’re The Perfect Summer Treat

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By: Isami McCowan

Bustle

 

Photo by: Amazon

Sno-cone flavored pickles are the prefect summer treat !

We’ve all had our fair share of weird, guilty pleasure snacks (mine is macaroni and cheese with ketchup, don’t judge me). You especially know what I’m talking about if you’ve ever been to a state fair before–from bacon-wrapped caramel apples to deep fried scorpion, they’ve pretty much done it all. You don’t have to trek out to the fairgrounds for the newest addition in the world of out-there snacks because it can be delivered right to your doorstep with Amazon. Please, give a warm welcome to sno cone-flavored dill pickles.

This peculiar snack was inspired by the quintessential (okay, maybe only to a few people) Southern treat “Koolickles,” or Kool-Aid pickles. They were originally created in the Delta region of Mississippi, and the culinary process was fairly simple: cut a few pickles in half, submerge them in a jar of sugar and Kool-Aid, and then stick it in the fridge for a week. So, if you overstated your cooking abilities to your date just a little bit and are now scrambling for a simple recipe, look no further. Pull out your ice-cold jar of fruity pickles to set on the candlelit table, and voila. Dinner is served.
The Amazon version of this historically Southern treat hails from a company called SnoCo Pickles. Their other products range from red hot cinnamon snow cone pickles to, well, orange cream soda flavored pickles. Hey, at least they’ve dedicated themselves to perfecting their product. The snow cone flavored dill pickle snack packs come in a 12 flavor bundle in colorful little bags. You’ll get a chance to try strawberry, mango, peach, blue raspberry, tropical pineapple, sour green apple, and several more fruity, flavorful pickles if you decide to make the purchase. SnoCo pickles only uses “premium kosher dill pickles” in their products, and the pickle treat does not contain any high fructose corn syrup. Also, they use 100 percent pure cane sugar as a sweetener (I’m getting more and more tempted to buy three orders).

 

SnoCo Pickles describes itself as “the perfect blend of two well-known southern traditions, snow cones and kool aid koolicle pickles.” We already discussed the Koolickle, but the company is also right about snow cones. The icy treat is basically the holy grail snack on a hot summer day in the South — and the flavors get weird there, too. Pickle-flavored snow cones were a thing at the local snow cone parlor in my hometown, to bring everything full circle. Oh, and sweet tea-flavored snow cones because it is the South, after all.
If you’re an adventurous pickle-lover, this snack may be right up your alley. Just think of it: little crystals of cane sugar, sweet, decadent snow cone syrup, and top-of-the-line dill pickles coming together to create a strangely delicious summer treat. Move over, fla-vor-ice freeze pops, it’s time to start sharing the spotlight. If you finish all of your snow cone pickle snack packs and find yourself preferring one flavor above all the others, you’re in luck. SnoCo Pickles sells most of the flavors individually in 17 ounce jars of dill pickle spears. On their website, you can find a bunch of deals that are perfect if your pickle purchase is for a party where everyone will be digging in: twelve flavors in 16 ounce jars, six flavor mix-and-match jars, and twenty four flavor snack packs.
If you’re contemplating buying a serving of these fruit-flavored pickles, I say go for it. Carpe diem. Don’t let pickles’ only purpose be the tiny bit of crunch inside of your burger — they were destined for bigger, sweeter, more snow-cone flavored things.

Pickle Soup From Poland Is Available To Purchase On Amazon & It’s A Mainstay Every Pickle Lover Should Try

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ByCallie Tansill-Suddath

Bustle

 

Pickle Soup it’s  perfectly picklelicious !

(photo by : Amazon )

Soup might not be the first food that comes to mind when you think about summer. But, don’t count it out just yet. Have you ever spent a day at the beach, only to return home to a freezing house? You’re damp and sticky from seawater and desperate to warm up. Few things will do the trick as well as a warm cup of soup. This authentic Polish Pickle Soup has been keeping the hearts and bellies of Poles warm for centuries, and now you can get some on Amazon.

Pickles are finally receiving their due recognition. For some it may even be a little surprising to see; nowadays the value of a food is often placed on how many likes it will bring in on Instagram. While the humble pickle may not come plastered with unicorns, rainbows, or glitter, its flavor has enough excitement to warrant a ‘gram.
The pickle soup, a product of Knorr’s, is a mainstay. Imported from Poland (even the ingredients are in Polish!), each box comes with five envelopes of soup mix ready to be mixed with water and eaten. The formal name of the fare is Ogórkowa z Grzankami Goracy Kubek, which roughly translates to “Cucumber with Croutons Hot Cup.”

Although it may seem unusual to those who didn’t grow up with it, people who tried it on Amazon haven’t been disappointed. “Pickle soup you say? Yup. I always turned up my nose at the thought of…. pickle soup,” writes one reviewer. “I was in our local Polish store and bought one packet of this instant cup of soup and loved it … I ordered a ton of them from Amazon and am so happy to have them.”

If you’re still not soup on in the summer, there are countless other pickly products to keep your sour tooth satisfied while the sun is out.
Trader Joe’s has been offering Popcorn in a Pickle for awhile, but the magic of Instagram brought it back into the limelight. so we don’t all make a mistake and sleep on it this summer. Last month, Michigan-based JunkFoodMom, a successful junk food Instagrammer, recently posted about the snack which returned it to 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.”

I can speak from personal experience when I say this popcorn is a real treat. It maintains all the pucker of a true pickle, while offering a more enhanced taste of the spices used in the pickling process. Who knew popcorn could be so sophisticated? You can find these at your local Trader Joe’s; but be warned, this spike in popularity may lead to them being out of stock. Again, that warning is rooted in personal experience.

Another option comes from Pringles, the original potato snack to come housed in a tube, rather than a bag. The brand has never been one to shy away from the original. In fact, the entire premise behind a flake-based, expeller-pressed potato snack was unheard of when Pringles was first released. In the years since they have become a supermarket standard, Pringles have released a bounty of the inventive flavors — about 29 can be found on shelves around the United States, according to Mental Floss. Among these is the unprecedented Screamin’ Dill Pickle Pringles. The taste is described on the Pringles website as “…so big and bold and … freaking Xtra that it just screams ‘PICKLE’.” It’s surely not for the faint of heart (or tastebud).
The takeaway here is if you can dream it, it can be pickled. That doesn’t just go for chilly snacks, either. The next time you’re looking for a unique midnight snack, mix up some Ogórkowa z Grzankami Goracy Kubek, or Polish Pickle Soup. You can find a pack of five on Amazon for a little more than six bucks (and it’s on Prime!).

 

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.