no cukes?
bibimbop's comment in the previous entry had me frantically searching to make sure Anheuser-Busch hadn't cornered the market on pickle production in this country. fortunately they do not (gullible i know), but the Vlasic website contains this interesting tidbit about the origin of their stork mascot:
1974 was also the year a wisecracking Vlasic Stork flew out of America's television screens with the message that crunchy "Vlasic is the best-tasting pickle I ever heard!"
What does a lovable stork with a Groucho Marx voice have to do with selling pickles? Some say about the same thing a cheese maker has to do with pickles. But others say that – since the national birthrate was dropping at that time – concerned Vlasic managers simply offered the Stork an opportunity to deliver pickles since babies were in such short supply! You can pick the explanation you like best.
In any case it worked, and while baby booms have come and gone, the Stork continues to stay with us as the fun Spokesbird of our fun brand.
there's also some Vlasic boxer shorts that went straight onto the Christmas List.
meanwhile, the first result of a Google search for Claussen pickles brings you to David's Pickle Page. not only is David a bit misinformed (he claims that the 3 kinds of pickles are Claussen, cooked and deli), but he's either a liar or lazy. his claim that "I will be upgrading this page regularly" [emphasis his own], is contradicted as the bottom of the page reveals that it was "last updated: 8-19-95". well, i'm sure he'll get his act together for the big 10th anniversary!
meantime, i'm getting all my pickles at Eagle Provisions in Brooklyn, where they make them in house and their fresh kielbasa is outstanding.
Comments
nice, i've been wondering about eagle provisions.
Posted by: bibimop | October 29, 2004 02:58 PM
in the great pickle war, i will die with a claussen in my hand. get those limp, cooked, too-acidic vlasics away from me. Claussen is Cing.
Posted by: crispin | October 29, 2004 03:56 PM
claussen's are definitely my favorite supermarket brand. i picked up some paterson pickles at the tiny farmer's market on 5th and 5th yesterday. not bad!
Posted by: bibimop | November 1, 2004 11:29 AM
eagle provisions rules! check out their rye bread and perogies (is that how you spell it?). the cooler often has a space for both.
Posted by: amy w. | November 3, 2004 01:48 AM
one more thing-- how's this for living in the midwest? donovan has been making homemade pickles like crazy and they're supposedly easy to make. but they're coming out of my ears.
Posted by: amy w. | November 3, 2004 01:50 AM
we made homemade pickles in the second grade and they were delicious.
Posted by: bibimop | November 3, 2004 12:33 PM
i do need to start making my own - that sounds like a good weekend project. Amy, i'll gladly take some of those excess pickles off your hands. When's the next wagon train rolling east from Urbana-Champaign?
Posted by: jamie | November 3, 2004 01:25 PM