Pickles

[CakeEater]

I've been watching too much Sesame Street with DD recently. Are sandwiches often served with a green pickle on the plate in the US?

On the same topic, do children take their slice of pickle off their burger at McDonalds there? It seems like it's almost a ritual here. The workers put it on, and every child I've ever seen eat a burger, pulls theirs apart and takes the slice off.

On the same topic, we would usually call it a gherkin, here. (Australia)

[miritree]

I've been watching too much Sesame Street with DD recently. Are sandwiches often served with a green pickle on the plate in the US?
Yes.
On the same topic, do children take their slice of pickle off their burger at McDonalds there? It seems like it's almost a ritual here. The workers put it on, and every child I've ever seen eat a burger, pulls theirs apart and takes the slice off.
I guess it depends if they like pickles on their burger or not.
On the same topic, we would usually call it a gherkin, here. (Australia)
Some people call them gherkins here in the US. I've seen them labeled as such in the store when they are a little smaller.

[lovepickles]

Pickles are awesome. Yes, people eat pickles are often served with sandwiches at decent deli's but lately they ask before including them. I can't comment on McDonalds because we do not eat there. Have I mentioned how much I love pickles?

[Thipu1]

Yes,  in NYC, pickles are often served with a deli sandwich.  It's not so common with something like a BLT.

Also, gherkins here are usually sweet pickles rather than sours or dills. 

[WillyNilly]

Yes,  in NYC, pickles are often served with a deli sandwich.  It's not so common with something like a BLT.

Also, gherkins here are usually sweet pickles rather than sours or dills.

In my NYC experience all sandwiches, and burgers, at diner's are served with a pickle on the side, except egg sandwiches.  At an actual deli - generally take out food - you have to pay extra for a pickle.  But deli pickles are better then diner pickles.

Street fairs often have a "pickle guy" as one of the booths - a stand with big wooden barrels filled with various pickles for sale (to take home, or to buy individually to eat as you walk through the fair).  Most pickles are cucumber pickles, although other pickled veggies aren't totally uncommon (cauliflower, green beans, carrots, etc).  Some people eat pickled watermelon rind, pickled eggs, or pickled pigs feet but my understanding those are more southern things.  Cucumber pickles come in different varieties: dill (often kosher dill), garlic, sweet (sometimes called bread & butter), sour, etc.

Its my understanding a "gherkin" is a specific type of small sweet pickle.

[jmarvellous]

I've never seen a pickle booth. That sounds neat.

We're pretty deficient in the pickle category in my neck of the woods. We have one brand, with several varieties, in the refrigerated section, one or two in the shelf-stable pickle section, generally sweet, bread-and-butter, dill, kosher dill, and maybe a garlic pickle. (I hate the sweet or bread and butter ones, and I'm glad those don't typically come next to sandwiches).

I got a sandwich from a middling deli to go recently and they stuck a pickle spear in a little baggie next to my sandwich. I liked that! Really cheap sandwich shops like Subway don't give you a pickle. One good deli (which, of course, didn't last in our town that's not used to them) gave you a plate of whole sour pickles and kosher dills. That was the best!

I only see "gherkin" in print -- I don't know anyone who says it.

[CakeEater]

So, do you eat the pickle first? Sandwich first? Bite of each?

[Isometric]

I think gherkins are a little different to pickles, smaller, sweeter and crunchier. Same family though.  (DH and I had this conversation when I bought him sliced pickles instead of gherkins last year!)

But I was surprised to get a big pickle on the side of my sandwich in America too!

[WillyNilly]

So, do you eat the pickle first? Sandwich first? Bite of each?

Everyone has their own routine.  Often at a diner the pickle, and a small serving of cole slaw will be brought to the table a few minutes before the sandwich or burger.  So some people will eat it then.  Some people eat a bit, then wait for the sandwich/burger, and alternate.  Some people, such as myself feel the pickle is strictly an after sandwich item (in my head it cleans the mouth with its brineiness) and will wait. 

A little known fact: when you are so drunk you are nauseated a good NY pickle will settle your stomach.  Sounds totally unplausible, I know, but it really does work, 100% of the time.  Best cure for 'about to puke' I've ever known.

[Sharnita]

I've never seen a pickle booth. That sounds neat.

We're pretty deficient in the pickle category in my neck of the woods. We have one brand, with several varieties, in the refrigerated section, one or two in the shelf-stable pickle section, generally sweet, bread-and-butter, dill, kosher dill, and maybe a garlic pickle. (I hate the sweet or bread and butter ones, and I'm glad those don't typically come next to sandwiches).

I got a sandwich from a middling deli to go recently and they stuck a pickle spear in a little baggie next to my sandwich. I liked that! Really cheap sandwich shops like Subway don't give you a pickle. One good deli (which, of course, didn't last in our town that's not used to them) gave you a plate of whole sour pickles and kosher dills. That was the best!

I only see "gherkin" in print -- I don't know anyone who says it.

To be fair, you can get a lot of sliced pickles on top of your sandwich at Subway if you want.  In fact, I think if you asked you could get them on the side.

[Hmmmmm]

Pickle on the side of a deli sandwich is very common in the US south.

I believe most kiddie fast food hamburgers are served standard with cheese, ketchup, and sliced pickles.  My experience is 80%of kids eat the burger with the pickles.  Only ran across a few kids who don't like pickles.  But they are dill or sour pickles, not sweet. 

As the kids get older, onions, mayo/mustard, tomatoes, and lettuce becomes standard.

[Thipu1]

I suppose we're very fortunate here in the Slope.    There's a 'pickle man' every Sunday at the Fifth Avenue Farmers' Market.  He sells half-sours, full-sours, 'new' pickles, dills, Giardinera, you name it.  His pickled mushrooms are absolutely scrumptious. 

Pickled pig's feet or pickled pork hocks were a staple in my parents' house.  there were also pickled frankfurters and pickled lamb tongues.  The last was a favorite of my Father.  You can still get them but you have to go to Eagle,  (a Polish Supermarket) to do so.   

Pickled watermelon rind and 'dilly beans' were often made at home.  The watermelon was a sweet pickle but the 'dilly beans' were very garlicky.  Both were delicious. 

At home, we now make a quick pickle that's also good.

It's basically thinly sliced cucumber spread out on a plate, salted and pressed to get the water out. the 'Handbook of Chemistry and Physics' or 'The Oxford Classical Dictionary' is the weight of choice.

The cuke slices are  then rinsed and put in a mixture of water, vinegar and a little sugar.  I always thought it was German but Chinese MIL makes the same dish with a little sesame oil added. 


 

[Luci45]

There are so many different kinds of (cucumber) pickles that I don't know them all, let alone all of the other pickled stuff, like green beans, eggs, cauliflower.

A spear of dill pickle is usually served in real delis. My husband usually orders extra pickles in his sandwich at Culvers - a fast food place a notch above McDonalds - and he gets kind of upset if I don't put enough sweet relish in his tuna salad. Our grandson has loved pickles since he was 5, so I usually have to have a dish of dill and a dish of gherkins when he dines here. If I have that and a cheese tray, it doesn't matter if he hates the rest of the meal.

None of our children or grandchildren have pulled the pickle out of a burger that I have seen.

I often serve a pickle tray with 3 kinds of cucumber pickles, dilly beans, baby corn, and maybe some pickled aspargus or brussels sprouts, and olives. It usually goes over pretty well next to the vegetable tray and fruit tray appetizers.