Tag: pickles

Categories
Packaged Food Restaurants What's New

Viral Dill Pickle Pizza Gets A Nationwide Release Through Goldbelly

UPDATE: The pizzas can now be purchased through Goldbelly. 

Not too long ago, we discovered a pizza in Minnesota took dill pickles to the next level. Created by QC Pizza in Mahtomedi, the pie was a pickle-lover’s dream come true. As of recently you could only try the insanely viral pizza at the brick and mortar pizzeria, with folks coming from all over the US to sink their teeth into it. Soon, however, you can have it delivered straight to your own home.

Called the Kinda Big Dill Pizza, the pickled-covered pizza garnered more than nearly 16 million views on Facebook. It was inspired by the concept of Minnesota Sushi, where one would take cream cheese and spread it over a dill pickle, wrap some ham around it, and slice it like sushi.

The concept was enough to pique our interests and send us on a plane to check it out.

Made with a layer of garlic dill sauce that’s topped with slices of 48-hour smoked Canadian bacon, the process is then followed by a generous layer of fresh pickle slices, mozzarella cheese, another layer of pickle slices, and sprinkled dill.

According to owner Dennis Schneekloth, the pizza is in the final stages of joining Goldbelly‘s nationwide delivery service. This means, you can soon enjoy the sour and savory notes of this infamous dish. 

Scheekloth expects the Kinda Big Dill pizza, as well as other pies from the innovative pizzeria, to hit Goldbelly sometime in January 2020. I wasn’t a big pickle guy myself, but after trying this in Minnesota, I’ve been craving the pizza quite a bit. Can’t wait to order another one.

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Recipes

An In-Depth Guide To Making Pickles At Home

Photo: Taste of Home

Ready, set, can!

Crunch, tang, garden freshness—that’s what you get when you know how to make homemade pickles. (Already popped open a can? Try these recipes reserved for pickle lovers.) Whether you’re canny at canning, prefer the ease of the refrigerator or don’t want to heat up the stove at all. we’ve rounded up the best methods for making those green goodies you’ll be sneaking downstairs to snack on. The Taste of Home Test Kitchen has rounded up their best behind-the-scenes tips. Read through this guide, then get canning!

Things to Know Before You Start Pickling

Before you get started, there are a few important tips for best-ever pickles. Follow them and be sure not to make any of these common pickling mistakes.

Choose the Right Vinegar

Use white vinegar for a little more sharpness. If you’re going for milder flavor, use cider vinegar. For extra-crunchy pickles, grab 10%-strength vinegar.

Know Your Cucumber

What kind of cucumbers make pickles: Cukes labeled as canning or pickling cucumbers are a shoo-in, but you can use traditional ones, too. It’s best to choose a cucumber with a thicker skin.

Organic vs. conventional: Either works. The key is to buy cucumbers without the shiny wax coating supermarkets use. The wax is edible, but it’ll change the texture of your pickles.

Don’t Use Table Salt

What is canning salt? It’s extra fine and doesn’t contain caking agents or additives like iodine. If you don’t have canning salt on hand (aka pickling salt), Kosher salt works, too.

Sterilize Your Jar

How to sterilize jars: Wash jars and caps in hot, soapy water; rinse thoroughly. Dry bands on a towel. Put jars in a large kettle with enough water to cover by at least 2 in.; boil for 10 minutes to sterilize. Turn off heat, but leave the jars in the water until they’re ready to be filled. Place lids in a separate small saucepan and cover them with water; bring water to 180° and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat until ready to use

The Canning Method

two jars of the best pickles recipe with a napkin, fork and bay leavesTaste of Home

Ingredients

  • 9 cups sliced pickling cucumbers
  • 1 large sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup canning salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons mustard seed
  • 1 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 12 garlic cloves, crushed

Equipment

Step 1: Soak the cucumbers

In a large, nonreactive bowl, combine the cucumbers, onion and salt. Cover with crushed ice and mix well. Let stand 3 hours. Drain; rinse and drain thoroughly.

Step 2: Prepare the vinegar and cucumber mixture

In a Dutch oven, combine sugar, water, vinegars, mustard seed, celery seed and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add cucumber mixture; return to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 4-5 minutes or until heated through.

Step 3: Fill the jars

Carefully ladle hot mixture into four hot wide-mouth 1-pint jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Add three garlic cloves and one bay leaf to each jar. Remove air bubbles and if necessary, adjust headspace by adding hot pickling liquid. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight.

Step 3: Can, can, can!

Place jars into a steam canner with simmering water. Bring to a boil; process for 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

If you don’t have a steam canner, no worries! Simply add the jars to your canner, ensuring that they are completely covered with water, and process for 10 minutes.

