Anyone find any good dill pickles?

Hey everyone,

I'm one of those people who is addicted to Claussen kosher dill pickles. I ALWAYS had a jar or two in my fridge back in the states. Has anyone found a good replacement?

Most brands have sugar in them and no garlic. The vinegar dills from Sainsbury kind of sort of work, but they're a mustard dill rather than kosher dill.

I won't  make the mistake and ask for pickles in any "American diners" here anymore, they're all bread and butter or sweet pickles. Which is a nasty surprise when you think you're getting dill! haha.

Hey everyone,

I'm one of those people who is addicted to Claussen kosher dill pickles. I ALWAYS had a jar or two in my fridge back in the states. Has anyone found a good replacement?

Most brands have sugar in them and no garlic. The vinegar dills from Sainsbury kind of sort of work, but they're a mustard dill rather than kosher dill.

I won't  make the mistake and ask for pickles in any "American diners" here anymore, they're all bread and butter or sweet pickles. Which is a nasty surprise when you think you're getting dill! haha.

None of them are the same.  M&S do some expensive ones which are very similar.

Aldi do a cheap option which, although still sweeter, are good enough for me. 

The only ones you'll reliably find are the McClure's Garlic & Dill, at M&S.  They're really, really good, though.

Beyond that, even the American specialty shops, or American sections at supermarkets, seem to neglect pickles.  You can sometimes find Vlasic, Heinz or other kosher dill pickles, but it's hit-or-miss.  If there's such a shop near you, you could try requesting them.

Sainsburys sell 'Mrs Elswood Haimisha Cucumbers', which are good sour dill pickles with no sugar listed in the ingredients.  

ETA:  just noticed there is no dill listed in the ingredients, either, although I feel sure I can taste it.    Does contain mustard seeds though, so maybe it is the same as the one  the OP has previously tried.

Thanks for the Marks and Sparks suggestion, Woadgrrl! Next time I'm there I'll have to check it out. I'm not sure I can shell out 7 quid for a jar of pickles just yet, but I know I'll get to that point sometime in the future. haha.

I really can't handle sweet pickles for some reason, Shandy. It's like finding a skittle in the handful of M&Ms you just ate. The Vinegar Dill's from Sainsbury's got me through my first few months when I was Claussenless. I'm really starting to miss the good pickles though.

I'll have to have a look at those, Albatross. The ones I've been getting are just Sainsbury brand. My husband teases me when I eat them and tells me I smell like a hamburger. haha.

I'll eat dill pickles, but I really prefer Kosher which if I remember right don't have any dill in them? I've been debating making refrigerator pickles but I've been so lazy. *smiles*

'Kosher' pickles (a.k.a. 'Kosher Dills', which aren't actually, necessarily kosher) definitely have dill in them, and they also tend to use a good amount of garlic.  The main difference is with the brine.

'Kosher' pickles (a.k.a. 'Kosher Dills', which aren't actually, necessarily kosher) definitely have dill in them, and they also tend to use a good amount of garlic.  The main difference is with the brine.

Right! I've never made them so I have a tough time keeping them straight. I miss those giant pickles you could get at the deli or the renaissance fair! haha.

I have good luck at the Polish section of the grocery store here, if you have that option?

I have good luck at the Polish section of the grocery store here, if you have that option?

I should check out Tesco's for that next time I'm there! I found theirs, but didn't think to look for pickles. Would they be in a refrigerated section?

And we still need to grab a cup of coffee or something sometime soon!

Feeling your pain - Claussen pickles are what dreams are made of...

I've never tried to duplicate them myself, but I make pickled carrots all the time for a Vietnamese dish that I make, and pickled carrots/red bell peppers/turnips for an Israeli dish as well. It's the easiest thing to do, has zero preservatives that you get w/ store-bought pickled things, and makes the house smell amazing.

Conclusion: try this! I might have to myself this weekend:

http://www.thesaucysoutherner.com/claussen-knockoffs-copycat-recipe/ [nofollow]

Find yourself a nice Polish Store/Deli.  They carry many varieties of dill pickles and you can also find other items typically used in the states.  They usually have rye bread with the caraway seed (seeded Jewish Rye), frankfurters/german style skin on hotdogs which are much closer to the kind of hotdogs you get in the states.  You can also get sauerkraut either in the cooler in the bag or jarred.  I also buy polish Golumpki's (pigs in the blanket), either ready fresh or jarred.  Also in the meat cooler you can get kielbasa and bologna.  They have different names for some of these items, but you can tell from seeing them what they are.  If you want some provolone cheese, find a nice Italian Deli where you can find nearly almost all the Italian ingredients not found in the stores.  Hope this helps! 

Sainsburys sell 'Mrs Elswood Haimisha Cucumbers', which are good sour dill pickles with no sugar listed in the ingredients.  

I've also seen these in Waitrose.

I should check out Tesco's for that next time I'm there! I found theirs, but didn't think to look for pickles. Would they be in a refrigerated section?

I think it would be unlikely they'd be in the refrigerated bit.

Good to know! I've been hankering for pickles again. *grins*

The 'haimisha cucumber' pickles seem to have disappeared in this area, but we still have the Mrs Elwood Hot Dill Cucumbers, which are excellent as well. Basically the same thing, but with chilli.