I’ve always loved pickles and pickle juice, but lately, in particular, I’ve been craving (and consuming) copious amounts of dill pickles and dill pickle Juice. It occurred to me that I do not have a favorite brand of dill pickle, so I decided to find out if I have one. To that end, I bought every brand available at my local grocery store and did a taste test.
I did a sampling of a spear of each pickle, with a water cleanse between. To my surprise, I factually did like one above all others. I found my favorite of this selection was Vlasic Kosher Dill.
I will note a few caveats:
* I do love other flavors of pickles, too, but this test was all about dill pickles.
*I ordered almost all pickle spears, but I prefer whole pickles. They keep their stiffness and crunch better.
*I did the taste test while they were all still room temperature. I much prefer them refrigerated.
*Some flavors were so starkly different, it was like comparing pickled apples and pickled oranges.
I also ordered 4 brands of dill pickle juice. Of the three I’ve tried so far tried:
…the Picklesplash is the only one that tastes exactly like pickle juice from a pickle jar. I have a gallon of another brand I have not tried yet.
Finally, I tried a dirty (Tanqueray gin) martini with pickle juice instead of olive juice. Honestly, it wasn’t bad.
One thing I discovered about pickle juice I never knew before: it relieves muscle cramps almost immediately. Athletes have known this for some time, apparently. I am prone to cramping in my feet and calves when I am suffering from dehydration and malnutrition (which I have been a lot this year.) When I recently got a case of foot cramps, I tried some pickle juice. Within seconds after sipping pickle juice, the cramping stopped. The more you know…..
I am going to continue to try other brands as I come across them.
Do you like pickles? Do you have a favorite brand? Do you ever drink pickle juice from the jar? Have you ever made home made pickles? Do you like other pickled vegetables? Do you ever use pickles in recipes for other things (like macaroni salad or tuna fish)?
Idle Eyes and a Dormy 
I’m a pickle lover. French cornichons are a standard item here, of course. We’ve also been keeping some sweet and sour pickles on hand, as well as “hot” pickles. Yum. I did make my own pickles when we moved here after a couple of successful cucumber harvests in the garden. I still have some of those. Our pickling juice turned out a little strong, so after opening a jar, we’d pour some juice in from a store-bought jar to temper it a little and the pickles were fantastic. I’ve never heard of sipping pickle juice for cramps. I wonder if it would work for restless leg syndrome. On to research and experimentation!!
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I’m not a fan of pickle juice but I had no idea about it as a treatment for cramps (and I wish I had known). Fascinating. I didn’t even know you could buy pickle juice on its own — although probably not here. San Geraldo loves dill pickles. We actually canned our own when we lived in Connecticut and got blue ribbons every year at our town’s agricultural fair.
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a spoonful of yellow mustard seems to work, too. It’s something about the vinegar; that first hit of acid to the system inhibits muscle spasms somehow. It’s a weird reflex. I’ve heard of pro athlete teams using pickle juice and mustard for cramps on the field.
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Hmmm. I’ll give mustard a try next time.
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Love pickles, I make half-sour dills when the ingredients are fresh and local.
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I didn’t even know it is possible to buy pickle juice separately in its own bottle! And I’ve never heard it touted as a cure for cramping. Interesting! I like a nice dill pickle with a corned beef on rye, and sweet bread ‘n butter pickles with a grilled cheese sandwich. Otherwise, I’m not a huge pickle eater, although I do have a nice recipe for a quick pickled salad which is delicious in the summer with BBQ etc.
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Whew! I’m glad you picked Vlasic. That’s the only brand out of the six you found that I can find where I shop. I usually buy their dill chips and relish. I’ve been known to snack on the dill chips every so often, too.
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Claussen Garlic Dills are my all-time faves! I do love a bread-n-butter pickle, though. My former mother-in-law made her own pickles and her pickled watermelon rind was always a hit. But who can pass up a sweet gherkin?
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Several people have recommended Claussen’s.
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I hope you are refraining from the juice during work hours. It is not becoming to get pickled at work.
I am not a huge fan of pickles but I like pickle juice.
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Funny you say that. One of the bottles looks like a vodka or wine bottle, and a have small juice glasses I drink it from. I feel like I’m having shots of whiskey all day.
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I am not fond of the dill flavor, so that’s a big “no” to dill pickles. I do love me some sweet gherkins, though. My mother-in-law would make sweet pickles, and they were delicious. I made a batch once, a long time ago.
Mt. Olive pickles are easy to buy around here. I don’t like their sweet relish nearly as much as some other brands.
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I also like sweet, bread and butter, garlic, and sour pickles, and a variety of other specialty flavors as well. And sweet and dill relish as well.
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