John Mudd Loves Pickles

April 1, 2010

April started off with a bang featuring delicious pickles from Panera.  My work provided us with a catered lunch from Panera and I took full advantage of this pickle opportunity.  I started off with a delicious turkey sandwich paired with a single kosher dill spear.  The pairing was excellent but the spear was somewhat disappointing due to its minuscule stature.  Take a look.

Luckily, this was the wonderful sight that I found at the end of the table…

This was it.  I had found the mother-load.  I had found my white-whale.  Unfortunately, the employee lounge had far too many workers in it for me to just walk out carrying a full tray of pickles.  On a second trip up to the lounge, I found myself alone.  This was the perfect time for me to pull a smash and grab job.  As I excitedly entered the room, this was all I found.

I admitted defeat, swallowed my pride, devoured these pickles and returned to my cubicle with nothing to show for it.  Luckily, I find a bag that has a full tray of pickles underneath my desk.  It’s a god damned miracle!  At first, I think my sister (a fellow coworker) was looking out for me and snatched one of these trays up before they were gone.  However, it was actually another coworker who grabbed one of these and stealthily stored the tray under my desk.  Ultimately, this overall pickle experience is something that dreams (and the eventual JMLP movie) are made of.  At the end of the day, I brought these bad boys home and put them in the fridge to cool down and regain their crispy firm nature.

These pickles lasted for a couple of days before they eventually submitted to my unquenchable hunger for pickles.  Overall, these Panera pickles really started off April the right way.  5 out of 5 belly rubs.  Welcome back, pickles.  You were greatly missed.

April 12, 2010

I met up with a couple of friends in Arlington on my day off of work.  We decided to walk around and see where we should grab a bite to eat and decided on a place called Velocity 5.  My two friends decided to support my pickle addiction and gave up the pickles that came with their food.

I’ve gotta say, I was pretty impressed with these pickles.  They were average sized and had a nice flavor that went well with my sandwich.  I’ve gotta give these pickles 4 out of 5 belly rubs, just because they didn’t have that pizazz, flair, or wow factor that I look for in a pickle.  I will definitely be enjoying more delicious pickles from Velocity 5.  Check back soon for more pickle adventures.

April 13, 2010

After sitting through another long day at my cubicle, I decided to go to lunch with a co-worker and pick up some nourishment in the form of delicious Chinese food.  Toward the end of my lunch break, I notice that my co-worker is about to throw out one of the most important feature of his lunch.  After I asked him if he was going to throw out his pickle, my co-worker instantly slid the plate containing the delicious pickled cucumber spear over to me and I quickly devoured the snack.

This lovely treat made the rest of my day pass by like a flash of lightning.  This just proves that a little bit of a good thing is all you need to raise your spirits.  What a great way to finish a lunch and get through the second half of the day.  I’m giving this pickle 4 out of 5 belly rubs.  Pickles, you never cease to amaze me.  Until we meet again…

April 15, 2010

I was on the phone at work when the same co-worker that provided me with my previous pickle experience came over to my desk and placed this thinly cut kosher dill spear on my desk.

This pickle looked so delicious that I didn’t even hang up the phone before I ravenously devoured this tasty snack.  An unexpectedly fantastic interruption to another business call.  5 out of 5 belly rubs.

April 17, 2010

After joining a few friends for the Caps game at a bar, I glanced at a nearby plate (not my own) and noticed a little, green slice of heaven.  The owner of the pickle offered it up and delicately posed the magnificent kosher dill for it’s close-up.  Another Capitals Comrade quickly placed his hat in the background of the photo to show who this pickle supports in the NHL playoffs.

This pickle is probably what inspired the Caps to pull an amazing comeback and take game 2 in the Eastern conference quarterfinals (At least that’s my theory).  5 out of 5 belly rubs.  C-A-P-S, CAPS CAPS CAPS!  Now I just need to invent a pickle chant…

April 24, 2010

I recently purchased a jar of Woodstock Farms whole kosher dills at my local supermarket.  This new brand of pickles is great because they’re organic and have a really fresh crunch that you don’t find too often.  Check out the snazzy packaging…

These guys are definitely proud of their product, and rightfully so!  These pickles are loaded with flavor and are guaranteed to satisfy the picky pickle lover in your life.  I started out small with three carefully selected members from this committee of cucumbers gone wild.

