LOTS about pickle chips....

Today’s pickle, is actually a pickle chip.  In addition to a nice sandwich topper, pickle chips make a good snack.  It is kind of like crackers or potato chips, but better for you.  Anyway, back to today’s pickle, Organic Kosher Sliced Dill Pickles by Woodstock Farms.  I was disturbed by the pickle jar.  There were white floaty things in the juice.  Now, usually with homemade pickles you see the garlic cloves and dill or whatever, but when you buy them at the store the juice doesn’t usually have anything unless it is packed with peppers.  Since these pickles were organic I thought I might be the salt, even though as salty as pickle juice is you usually don’t SEE the salt.  Maybe it is sea salt.  Well, it disturbed me enough I asked my daughter Claire to taste it.  Her verdict?  It is salt.  Although she told me she was unsure of what garlic taste is.

So after getting over my fear, that the pickles had some sort floatie that should not be there, I moved on and got my self a good number of slices.  The appearances of the slices is very pleasing.  They have a dark green skin and a light inside, like a good deli pickle.   The crunch of the pickle is also very good, which is sometimes harder to have with slices.  The flavor was good, not great, but a solid good.  They would fall into the, would buy again category, but not, gotta have them category. Grocery store Claussen pickles are about the same level and a touch cheaper.  They are organic though, which probably should add a plus in the Woodstock pickles’ column.

Now, let’s talk about the chip format in pickles.  Most people think of pickles chips for sandwiches or burgers.  I really like pickle chips to fry.  I have been to restaurants where they fry whole spears, but it is much easier to do that at home with the slices.  I also really like slices to mix into potato salads, macaroni salads, egg salad, etc.  I know what you are thinking.  You are saying to yourself, most of the times those creamy, horrible for you side dishes already have pickles.  I know, but it is not enough.  As I am eating my potato salad hoping for a small tiny nugget of pickle, I just think about how the rest of the ingredients are in the way.  Throw some pickle slices in there and you have a great dish that compliments the pickle!  Of course, you can always just snack on the pickle chips themselves.  It is actually a really good way to get a little pickle taste if you don’t want to sit down with a whole pickle. 

I guess it is also worth mentioning that these pickles had ridges.  As most of you probably know, not all pickles chips do have ridges.  It seems that kosher style pickles are more often crinkle cut and just regular old dills are smooth.  Does it affect the taste?  Probably not, but there does seem to be some allure to it.  (Also with potato chips and French fries too!)   During the spring I saw a Sonic Ad where they announced they had crinkle cut pickles.  It is even listed in the online description.  This is crazy to me.  I LOVE pickles.  When I order a sandwich, burger, whatever, always extra pickles.  I even have places where I know the pickles are better than others, but as long as I can remember it nothing to do with the cut of the pickle.  Who knew!?

Now beats on the other hand MUST be crinkle cut.