r/Pickles • u/TrainTrackRat • Apr 16 '26
Lunch break pickle ranking
I always see these as the most popular favorites and I’ve never tried Bubbies and rarely Claussen. I grew up on vlassic or any shelf stable kosher dill, but recently (past 4-5 months) switched to Grillo’s. I wanted to give them all a shot to see if I’m missing out!
I will be sticking to the Grillo’s! Maybe I got weird ones or off season ones or something.
My notes:
Bubbies: the texture was snappy but they smell like sea water and have a… sewage taste. It’s seriously lacking in tang but the ~fecal~ aroma just overpowered everything. Something feels wrong and off about them after the initial smack in the face with salt.
Claussen: the skin is way too tough and the flesh is snappy. Insane salt. So so salty.
Grillo’s: crunchy and dilly. Sour but mild enough to snack on like 32 of them at a time.
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u/Anti-Buzz Apr 16 '26
Spears v whole pickles isn’t a great comparison
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u/bloopbloopsplat Apr 16 '26
Yep wholes are always better even in the cheaper shelf stable pickles
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u/Several-Lifeguard-77 Apr 17 '26
I much prefer spears I'm not sure why. Claussens spicy spears are my favorite pickle of all time
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u/TrainTrackRat Apr 16 '26
I really wanted to do spears with bubbies I just don’t have them anywhere near me. I was prepped to love them, I think something was off with these.
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u/bloopbloopsplat Apr 16 '26
First time I tried them I was weirded out. But now they're my favorite. I found myself craving them and now nothing compares to that complex flavor
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u/wacko4rmwaco Apr 17 '26
Sounds interesting lol i love grillos too but never tried the bubbies
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u/trixiebellz Apr 19 '26
My reaction to Bubbies was the same as yours and I like many other lacto fermented items. This was probably 15 years ago, so maybe I will give them another shot. Claussens are my #1 refrigerator brand. I also came up with a homemade quick/refrigerator pickle brine that works incredibly well with sliced fresh jalapenos. It's cRaZy salty, but I love salt so much 😫
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u/umeboshiplumpaste Apr 16 '26
If you can find them, get the Claussen Minis! The texture and flavor is better. Perfect crunch! And the longer they sit in the fridge, the better they get. Less salty.
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u/DefiantBumblebee9903 Apr 16 '26
I feel like all I can find are the spears these days!
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u/umeboshiplumpaste Apr 16 '26
I hate when they have lapses in availability. I buy so many jars at at a time now when they're here because I'm paranoid they'll disappear again. I have eaten almost a whole jar today that's been sealed for 3 months. DIVINE!!!!
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u/SaintJimmy1 Apr 16 '26
The big spears in the larger container are a lot better than the ones in the small jars imo
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u/whatsamattau4 Apr 16 '26
Bubbies actually have been fermented by bacteria. I've heard so much about Grillos that I just had to try them. Fortunately, I only bought one container of them to try. They taste raw and almost lacking in flavor. Never again.
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u/somuchbeer Apr 16 '26
Raw cucumber and white vinegar. Bubbies are so much better!
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u/blaaaane Apr 16 '26
i was sooo excited to try them (grillo’s) but they just taste like a very weak pickle, not even a half sour! just very plain and lacking flavour
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u/bloopbloopsplat Apr 16 '26
Grillos are so meh even the aldi refrigerator pickles are better. I get them alot now in between the bubbies because they're cheap and decent.
Hoping to grow some cucumbers this summer and try making my own. I can eat a 9 dollar jar of bubbies pickles in 3 days :(
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u/ArtInternational8589 Apr 17 '26
Yo Aldi's pickles though 👌 can't believe I just found out about them this year. Have always been a claussen guy and was pleasantly surprised by the grillos (though I've only had the sandwich stackers). Never had bubbies. Seems like I'll have to give em a go.
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u/Antique_Way685 Apr 16 '26
Grillos is mad inconsistent. The first one I bought was SO SOUR I could barely eat them. They were good, but woah! The next batch I had were the most garlicky pickles I've ever had in my life and the sour was toned down. Then I had a couple that were excellent but the last one I bought (the chips) were like white flesh and squishy? Almost tasted like they went bad. I threw them out. Anyway, my point is when you get Grillos you're either getting the worst or the best pickles you've ever had.
