Bubbies Bread & Butter Pickles Review
Author’s note: I have no affiliation with Bubbies or Costco, and this is not a paid or sponsored review. As always.
Pickle candy.
I was standing in line at a deli counter, and the lady in front of me asked: “May I please have a *stupid* amount of pickles” on her sub sandwich. I almost gave her my phone number and asked if we could be besties.
So now you know how I feel about pickles.
Somehow, that justified the gargantuan barrel of Bubbies Bread & Butter Pickles I purchased from Costco. This is a *stupid* amount of pickles. There is only ONE stomach at my house. And it is going to eat every one of these pickles. Or die trying.
Sweetness
Anyway. Bubbies pickles are just the right sweetness. Only 4 grams of sugar per serving! They’re still delicious pickle candy. But not a toothache disguised as a vegetable. You know.
Crispness
They’re pleasantly crisp for a shelf-stable product. I’ve definitely had crunchier pickles, but they either came out of the refrigerated section, or were soaked in preservatives. Bubbies have “no preservatives.” Pretty good. I think Bubbies has managed a respectable balance here.
Flavors
While there is a sprinkle of colorful pepper bits, and a dash of celery & mustard seeds, mostly you are just getting the pickles. There’s not as much pickle pizazz as you might find in, say, Grillo’s.
I appreciate that these pickles are tangy without being fully sour. Bubbies have a highly predictable “bread and butter” flavor. No thrilling flavor risks. Just tasty pickles, ma’am.
Size
These pickle chips come in a bewildering range of sizes. I don’t think the cucumber processors did a single iota of trimming/culling before sending the cukes through the machine.
No man left behind — they all made it into the jar. I found ornery stem ends, and scrawny pickle fragments. And big boys. And thiccc boys. Like this one. A pickle chunk:
I am equal opportunity with pickles, so I don’t mind. Bubbies’ pickle chopper isn’t as free-spirited as Famous Dave’s pickle chopper, anyway. No supernatural pickle wings yet.
There are all kinds in the jar! I’m calling them “bubs.” Because I can.
These are my bubs. Go get your own.
What did I do with my bubs?
I’m only about 1/10.783 of the way finished with my jar. I have only begun to pickle. But, so far, I’ve eaten my bubs on several turkey burgers. This one is made with Columbus Craft Meats frozen Turkey Burgers from Costco. These are perfect burger pickles. I love the sweet-tangy pickle flavor with the savory BBQ grilled meat taste.
And I ate more bubs on grilled cheese sandwiches. This one is made with Boudin sourdough bread and Jarlsberg cheese (both from Costco. I swear I don’t work for Costco!). Yes, pickles taste fabulous on grilled cheese. It’s ok if you disagree. But you’re wrong.
Ingredients in Bubbies Bread & Butter Pickle Chips
Here are the ingredients, from the label:
- Cucumbers
- Water
- Sugar
- Vinegar
- Salt
- Onions
- Peppers
- Celery Seed
- Mustard Seed
- Turmeric
- Calcium Chloride
An irreproachable list, if I ever saw one. I love that they are colored with Turmeric. These are made in Canada.
To make matters confusing, Bubbies DOES sell naturally fermented refrigerator pickles. Totally different animal. Maybe someday I’ll try those, too.
Nutrition Facts
A serving is 1 ounce (about 1/4 cup) and contains just 20 calories. You get 0 grams fat and 0 grams protein. None for you! There are 5 grams total carbohydrates, of which 4 grams are sugars (all of them “added sugars”). Aaaand, there’s just 5% your daily value sodium per serving. Even the Salt Police with be mollified.
Price and Servings
I bought my big 66 ounce (roughly half-gallon) jar of pickles on sale at Costco for a mean $7.39. The regular price is $9.39. Since there are 40 servings per jar, each serving would cost 23 cents at the regular price.
Shelf Life
Unopened, the “best by” date on my jar allowed approximately 2 years to consume.
Dramatic Conclusion
These aren’t exactly earth-shattering pickle innovation. But they’re good. They’re the right pickle if you want something moderately sweet with a natural crunch. Perfect sandwich pickle. I especially appreciate that they aren’t swimming in sugar or preservatives or artificial colors.
The Awesome-o-Meter rates these Bubbies bubs a “Yaaas.”
The End.
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