Cucumber Spears with Dill

so....i went on over to my local sainbury's and was getting everything on my list.  i happened to cruise down the freezer section where they love to put the salad dressings, pickles, olives and various other condiments in this country.  anyway.....i spot "Cucumber Spears with Dill"....and i almost start doing the Balki Bartokomous "Dance of Joy" right there in the aisle!!  so i put them in the cart and bring them home.

before i continue....i have to say that i hate, hate, hate sweet pickles.  they aren't meant to be sweet in my book....plain and simple.  and after reading on this forum about others difficulties in finding proper "american pickles" and that there was luck with "cucumber spears"...i thought i was in like flynn.  WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!  they were frickin' sweet!!  i see the lovely dill at the bottom of the jar....but the b*stards added sugar!! aarrrrggghhhhhh....i'm so aggrevated!!  now i'm stuck with this stupid jar of "Cucumber Spears with Dill" because some moron decided it would be a good idea to put sugar in it!!!  bleh!!!  mental note to self....check ingredients on all pickle purchase in the future for the word s-u-g-a-r...and don't buy it if it's part of the recipe.

Yeah sorry most of the cucumber type pickles you will find here do have sugar, don't ask me why.  But you can get the other kind online from Rosslyn Deli if you can't find them locally.

Yep.. or the French make gerkins with no sugar, glucose or any sweetner!

but are they really sweet like the ones I like??? I stilll look in earnest that one day I will find them... I am sure I will cry when I do... until then, it is Branston  

but are they really sweet like the ones I like??? I stilll look in earnest that one day I will find them... I am sure I will cry when I do... until then, it is Branston  

I'm with you, jklm! I love sweet pickles and can't stand those American-style pucker-your-mouth ones!    Branston is delish, but I make my own and it's even better (i.e., sweeter)! And a great way to get rid of end-of-the-season green tomatoes.

but are they really sweet like the ones I like??? I stilll look in earnest that one day I will find them... I am sure I will cry when I do... until then, it is Branston  

ok..well...for someone that's a sweet pickle fan....the cucumber spears with dill will prolly taste like "american dill" pickles with the salty taste being more dominate than the sweet.  so you're right...you should prolly stick to branston.  

Yep.. or the French make gerkins with no sugar, glucose or any sweetner!

Can you get those here?

I like the Iranian ones - they are not sweet but not like the American ones either - they're small and crunchy and have a lot of garlic.

I'm with you, jklm! I love sweet pickles and can't stand those American-style pucker-your-mouth ones!    Branston is delish, but I make my own and it's even better (i.e., sweeter)! And a great way to get rid of end-of-the-season green tomatoes.

I held out for 2 1/2 months before buying branston because I knew I would like it too much as a substitute!! I am on my second jar in 2 1/2 weeks 

I like the Iranian ones - they are not sweet but not like the American ones either - they're small and crunchy and have a lot of garlic.

oh...where can you get those?  i love anything with garlic....well....maybe not everything...but most things.  i would love to give the iranian ones a go.

Are you in London? There is a shop in Kensington High St, an Iranian grocer - opposite the Hilton, they have them.  The 1&1 brand is the best.   Otherwise try your local Turkish or Indian grocer, they sometimes have them.

Can you get those here?

Henri Lefollet brand are in Sainsbuy's.... I am talking cornichons here.... love them...

Not Clausen, but I was addicted to cornichons long before clausen...

I also love bread and butter ones... my mom used to make the best pickles....

sweet pickles are evil and they must be destroyed

sweet pickles are evil and they must be destroyed

i'm with you on that one all the way!!!

I agree completely. I just want a Clausens! I am wary of any pickle sitting on a shelf and not in a refrigerator.

I agree completely. I just want a Clausens! I am wary of any pickle sitting on a shelf and not in a refrigerator.

Why on earth would you need to refrigerate pickles at the supermarket!!!? They'll be refrigerating salt next!

You can get Beit Hashita Israeli garlic dill pickles in the kosher section of most supermarkets in my part of London! They're absolutely gorgeous and have no sugar added.

They come in tins and look like this