Founded in New Paltz in 1986 by Gary Karp, Gary’s Pickles makes fresh, garlic-and-dill pickles and other brined foods for Hudson Valley customers. After Karp’s death in 2013, longtime partner Barry Bliden took over and continues the business with his wife and children, keeping Gary’s name and recipes in the family. The shop is especially known for its crisp full-sour and half-sour pickles, made for sandwiches, snacks and local gatherings.
Hermann’s PicklesSince 1967, Hermann’s Pickles has made refrigerated pickles and fermented foods, preserving the homemade flavor of founder Don Hermann’s less-sour refrigerator-pickle recipe. The family-owned and operated company grew from the Hermann family’s Hungarian Jewish immigrant roots in Garrettsville, Ohio, and now also produces refrigerated private-label foods for grocery and deli brands. Its jars are known for hand-packed cucumbers, crisp texture and bold, tangy flavor.GARRETTSVILLE, OH
Kaiser Pickles, LLCFounded in Cincinnati in 1920 as a market food stand, family-owned Kaiser Pickles has grown into a vertically integrated pickle company producing pickles, peppers and relishes for food-service and industrial customers. Its third generation operates facilities supplied in part through Kaiser Pickle Farms in Michigan, while annual production exceeds 90 million pounds and employs approximately 150 people. Kaiser Pickles holds SQF certifications for both food safety and food quality at all its manufacturing facilities and ships across the United States and internationally.CINCINNATI, OH
Rick's Picks USA LLCBorn in a one-bedroom Prospect Heights kitchen and launched at a New York farmers market in 2004, Rick’s Picks USA LLC makes hand-packed, all-natural specialty pickles and convenient snacking pickles. The company grew from produce bought at Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket into an award-winning brand, and its Pickle Lab now develops products for food-service and co-branding partners with sourcing insight from more than 30 countries. In 2019, two Rick’s Picks snack pouches even traveled to space with NASA’s Expedition 61 crew.BROOKLYN, NY
Backyard BrineBackyard Brine is a family-run Long Island food maker that grew from an overabundant cucumber garden into small-batch pickles and condiments made with all-natural ingredients. Cori and Randy build recipes around real food and leave out artificial preservatives and high-fructose corn syrup, with signature jars such as Dill Death Do Us Part and Everything pickles carrying stories from their family and garden. The company also donates 5% of Everything pickle sales to its Kindness is Everything campaign supporting Moebius Syndrome awareness.CUTCHOGUE, NY