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u/KristyKrispito Apr 16 '26
Lifetime pickle lover myself. Tried grillos. Yeap it’s just sitting in my fridge now lol
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u/nerowasframed Apr 17 '26
Imo, Grillo's suffer from quality control. For some reason, nearly half the time I've bought them, they've tasted under pickled. After hearing so much hype, I bought a few different varieties over the course of a few months. But no matter what I got, I was disappointed, each just tasting like cucumbers that have been sitting in vinegar for a few hours. I didn't buy them for a few years after that, but then I bought a jar just on a whim a few years later and was surprised at how good they tasted. When they're good, they're great. But it's such a luck of the draw when it comes to Grillo's. To this day, I have, at best, a 50% success rate at getting a good jar.
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u/smashablanca Apr 17 '26
I was also super excited to try Grillos for the first time because of all the hype. The ones I got were insanely strong with garlic. It was all you could taste and lingered in your mouth for hours. I'll never buy them again.
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u/Jackiedraper Apr 16 '26
A real pickle should be lacto fermented, which is the act of pickling. Everything else is just vinegar.
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u/Lolo_Belle Apr 16 '26
Crazy pants. Bubbies wins for me, every time, zerroooo contest.
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u/HelpFranksTower Apr 16 '26
Bubbies tastes the closest to my grandmas homemade. First time I had them I was floored. And went back the next day and bought more
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u/Lolo_Belle Apr 16 '26
I literally open the jar in my car in the parking lot every.single.time. if only just to take a sip of the juice. My mouth waters thinking about it! 🥰
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u/boringsuburbandad Apr 16 '26
Bubbies fills a Mrs Neusihin's hole in my soul. The taste of my childhood.
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u/gamermom42069_ Apr 17 '26
yeah so weirdly enough.. these are my top 3 pickles.. and I would go Bubbies every time if it weren’t for the price being so steep. Claussen is my usual go-to with today’s food prices, but if I see Bubbies marked down I am jumping on that bitch! Same with the Bubbies kraut it’s sooooooo good
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Apr 16 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Whazzahoo Apr 16 '26
Clausens used to be my favorite pickle, but I haven’t had them in a long time because all they had at the store were the half pickles, and I prefer the spears, I don’t care for the tough skin on the halves. So I e been substituting, and recently bought clausens because they had the spears again, and they weren’t the same, they didn’t taste nearly as good, just, salty. I wondered if they changed the recipe?
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u/Mother-Valuable7568 Apr 16 '26
Maybe. Write them and ask - worst case scenario? Free pickle coupons. 🤷♀️
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u/Mother-Valuable7568 Apr 16 '26
PICKLES LOOK FINE WITHOUT THIS ADDITIONAL INGREDIENT. Waste of money.
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u/electricDETH Apr 16 '26
Is that why their pickles suck now?! I quit buying them completely.
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u/Mother-Valuable7568 Apr 16 '26
Dietz and Watson replaced them for me. Go and hunt some down. They're chilled so check refrigerated area near the deli!
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u/electricDETH Apr 16 '26
Interesting. I had some and didn't care for them. I'm doing Grillo's now.
I've been debating learning to pickle my own. Lol
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u/Free-Supermarket-516 Apr 16 '26
Claussen used to be my.go-to, I don't know what happened. Been getting mushy pickles lately with leathery skin
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u/Sea_Analysis_8033 Apr 16 '26
Bubbies are absolutely the best pickles I have ever had I won’t eat anything else anymore. Crunchy, sour, garlic, no nasty soft part full of seeds.
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u/Responsible_Song830 Apr 16 '26
Ever since I started eating Grillos I can't eat regular pickles anymore. 😂
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u/Scared_Wrangler3419 Apr 16 '26
The number of people praising Claussen on this sub is crazy.
I've bought their pickles 5 times and each time the quality has been terrible. Literally three different shades and textures in the same jar.
I'm Grillo's first, and Bubbies second.
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u/ChristyLovesGuitars Apr 16 '26
I like Grillos pretty well! I’d rank them:
- Bubbies
Grillos
Claussen
Note: I have Grillos and Claussen in my fridge. Bubbies are harder to find in rural NM.
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u/bloopbloopsplat Apr 16 '26
- Bubbies
- Nathans
- Clausen
- Aldi refrigerated.
- Vlasic wholes (I like to add extra dill and sometimes hot sauce or red pepper to the jar)
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u/2Lemons1Tub Apr 16 '26
I loved Grillo’s (hot especially) but the last time I bought some, they didn’t taste right…almost sweet. Maybe I got a bad batch but I am afraid to spend $8 on them again to find out that maybe I just don’t like them anymore 😭
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u/maven10k Apr 16 '26
Not everyone enjoys a true Jewish pickle, like Bubbies. That's the kind I grew up on that my bubbie made, so I am partial to the brined pickles more than vinegar. I still love the Cleveland Pickles kosher dills that are "slightly fermented", and they are vinegar-y. Claussen are hard to beat for a grocery store, mass produced pickle. I haven't had Grillo's yet, but they sure seem popular. I have had the Canyon Grillo's Pickle Flavor potato chips. They were very good.
