To some Philly denizens, a New York visit means Broadway shows and MoMA but to this connoisseur of sour it means pickles. When I heard that Horman’s, a new authentic pickle maker, had started a line of pickles for retail, I had no choice but to grab a jar and give them a try.
Despite the natural salt bloat, my excitement quickly deflated after I bit into the first pickle, a standard kosher dill.
The crunch? Pretty good. Solid enough that it doesn’t fall apart in your mouth, yielding enough that it doesn’t hurt your gums to chew on it.
The taste? The let down. Instead of the mouth-numbing tang of a righteous brine pickle I met the bummer of a vinegar pickle.
If you are unsure of the difference, brine pickles take a lot more time and have a whole lot of lactic acid bacteria giving them the kicking sour bite you want. Vinegar pickles, on the other hand, are easier and cheaper to produce but are much more mild, a little sweeter and less flavorful.
Now as far as vinegar pickles are concerned, these are not bad. While their kosher dills are lacking in flavor, their several specialty pickles, like spicy and mustard, definitely boost the flavor profile.
Look, if you are looking for the real, New York shit, Horman’s “Authentic New York Deli Pickle” is just not going to deliver. If you are looking for a substitute on your sandwich for Vlasic, these are definitely where it’s at. In other words, I give Horman’s a solid ‘Meh.’
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