Monday and More Pickles

It's nice to have a hobby and also a PICKLE BLOG because now each day is a new pickle adventure. Yesterday, I visited fabulous Historic Smithville and The House of Jerky. One jar of Kilhaney's Pickles Mango Tango later and we will certainly be trying more of their products in days to come. (Check the post!)

Today's adventure began with a trip to Santori's Produce and Deli in Somers Point. We have shopped there for almost two decades WOW and we depend on Santori's for fresh fruit and vegetables, which we eat a lot of! Always a great selection, especially on a Monday after the weekend crowds have wiped out the shelves and everything is restocked. And Santori's also has a fantastic deli counter that stocks Dietz & Watson products, a favorite in our household. In addition to a large selection of meats and cheeses, there are PICKLES! Yes a beautiful barrel full of them for starters. I picked out a prize and moved onto the cold box where I found a jar of D & W Sweet Horseradish Pickles HOORAY! They are delicious and the smell of horseradish hits your nose when you pop the lid. (I will definitely be drinking the juice on this one.)

Next up was a trip to the Shoprite and the hunt for the pickles yielded an extra large jar of classic Vlasic Fresh Packed Kosher Dill Wholes on sale for $3.99. Since Vlasic headquarters is located in Parsippany, NJ, these are local cukes to me. Plus, the large jar made them one of the most affordable selections on the shelf.  A child-bearing stork was introduced as the mascot in 1974 - because pregnant women have an appetite for pickles right?! Vlasic marketed themselves as "the pickle pregnant women crave...after all, who's a better pickle expert?" I remember that the stork talked like Groucho Marx, and held a pickle like a cigar. I suppose no one even knows who Groucho is these days.

Last up was a selection from the Home Goods store That's right, Home Goods like other specialty boutique stores that still exist, has a gourmet food section. This one had a selection of relishes including a Vidalia Onion and Hot Mustard that looked good, but I wanted some pickles. The selection I made from Diver's is actually a giardiniera with pickles, so not one of the best pickle picks the posse has purveyed. Still, it will not go to waste as soon as the next anitpasto is made.

So there you have it! I do not know how I will keep up this pace, but please stay tuned for this continuing personal pickle report. Who knows where it will take me?