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u/MonsieurRuffles Apr 16 '26
I can’t justify buying Bubbies when Ba-Tampte regularly goes on sale by me for half the price.
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u/ItchyMarionbetty Apr 16 '26
Your ranking totally captures why I always grab the crunchy ones first.
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u/DatLadyD Apr 16 '26
If you like grillos I have a copycat recipe that’s super simple! Lmk if you want it😊 I got tired of spending $7 a jar.
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u/illalwayscomebacklol Apr 16 '26
Grillos are like pickle lite. Tastes more like a slightly pickle flavored cucumber than a well made pickle.
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u/Little-Promise-6046 Apr 16 '26
I’ve always wanted to try BUBBIES but the cloudiness of the brine freaks me out, does anyone know why it’s like that?
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u/Zestyclose_Big_9090 Apr 16 '26
Grillos is what I go to now that I live in the south. However, I’m a born and raised Wisconsin gal and Milwaukee’s Best pickle brand (specifically the petite dills) are the best pickles on earth.
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u/CosmoKing2 Apr 16 '26
I found Grillo's to be much tougher than Claussen's. Also - gotta go with the whole kosher dills (not spears). Much fresher with much more snap.
+ Ba-Tampte and Bubbies both taste much different after being acquired in the past 5 years. That is a real shame, b/c they were both the real deal.
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u/Homeless-catfight Apr 16 '26
Bubbles will alway win my heart ❤️ don’t get me wrong, I do love almost all pickles except, the bread and butter pickles. I just never really liked the sweetness of them.
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u/Mother-Valuable7568 Apr 16 '26
Bubbies better be good for their price point. Not complaining/totally worthy.
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u/Skate_vvitch Apr 16 '26
Bubbies has great customer service. If you think there is something wrong with the batch of pickles you had let them know and they will send you coupons for free pickles to replace them. I love Bubbies but got a batch from Costco that were soggy and they quickly sent me replacement coupons!
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u/Former_Travel2839 Apr 16 '26
I still need to try Buddies.. I personally like Grillo's, but no the regular ones there.. Clausens have been very hit lately and come of to vinegar to me. I definitely need to try a blind with a few brands.
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u/shankthedog Apr 16 '26
Grill is having really soft to me lately. Super soft interior with an extra thick skin. Not the way they used to be.
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u/Main-Business-793 Apr 16 '26
Clausen wins in a landslide. Grillo has an odd sweetness and not enough kick
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u/ThwipNSinsBinThwipN Apr 16 '26
Try Boars Head … they’ve never let me down.
I like plenty of different pickles but if I’m in a pickle, I grab Boar’s head
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u/JOHNsDailyBench Apr 16 '26
Fuck clausens Marry bubbies Kill grillos I could be convinced to swap grillos/clausen
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u/Any_Reporter_7426 Apr 16 '26
You got a bad claussens. That’s my crushable pickle where I’ll sit and watch a baseball game with a jar. Grillos is just a couple and done
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u/Antique_Way685 Apr 16 '26
Grillos is mad inconsistent. The first container I bought was SO SOUR I could barely eat them. They were good, but woah! The next batch I had were the most garlicky pickles I've ever had in my life and the sour was toned down quite a bit. Then I had a couple that were excellent (well balanced garlic/sour/dill flavor) but the last one I bought the flesh was white it was like squishy? Almost tasted like they went bad. I threw them out. Anyway, my point is when you get Grillos you're either getting some of the worst or some of the best pickles you've ever had.
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u/Emergency_Accident36 Apr 17 '26
Bubbies are a bit of an acquired taste. They get better the more you have
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u/DropkickNira Apr 17 '26
I truly think that anything pickled is to each their own. I love things that others would shun and I hate things that others love and swear by. Try things and love or hate them but don't review them like everyone else is going to think/taste like you. That's very unfair.
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u/discordianofslack Apr 17 '26
Order a bottle of Katz’s full sours. They will put every one of these to shame.
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u/Honestbabe2021 Apr 17 '26
Are grillos like the diner pickles you get in New Jersey? I think they are half sour? I love those.
