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This week the Express-News Taste Team sampled every pickle-flavored product they could find \u2014 34 in all.<\/p>\n
David Perez\/San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n
Stroll down just about any aisle of a grocery store this summer, and you’ll see just how prevalent this puckering trend has become. Pickle-flavored potato chips have been around for a few years. Now, popcorn, pretzels and corn puffs have joined the pickle party. You can quench your thirst with pickle beer,\u00a0kombucha and power drinks. Over in the deli, you can pick a peck of pickle-flavored cheeses and pickle crackers to serve them on.<\/p>\n
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Area grocery stores are well-stocked with pickle-flavored products this summer.<\/p>\n
Paul Stephen\/San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n
This week the Express-News Taste Team sampled every pickle-flavored product they could find.<\/p>\n
David Perez\/San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n
According to market research published in February by\u00a0whateverbrands.com,<\/a> the global pickle boom is projected to hit a value of $28.15 billion this year, with North America accounting for 35% of that. The study cites a significant shift in the way younger consumers snack, seeking out intense flavor hits in every bite. And you can’t discredit the impact of TikTok, Instagram and other social media platforms, with “with 63% of consumers expressing positive engagement with pickle flavour content,” according to the report.<\/p>\n LONE STAR LOVE: South Texans and San Antonians love their pickles. Danke sch\u00f6n, German immigrants<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n National headlines have declared pickle flavor to be “the pumpkin spice of summer.” But are these products any good?<\/p>\n This week I scoured San Antonio’s grocery stores and loaded up on 34 pickle-flavored products \u2014 actual pickles excluded \u2014 to see what stood out and what was best left on the shelf.<\/p>\n There were a few items that were perfectly fine, but felt like redundant entries here. I really enjoyed\u00a0H-E-B’s Spicy Dill Pickle Potato Salad, but who doesn’t already put pickles in their potato salad? Good product, but in a different lane from these ultra-trendy pickle-flavored curiosities.<\/p>\n Others, like the famous dill pickle paletas from El Paraiso, were not included. This shopping trip was limited to conventional grocery stores where an impulse buy might land a pickle-flavored treat in your basket alongside the evening’s dinner plan.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n If you’re ready to rise and brine, here’s what you need to know before filling the cart.<\/p>\n Grillo’s Pickles Pickle de Gallo is one of many pickle-flavored products available in San Antonio-area grocery stores.<\/p>\n Paul Stephen\/San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n Best in brine<\/p>\n Grillo’s Pickles Pickle de\u00a0Gallo ($5.99, Whole Foods Market): This was the big shocker that surprised everyone in the room. In addition to the pest pickle-pun tame on the table, this product was actually delicious. It’s modeled after a classic pico de gallo, but swaps tomatoes for even-more-acidic diced pickles. The bright flavors of onion, red pepper and garlic bring balance to the brine, and multiple people, myself included, kept coming back to eat it by the spoonful.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Covered Bridge Creamy Dill Pickle Kettle Chips is one of many pickle-flavored products available in San Antonio-area grocery stores.<\/p>\n Paul Stephen\/San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n Pickle potato chips<\/p>\n Covered Bridge Creamy Dill Pickle Kettle Chips ($3.99, Central Market): This is a huge field, and I found eight entries to compare. The robust kettle-style chips consistently delivered the most impact, with the crunchy body to hold up to the pickle punch. Some of the flavor blends fell flat with the addition of sugar, which detracted from the salt, vinegar and dill that define the field. The runaway champion is made with red Russet potatoes and fried to a gorgeous bronze, delivering crunch and twang for days.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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