After I finished the first three pickles of the batch, I knew that I had to conduct more tests.  It’s a strenuous job, but somebody’s got to do it…

These pickles are starting to become a new favorite.  Woodstock Farms knows how to make an amazing pickle, and this is definitely one brand that I will be seeing more of.  5 out of 5 belly rubs.  Hot damn, I love pickles.

April 26, 2010

What’s better than pickles…?  FREE PICKLES!  For some reason, there were free Subway sandwiches in the employee lounge today at work, so I decided to grab one and load it up with some delicious Subway pickles.

As you can see, the pickles make the meal, and these pickles definitely made this free sandwich experience a success.  4 out of 5 belly rubs.  Another great way to spruce up the average day at work.  See you soon!

April 28 , 2010

I decided to finish off the jar of Woodstock Farms kosher dills for lunch today.  These little guys held up to their pickle brethren and really helped make a name for this relatively new brand (new to me at least).

I was so excited about this little sandwich baggie full of delight that I couldn’t even save them until the end of my lunch.  I started out this lunch by getting the instant gratification of inhaling these pickles.  I picked them out of my lunchbox, and grazed…

This lunch was a big triumph and really helped speed up the second half of my day.  My first jar of Woodstock Farm pickles is in the bag.  4 out of 5 belly rubs.  In the words of the late, great Freddie Mercury, another one bites the dust…

After work that day, I had the opportunity to attend a Washington Capitals game with my friend (and publicist) Archie.  Unfortunately, the home team had been eliminated from the playoffs that night after a 2-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.  After witnessing a devastating game 7 loss by the Caps firsthand, the only thing that could cheer me up was one thing…PICKLES!  Fortunately for me, a package was waiting for me outside my apartment containing a plethora of Bob’s Pickle Pops.  After contacting the co-founder of the company, I was lucky enough to have Bob’s Pickle Pops send some of their products for a full review.  Thanks to David Millar for sending out these lovely plastic tubes of pickle greatness.

Bob’s Pickle Pops can be enjoyed frozen or unfrozen, but I decided to get the full experience and set these in the freezer overnight.

My first experience with a pickle pop is fantastic!  The texture, the flavor, the color, it’s all here.  I really like that these pickle pops are a healthier alternative to the excessively sweetened freeze pops that I remember from my youth.  While they may not be for everyone, there’s only one way to find out whether or not you like them…  All I can say is that these guys sure know how to put a wonderful spin on the ever-so-amazing pickle.  5 out of 5 belly rubs.  Again, many thanks go out to David Millar of Bob’s Pickle Pops for providing me with these fantastic treats.  If you’re interested in trying out Bob’s Pickle Pops on your own, visit…

Bob’s Pickle Pop’s

The guys at Bob’s Pickle Pops are also working on another project that combines two of my favorite things… pickle juice and alcohol!  David Millar was kind enough to include a liter of Pickleback, the new cocktail mix that is taking the nation by storm…

As soon as I get a good chance (and a bottle of either Irish whiskey or vodka), I am going to do some EXTENSIVE research with this product by completing test-run after test-run on this intriguing new product.  I’ll be posting updates in the future…

You guys rock, Bob’s Pickle Pops!

April 30, 2010

As the month of April draws to a close, so does another section at JMLP.  The final installment of pickles that I enjoyed in April are an amazing group that feature a delicious spin on the “average” pickle.  I was at a bar celebrating a few co-workers birthdays when everybody told me that I had to try the fried pickles.  One bite… That was all it took to make me a believer in this previously unheard of pickle variation.

Trying to compare these pickles to something else is almost impossible.  The only thing I can think of that is even remotely similar are the pickles that you get on a cheeseburger.  Think about the sensation you get when you bite into said burger and the pickle chips are somehow both hot and cool at the same time.  Even that description doesn’t do this delicacy justice.  If you haven’t tried fried pickles yet, I highly recommend it.  5 out of 5 belly rubs!  Do yourself a favor by having a go at these and you won’t be disappointed.

With that being said, I officially rank April as my favorite pickle month thus far.  I look forward to this coming May and all of the pickle surprises it yields.  Much Love from JMLP!