I get strange ideas in my head occasionally. Sometime in 2005, I noticed there were many different jars of pickles at my local supermarket and I wondered what the difference between them all was. Since then, I've always kept a jar of pickles in the fridge. Every time it runs out, I buy a new jar of pickles to try. For each jar, I jot down a few notes about what I and my apartment-mate (D) think of them. I keep all pickles refrigerated after opening, regardless of whether the jar says to or not. These are the results, listed in chronological order.
- Hengstenberg Crunchy Gherkins
- Sweet, crunchy, and spicy. And D rates them excellent as well. Best yet; hope this isn't the first is best effect.
- Hengstenberg Cornichons
- Like the previous, uses Gherkin pickles (but smaller). Also, much more vinegary.
- Passport specialties Kosher Baby Dill Pickles
- Not quite as sweet as the gherkins, nor as vinegary as the last container.
- Cascadian Farm Baby Dills
- Not tart. Has a hint of garlic. Also, less crisp than the others. I initially said very sweet but later disagreed with myself, saying not sweet, just not tart at all.
- Del Monte Sweet Premium Whole Pickles
- Woah. Unnecessarily sweet. The pickle is sweet and the exterior feels it too; there is something syrupy to the sweetness. Something saccharine to the sweetness overpowers any tartness the pickle has. So nasty I had to throw them away.
- Del Monte Dill Premium Tiny Kosher
- Tart and crisp. D likes them. They have a bit of a chemical flavor that bothers us a little.
- Claussen Kosher Dills
- Crisp. A solid choice. Nothing that makes it distinctive in any way, but nothing that makes it bad in any way either.
Additional keywords: pickle rating, pickle ranking, pickle descriptions