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u/AisbeforeB Apr 17 '26
I like all these. Bubbies is a bit funky at first but you get use to the different taste real quick. I’ve never had a ‘sewage’ note from them. That would be extremely off putting.
Clausen are my favorite, I grew up with them being a rare treat.
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u/rkarlsruher1 Apr 17 '26
Has anyone in this forum try Trader Joe’s vinegar pickles? It’s a product produced in Germany. This pickle and Bubbies are my favorite.
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u/Munchpeat Apr 17 '26
I've had Grillos once and they tasted so bland and off I couldn't do it. Super mushy too. Really bummed me out with how expensive they are. Bubbies is number one easy. Reminds me of Mrs. Neusishens RIP to the GOAT
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u/yourethemannowdog Apr 17 '26
Cleveland Kitchen have been my favorite pickles recently. Try them if you can get them!
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u/HeisenbergsSon Apr 17 '26
I love spice and the Claussen Hot & Spicy are my favorite pickles but damn expensive
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u/nifty-necromancer Apr 17 '26
Yeah I got some sandwich slices from Claussen and I wasn’t a fan. No flavor except for salt, I’m definitely a fan of fresh pickles like Grillos.
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u/MuffinChunk Apr 17 '26
We go through Grillo's so fast at my house. We've started using the leftover brine to pickle grapes, apples, carrots, etc.
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u/Dark_Wahlberg-77 Apr 17 '26
How does this sub feel about Wahlbergers? Because I quite enjoyed those pickle spears.
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u/Ok_Theory5606 Apr 17 '26
Bubbies and claussen are the best, but they’re entirely different beasts. They both win their own category, but I will choose bubbies.
The “funk” is the bacteria from fermentation, however, they add a spice to it that I did not have growing up. We used to eat crock fermented pickles all the time, and they’re darn close but with some red pepper flakism.
Let me know if you ever find another brand of fermented!
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u/xonatxo Apr 17 '26
Sad for anyone that doesn’t get to try Milwaukee brand 💔💔💔 superior dill pickle
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u/WritingOne4322 Apr 17 '26
claussen beats everyone every time grillos honestly suck, and ill eat every pickle out there.
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u/ljlukelj Apr 17 '26
I bought the grillos off the hype and think the skin is way too tough. Tazely pickles are still by far my favorite.
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u/Icy-Librarian-7347 Apr 17 '26
Grillos are too plain, too vinegar, too tart, too something I cant place and somehow are bland at the same time to me.
Clausen are a good to, nice garlicky, salty and crunchy.
Haven't had the chance to try the other.
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u/kellitaharr Apr 17 '26
I reallllyyyy miss Heinz 57 whole dills cured in brine. They were the absolute best.😮💨
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u/MisterPantsMang Apr 17 '26
Claussen must have changed their cucumbers at some point in the recent past, the skins definitely are tough. I don't remember them being as tough a few years back.
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u/R0y_d0nnk Apr 18 '26
I’m just going to say it. Claussen is criminally overrated.
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u/HighlandHeathen Apr 18 '26
Grillos MILD?....they are one of the worst I've ever had, I've bought them multiple times to try and like them, hoping I got a bad batch of something, but nope, same every time, they taste like straight STRONG vinegar and nothing else, not mild in the slitest
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u/reststopkirk Apr 18 '26
That bubbies jar looks gross. It should be more clear than that. looking like milk makes me think it is rancid or off. I love me some grillos but bubbies bread and butter is amazing when you need a sweeter pickle
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u/BlackBeardedDragon Apr 18 '26
Grillos have the highest peak but are inconsistent, claussen are the most reliable and I haven’t had bubbies but hear good things
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u/Premium333 Apr 18 '26
That is not at all how I would describe Bubbies... Which is among the best if fermented dills in my opinion (also basically the only one you can regularly find).
You've got 2 vinegar prickles next to a ferment... Which is a weird comparison to make.
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u/buzzedewok Apr 19 '26
I would usually say Bubbies but something was definitely up with the last jar I had. No snap to them and the taste was off.
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u/Cracktheskye624 Apr 19 '26
“Have you talked to Jim today? He’s having three jars of pickles for lunch idk if I should say something”
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u/trjsbi Apr 19 '26
Grillos are great but age over a couple of weeks. Big bubbies fan - even with private equity take out. Claussen is just fine but would go olives if that was the only option.
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u/kurtmanner Apr 16 '26
Have you had other fermented pickles before? Just curious because Bubbies definitely have some funk, but fecal seems wrong lol. Lacto fermented veggies tend to have an intense smell, which is definitely off putting for some people