Philly Fresh Pickles

They’re back! After of a hiatus of what seemed an eternity (and was probably more like nine months), Philly Fresh Pickles are being made under new ownership of Weaver’s Way. These are the best pickles I have ever eaten – spicy and crunchy.

I first heard about them at the interview for my current job. Mentioning that I was planning on checking out the Reading Terminal Market, Scott immediately advised me to try the spicy pickles sold at the Fair Food Stand. On his recommendation and the rave review from the cashier at the farm stand, I bought 6 jars to take back with me to California. My checked baggage was so heavy I had to pay the additional weight fee at the airport. But it was worth it as they did not disappoint. I kept a few jars for myself and share the rest with other sour cucumber loving friends.

I was so saddened to hear about the sudden, tragic deaths of the original owners of S&C(Stan and Christine). With the future of Philly Fresh pickles being unknown, I knew I better stock up. I had been eating the pickles at an average rate of 2 jars per month. Now I would have to seriously curb my consumption. My tiny, under-counter refrigerator has little to no room for stocking, but I do have a chest freezer in my basement. No one selling the pickles at Mugshots seemed to know whether they would freeze well or not. I had no choice but to try. When my friend, Sam, came over and went to the freezer to get an item, she came back laughing hysterically at the drawer full of pickles, just pickles. However, they do not freeze well. They retain their spiciness but lose all crunch. It is very unappealing to bite into a limp cucumber. Luckily, just as I was about to run out of my stash, Weaver’s Way Co-op started selling the pickles. They believed enough in the product to purchase the recipe and start marketing the pickles themselves. At first, while they were perfecting the recipe, they were only available from Weaver’s Way as discounted trials. Now they are back on the shelves and order forms at Mugshots. They still come in two varieties mild and spicy. The spicy are made with habanero peppers that gives them an incredible kick, while not suitable for everyone (some have been know to cough and choke on tasting these), they are favorites of friends loving spicy food.

Once done eating the pickles, I save the pickle juice for a variety of other dishes, most frequently salad dressing. I mix 2 parts of pickle juice to 1 part mayonnaise. That dressing works especially well on sliced cabbage for coleslaw, but dresses up green salads wonderfully as well. Many people have asked how to make that dressing when it is served to them. Another idea, I have but haven’t yet tried is to poach fish in it. Since the juice has dill weed, mustard seed, onion and garlic in it, all sound like a good compliment to fish.

After the liquid and pickles are gone, the sturdy plastic jars make great storage containers for bulk dry items!

These are a great local find!