The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
3 products made in South to tempt real pickle fans
Spirited pickles made in Ellijay get kick from moonshine in brine .
If you’re looking for pickles or pickle seasoning, here are products from three Southern companies.
Spirited bread and butter pickles
Ellijay is home to Panorama Orchards & Farm Market, a family fruit farm established in the 1920s, with a retail operation that stays open year-round. Besides apples and Panorama’s frozen apple pies, ready to take home and bake, no visit is complete without picking up a few things from the pantry shelves. That includes apple butter, cider and our favorite, the spirited bread and butter pickles. These traditionally flavored pickles get a little extra something from the moonshine in the brine; it’s less than half of one percent of the brine, but it definitely provides a little kick. Pickle shots, anyone?
■ $7.25 per 16-ounce jar. Available at Panorama Orchards & Farm Market, 63 Talona Mountain Road, Ellijay. Find out more at panoramaorchards.com.
Dirty dill spears
Across the state line, in Alabama, Will and Trey Sims and their Wickles Pickles partner, Andy Anderson, are making nine kinds of cucumber-based pickles, as well as relishes, spreads and pickled okra and garlic.
The brothers said they founded the company as a way to come home to Alabama after building careers elsewhere, and they’ve been producing pickles since 1998. The original pickles are both sweet and spicy; hula pickles include jalapeños and pineapple; the wicked varieties include red chile peppers; and dirty dill spears — our favorite — have no sugar in the brine. All the pickles carry a bit of heat, perfect for serving alongside barbecue, chopping into potato salad or spicing up a pimento cheese sandwich.
■ $6.95 per 24-ounce jar. Available at Kroger, Publix, Walmart and wicklespickles. com.
State fair fried pickle seasoning
Pickle fans need a jar of state fair fried pickle seasoning from Charleston-based Lowcountry Kettle. These folks make the most amazing potato chips in delicious flavors, and now they’re sharing the seasonings that turn plain chips into something extraordinary. Our favorite is the pickle seasoning, but they also have spicy pimento cheese, bloody mary, Carolina reaper and mustard barbecue sauce.
Use the pickle seasoning in your next batch of potato salad or pan of roasted potatoes, sprinkle it on smoked salmon or a bagel with a schmear, use it to season a roasted beet or carrot salad, or make a delicious yogurtpickle sauce for dipping fresh vegetables. If you love dill and the bright flavor of apple cider vinegar, you’ll love this seasoning.
■ $13.90 per two-pack of 2.2-ounce jars, $29.99 for pack of all five flavors. Available at lowcountrykettle.com. Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter.
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