Stock Up: Three Southern pickles you should try

Bread and butter pickles from Stamey’s Salty Dill Pickles. Courtesy of Stamey’s Salty Dill Pickles

Credit: Handout

Credit: Handout

Bread and butter pickles from Stamey’s Salty Dill Pickles. Courtesy of Stamey’s Salty Dill Pickles

In my house, pickles are not just something to put on top of a burger. They are an essential part of potato salad, egg salad, tuna salad, deviled eggs, slaw ... the list goes on. I’ve even been known to eat a bowl of pickles as a snack. You?

Bread & butter pickles from Stamey’s Salty Dill Pickles

Stamey’s, out of Cherryville, North Carolina, makes a dozen varieties of pickles, candied jalapenos, salsa and even spicy quail eggs. We saw a jar of their bread and butter pickles, and the combination of bread and butter pickles with the “salty dill pickles” of the company’s name was so intriguing that we had to give them a try. Turns out, they are bread and butter pickles through and through. No dill at all, but absolutely delicious. They are sweet and crunchy, and they have the requisite onions and celery seed that make bread and butter pickles a thing. Bread and butter pickles are a traditional side to classic barbecue, but they make a perfect sandwich topper — maybe that’s how they got their name?

$10.50 per 32-ounce jar. Available at Floral Park Market in Atlanta, Chadwick’s Produce in Lawrenceville, Oma and Opa’s Eats and Gifts in Dacula, and at stameypickles.com.

Whiskey dill pickles from Beast Little Cannery. Courtesy of Missy Stocks

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Credit: Handout

Whiskey dill pickles from Beast Little Cannery

Missy Stocks of Lilburn swore she never would get into pickles in a commercial way. She enjoyed making pickles, and offering them to friends and neighbors, who gave her a little cash, which she socked away with the intention of fencing the backyard for her three mastiffs. Finally, giving into demands to turn her pickle-making into a business, she spent more than a year meeting all the regulations to be able to offer her pickles commercially. She named the company Beast Little Cannery in honor of her dogs, and now she produces four varieties of pickles. We picked up a jar of her whiskey dill pickles at the Lilburn Farmers Market. Yes, there’s bourbon in these pickles, and you definitely can taste it — a treat for all the whiskey fans out there. There’s plenty of salt and dill in there, too.

$7 per pint jar, $12 per quart. Available at beastlittlecannery.square.site.

Kosher dill pickles from Oh Snap Pickling Co. Courtesy of Oh Snap Pickling Co.

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Credit: Handout

Kosher dill pickles from Oh Snap Pickling Co.

The ultimate snacks for on-the-go pickle fans are these packs of sliced pickles from Wisconsin-based Oh Snap. What makes them so convenient is that the pickles don’t come packed in brine. You can just zip open the package and enjoy, with no pickle juice to spill on your clothes. And, there are just enough pickles in the pack for a snack. What makes them worth tucking into your lunch bag is that they’re delicious and fresh tasting, with just enough dill and salt. They make a great snack or side for your sandwich. And, the tag on the package that says “super crunchy” is absolutely true. Oh Snap makes a variety of pickled vegetables, as well as dill pickles in several varieties. We tried Dilly Bites, which we understand is the company’s bestseller. Next, we want to try their Sassy Bites, which are sweet with a little heat. You’ll find Oh Snap pickles in the refrigerated deli section at your market.

$1.19 per 3.25-ounce package. Available at Kroger, Target, Publix and Walmart. ohsnappickles.com.

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