Test kitchen tip: Keep in mind that processing time depends on the size of the jar. Most recipes call for either 10 or 15 minutes. The bigger the jar, the longer the processing time.

The Refrigerator Method

Taste of Home

Ingredients

  • 14 pickling cucumbers
  • 40 fresh dill sprigs
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 2 quarts water
  • 1 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup salt
  • 1 teaspoon mixed pickling spices

Equipment

  • Large bowl
  • Dutch oven
  • Jars

Step 1: Prep the pickles

Cut each cucumber lengthwise into six spears. In a large bowl, combine cucumbers, dill and garlic; set aside.

Step 2: Heat up the mixture and pour over cucumbers

In a Dutch oven, combine remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; cook and stir just until sugar is dissolved. Pour over cucumber mixture; cool.

Step 3: Refrigerate

Transfer to jars if desired and cover tightly. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Store in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

The No-Cook Method

Sliced homemade freezer pickles.

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs. pickling cucumbers, sliced
  • 8 cups thinly sliced onions
  • 1/4 cup salt
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 2 cups cider vinegar

Equipment

  • 10 2-cup plastic containers and lids
  • 2 Large bowls

Step 1: Sterilize containers and start prep work

Rinse ten 2-cup plastic containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly. Divide cucumbers, onions, salt and water between two large bowls. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours. Do not drain.

Step 2: Mix in sugar and vinegar, and freeze

Add 2 cups sugar and 1 cup vinegar to each bowl; stir until sugar is dissolved. Transfer to prepared containers, leaving 1-in. headspace for expansion; freeze up to 6 months.

Step 3: Thaw before eating

Thaw pickles in refrigerator 8 hours before using. Serve within 2 weeks after thawing.

Ready to take on another challenge? Try our best pickled recipes.

Related Links:

Article by Taste of Home. View the original article here.

Categories
Fast Food What's New

Pickle Fried Chicken, KFC’s Newest Flavor, Is Getting A ‘Very Limited-Time’ Launch

pickle fried chicken

Summer 2018 is starting to look like the “Summer of the Pickle.” The season kicked off with Sonic’s Pickle Juice Slushes, and now KFC is getting into the flavor with their newest item: Pickle Fried Chicken.

pickle fried chicken

Photo courtesy of KFC

Pickles and fried chicken go together very well, as Nashville Hot flavors tend to come with a few slices on top and some people even brine their poultry in pickle juice.

KFC’s twist on this popular combo comes in the form of a vinegary pickle sauce, laced with notes of dill, buttermilk, onion, garlic, white pepper and black pepper. Coating each piece with the sauce produces a tasty blend between fried pickle chips and crispy chicken.

The new flavor is joining Nashville Hot, Georgia Gold, and Smoky Mountain in KFC’s lineup of sauces for what the chain describes as a “very limited-time” run. Each participating restaurant will get a batch of ingredients to make Pickle Fried Chicken on June 25. It’ll then be available until that location runs out of product, which KFC representatives estimate will take about a few weeks.

You can get the new pickle sauce coated onto Extra Crispy Chicken, Extra Crispy Tenders, a Crispy Colonel Sandwich, or Chicken Littles. There will also be a $5 Fill-Up box and a $5.99 combo featuring the Pickle Fried Crispy Colonel Sandwich available.

Categories
FOODBEAST Hit-Or-Miss

10 Bizarre Foods That Pair Well With Cheese

I know I’m not alone when I say this: I am obsessed with cheese. If I had the choice, I’d probably eat cheese all day and melt cheese on all other non-cheese items. Everyone has different things they like to eat with this favorite dairy product, and tbh, some of those relationships are a little… weird.

Forget your typical grilled cheese or cream cheese on a bagel, here are 10 bizarre things people like to pair with cheese.

Pickles and Cheese

This one shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, but pickles and cheese are all the rage. Whether you’re dunking them in beer cheese dip, fondue, or straight up wrapping them in a slice or two, the sourness of the pickle and the creaminess of the cheese complement each other perfectly.

If you really want to do this flavor combination right, try making these mozzarella-stuffed fried pickles by Richard in the Kitchen, and don’t say we never did you any favors.

Hot Cheetos and Cream Cheese

👍🏻😛🔥 #hotcheetosandcreamcheese #yummy #sogood #flaminhotlimoncheetos #creamcheese

A post shared by 🌺Stephanie🌺 (@stephanie_lynn_85) on

You might have heard of people drinking milk with their Hot Cheetos. Well, this weird pairing kind of takes that notion to the next level. Maybe to help ease the burn of this spicy snack, some have taken to dunking their Flamin’ Hot Cheetos in cream cheese.

Crazier yet, people are literally making cream cheese and Cheetos sandwiches, mainly with bagels as their bread of choice.

