Reach For a Cold One - A Pickle, That Is: Refrigerated Pickles Add Variety to Pickle Choices

Whether you're building a Dagwood sandwich, or looking for a snappy snack, pull out a jar of refrigerated pickles - they pack a powerful flavor punch!

Refrigerated pickles continue to rise in popularity (currently they account for 20 percent of all pickles sales) because they undergo minimal processing, creating cukes that remain ultra crispy and crunchy.

The first step in producing refrigerated pickles is choosing the perfect cucumbers. Cucumbers are chosen for their size, firmness, color, texture and flavor. (Pickling cucumbers are quite different from the pickles grown in backyard gardens -- pickling cucumbers are smaller, have thinner skins and grow straighter.)

After the cucumbers are harvested and cleaned, they're put into jars and covered with a seasoned solution -- a "brine." It may contain some vinegar or acidification, depending on the product, and may include spices such as garlic and dill. The filled jars are immediately refrigerated. They are held in refrigeration for a few weeks so the cucumbers can absorb the seasonings. It is this curing step that is the most important in developing the perfect refrigerated pickle. Also, it is the step that officially changes the cucumber to a pickle.

The pickles are ready for shipping when the concentration of salt within the pickle equals the concentration of the brine. The finished pickles have a distinct, fresh flavor (very much like a deli pickle), are very crisp and maintain their fresh cucumber color.

These perfect-for-munching pickles are shipped under refrigeration and stocked in the refrigerated section of the supermarket. After purchase, the pickles must be stored in the refrigerator before and after the jars are opened -- they are a perishable product and will spoil if misshandled. In addition, it is recommended that the pickles be used by the "use by" date on the jar, or within one month after opening the jar, whichever comes first.

Refrigerated pickles are available in many varieties, including kosher dills, genuine dills, half-sour, overnight, and sweet pickles and are available whole, or cut into halves, spears, slices, chips or relish or are sliced lengthwise for sandwiches.

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