Pickles... Yum.

Last week, the PI reported that starting this season, three of our "local" pickle brands (Nally, Farman's and Steinfeld's) would be outsourcing their cucumber production. All three brands are owned by a company in Wisconsin that decided they could get cucumbers cheaper elsewhere in the country or from abroad. I didn't think much of it, because I didn't think much of their pickles to begin with.

Now, I'm no pickle expert, but I do know what I like and that's Woodring's Parker Pickles. According to a post today on Seattle Metblogs, I'm not alone. We've been buying these pickles at the farmer's market for the last couple years and they're wonderful... crispy and flavorful with just the right kick. We usually get the spicy ones, though as Dale Nelson of Woodring's explained to me, they're not really spicy at first. As they sit in the jar, they get hotter and hotter. Charlie has no problem with a pickle out of a fresh jar, but by the time we're down to the last pickle, they can really make you sweat. Mmm... pickles.