Salsa and Cottage Cheese

How is this nasty!? Thank you @jornelas_420 for trying! #cottagecheeseandsalsa

A post shared by M A R T Y J. 👸👑👄 (@prncssmjvalen) on

The logic behind this pairing seems to be if two things separately are great dips, then together they should make one super dip. You love dunking your chips in salsa, and fresh fruit is great with a scoop of cottage cheese, but together?! Together they make a combo that the general interweb is furious about.

Caramel and Bleu Cheese

You read that right. Apparently, spooning caramel onto bleu cheese makes for an out-of-this-world flavor combination. This is a little known fact that cheese experts swear by for a cheese-centric dessert. Truthfully, we’re having a hard time picturing what exactly this would taste like. Confusion, maybe?

Kimchi and Cheddar Grilled Cheese

Judge if you want, but this actually sounds amazing. We know it sounds weird when you first think about it, but kimchi and cheese get along better than you’d think. Cheese brightens up the intense kick that kimchi presents, and if you don’t believe us, we dare you to make your own. Or, better yet, go out and order one now.

Peanut Butter and Cottage Cheese

I may be a big proponent of cheese, but peanut butter is definitely my #2. So I’m trying to not be too salty about this one. In some alternate universe, people actually enjoy eating scoops of PB with cottage cheese. Now, I’m all for eating peanut butter straight from the jar (I did that like five minutes ago) but why do we have to add cheese to the equation?

As it turns out, this combo is a high protein snack that bodybuilders will “indulge” in for a late night snack or for breakfast. I don’t know your life, guys. Not here to judge.

Banana and Cheese

Afternoon treats 🌞🌞 #homecook #fromamyskitchen #bananaandcheese

A post shared by Rizka johari (@rizkajohari) on

This is an old school snack dating back to the ’70s and we kind of see why it went out of vogue. Basically, you wrap a piece of single-serving cheese around a banana and immediately eat it. No tea, no shade — that sounds downright disgusting. But if Mr. Rogers was a fan, how bad could it have honestly been?

Hot Chocolate and Cheese

Also known as Colombian hot chocolate, this cup of cocoa has a little surprise inside. Spoiler alert: it’s cheese. After making this frothy drink on the stove, Colombians will usually add some kind of white cheese, like queso compasigna, queso blanco, panela, halloumi, or mozzarella. You can use a spoon for dunking or you can put the cheese in the bottom of your mug and pour the cocoa on top. We’re definitely intrigued.

Coffee and Cream Cheese

Putting cheese in coffee is very much a thing around the world. In places like Korea, Switzerland, and Panama (where queso blanco is the general coffee cheese of choice) putting cheese in your coffee is a pretty standard thing. Fans of the pairing have said that when cheese is mixed with espresso, it supposedly tastes something like tiramisu. That might be one mystery we could do without solving ourselves. We’ll take your word for it.

Cereal and Cheese

Ask and you shall receive #cheeseoncereal

A post shared by M Y A H ⚡️M C N E I L L (@myahmcneill) on

Potentially the most jarring pairing on this list: cereal and cheese. We’d like to believe this is something only broke college students do when they run out of ramen, but it’s a thing that actually happens. Photos of people putting shredded cheese on more bland cereals, like Cheerios, have surfaced on the internet recently, and a lot of people have been coming to their aid against haters, claiming this combination is actually delicious.

Categories
Hit-Or-Miss Tastemade/Snapchat

8 Chocolate-Covered Foods We’re Not Sure How To Feel About

We don’t think it’s an understatement to say that chocolate is literally a religion for some people, most of the Foodbeast staff included. That being said, it’s understandable that we can get a little shifty when it comes to pairing chocolate with other, “non-dessert” things.

But, as chocolate has proved time and time again, it can be paired with just about anything. Most of the time, this sweetest substance can make anything better – but we’re not sure how true that is for these eight bizarre chocolate-dipped items. Can even something as amazing as chocolate pull off these straight-up strange combos? Possibly.

Seaweed

A post shared by @aaapple_sh on

This snack is more commonly found in Asian grocery stores than it is in American shops, and its popularity makes us think that it can’t be all that bad. I mean, seaweed is crunchy and salty, so it’s kind of like dipping fries into chocolate ice cream! Kind of?

Insects

Yeah, this is real life. You can pretty much find everything from grubs, beetles, crickets (that’s a common one), and even scorpions dipped in chocolate and sold in some stores. Hey, if you’re going to bite into a bug, it might as well be dipped in chocolate.

Pickles

At first, this might sound like an unsettling combination – it gets even stranger when you consider that condiment giant Heinz used to make and sell chocolate dipped pickles. But when you get past your initial reaction, they really don’t sound half bad; like seaweed, this odd treat is an interesting mixture of salty and sweet that we might be on board for.

