Here is a brief look at the various types of pickles and pickled peppers available today:
- Dill Pickles - Dill is the most popular variety of cucumber pickles. There are three basic types of dill pickles: cured, fresh pack and refrigerated. Included in these types are many, many varieties, such as genuine, kosher, polish and overnight dills. You'll find them on the shelf or in the refrigerated section, whole, in halves or in spears. Nothing goes better with a sandwich, and there's no better out-of-the-jar snack than a dill pickle!
- Sliced-Lengthwise-For-Sandwiches Pickles - These pickles are made to conveniently layer inside a sandwich and are available in a variety of flavors, including zesty and regular bread-and-butter, dill, garlic and Cajun.
- Pickle Chips - These pickles can be found on the shelf or in the refrigerated section of the supermarket. There also are many varieties of pickle chips, including bread-and-butter, genuine dill and kosher dill. Choose smooth or waffle cut. Chips are most often served on or with hamburgers or sandwiches.
- Gherkins - A type of miniature sweet or kosher dill pickle, gherkins are great for accenting appetizers such as garlic sausages or pates, but also are a perfect accompaniment to meat sandwiches. Or just eat them out of the jar!
- Half-Sour Pickles - These extra crispy refrigerated pickles are seasoned in brine without vinegar and keep their fresh cucumber color. They are ideal sandwich accompaniments, and when chopped, half-sours make a tasty addition to macaroni, potato, tuna and egg salads.
- Salad Cubes - These crouton-size cubes can be made from sweet or dill pickles. They perk up any salad from tossed greens to potato salad and they are an excellent addition to arranged salads like the classic Cobb salad.
- Relish - Made from finely cut or chopped pickles, relish comes in many different flavors from hot dog relish with mustard to sweet pickle, hamburger, India, pepper or corn relish and piccalilli. All make a great topping for burgers or hot dogs, and they add flavor to salad dressings, salsas and dips. Spreading relish instead of mayonnaise on bread for sandwiches cuts both calories and fat. Relish is available on shelf, or in the refrigerated section.
- Pickled Jalapeño Peppers - Available whole or in rings, these fiery and flavorful peppers add pizzazz to Mexican and Southwestern dishes, but also perk up salads, salsas, burgers and sandwiches.
- Pickled Banana Peppers - Terrific for munching with everything from crab cakes to burgers, and pretty in salads or on pizzas, these long, shiny yellow peppers are available in hot or mild varieties, and come whole or in rings.
- Pickled Cherry Peppers - Shaped like a cherry, these peppers are red or green, can be hot or sweet, and come whole or sliced. Try chopping them up into casseroles, serving them with meatloaf, or, like other pickled peppers, add them to an antipasto platter. They also make an eye-catching, edible garnish.
- Pepperoncini - These pickled peppers are available whole in Greek or Italian styles. Mildly hot, these peppers are popular in antipasto or Mediterranean-style salads.