Bacon

Double posts are OK when it’s #chocolatedippedbacon 😍 . #ilovebacon #baconwedding #chocolatelover @jeremiedouglasoliver

A post shared by Stephanie (Brady) Oliver (@mrs_stephy.ann) on

Real talk, we’ve kind of become desensitized to bacon in “weird” recipes. Bacon cupcakes? Check. Bacon fudge? Double check. So chocolate-covered bacon doesn’t seem that strange in 2017.

But just because we’ve become used to the idea of chocolate and bacon as a pairing doesn’t make the thought any less weird. Think back to when the bacon-in-sweets trend was just starting – everyone thought it was weird, because it kind of is. It’s delicious, sure, but that doesn’t make it any less strange.

Onions

We wish we were kidding. These little beauties are from Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia; yes, they are actually raw onions dipped in chocolate, and yes, people actually bite into these full onions on sticks. What do they even taste like? Not a candy apple, that’s for sure.

Jalapenos

Like it hot? Then these chocolate-dipped jalapenos are for you. These are from Sparky’s in Universal Studios City Walk in Hollywood, CA, and they look as spicy as they do delicious. As weird as it is that these peppers are dipped in chocolate, the chocolate seems like the only thing separating this treat from pain. Why else would you bite straight into a jalapeno if not to get a mouthful of chocolate, too.

Chickpeas

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Before you think, “Oh, that’s not too weird,” just imagine chocolate-covered hummus. That’s essentially what we’re dealing with here, folks. Unbeknownst to us, dipping these beans in chocolate is a thing, and people often enjoy them raw or toasted. We don’t know about you, but chickpeas just seem too healthy to be associated with chocolate. Although, chocolate is totally healthy, too, so this all makes perfect sense.

Squid

Not only is chocolate-dipped squid a thing, but it’s packaged and sold in stores AS A CANDY. It’s called Hawaiian Da-Kines Chocolate Dipped Ika (a.k.a. squid) and it’s produced by Big Island Candies. This novelty is a popular treat on the islands of Hawaii, and thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of people genuinely love it. Who’s up for a taste test?!

Categories
Health Now Trending Packaged Food Products What's New

You Can Now Buy Popsicles Made Out Of Pickle Juice

The latest food fad on the internet may be one of the more bizarre, but at least it may also be beneficial.

People have been going nuts recently for pickle popsicles. Made by Bob’s Pickle Pops and Van Holten’s, they consist of frozen pickle-flavored juice in a flexible tube that were already popular in some southern States like Texas and Arkansas, but have also become a favorite for cyclists and serious athletes.

While Bob’s Pickle Pops admits their claims aren’t FDA-sponsored, they do say that athletes who have tried the pickle pops praise them for their ability to quench thirst and prevent muscle cramps from occurring. Van Holten’s adds electrolytes to theirs to further prevent cramping.

If you’re down to try these hip new health products for yourself, Van Holten’s can be found on Amazon and several nationwide grocers while Bob’s Pickle Pops are available predominantly in the southern United States. You can see for yourself if you’re ready to get your pickle juice game on.

Categories
Deals Restaurants

TGI Fridays’ Endless Appetizers Are FINALLY Permanent

We love going ham when TGI Fridays brings back their Endless Apps special every year. For $10, the restaurant chain would give you any combination from a select menu of appetizers on the menu. While the offering was brief, it was pretty worth the trip.

In a shakeup, TGI Fridays has announced the return of their Endless Apps special with a major twist: it’s now permanent.

Returning classics are mozzarella sticks, loaded potato skins, BBQ chicken flatbread, pan-seared pot stickers, and boneless buffalo wings. Two new items introduced this year to the endless line up are meatballs and fried pickles.

Now that the “limited time only” caveat has been lifted, patrons can roll out to any participating TGI Fridays locations and get their Endless Apps fix any time they choose for $10.

Might start with those new fried pickles and work our way backwards. If we pace ourselves, we can probably get through the entire menu in one sitting…twice.

Categories
Hit-Or-Miss

Here’s Why It Took This Guy 6 Months To Make A Sandwich [WATCH]

Scratch-Sandwich

To the experienced, making a sandwich shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. If your fridge is stocked, all you have to do is grab your ingredients and start building. If you want to make your sandwich from scratch, however, it could take up to six months.

Andy George from the series How To Make Everything wants to make a sandwich. Wanting to see what it takes to craft an entire sandwich with his own hands, he spends six months creating every ingredient from scratch.

This includes growing his own vegetables, harvesting wheat for bread, making salt from seawater, milking a cow to make cheese and even killing a chicken.

The half year experience cost him about $1,500. Definitely pricier than making a sandwich from groceries.

Check out the video below and watch the entire process.