What a Pickle!

CBC broke the news last week that Smuckers was discontinuing production of sweet mustard pickles. Sold under the Habitant and Zest labels, these pickles are ubiquitous on Newfoundland tables and in particular, alongside boiled dinner.

I was quickly alerted by a friend in St. John’s. Like sea lions fleeing the California coast pre-earthquake, Jacky messaged me to let me know of this impending disaster. And sent along the following illustrations of the scope of this tragedy:

this video

and this Kijiji ad

In the days following the announcement, social media exploded by folks expressing dismay through cartoons, memes, songs–the loss of a condiment has never been so lamented; much of it, tongue-in-cheek.

I was never a mustard pickle lover, the colour put me off (“puppy poo”, my friend Jacky appetizingly dubbed it). And that piece of cauliflower in the bottle-viewed as an oddity more than a vegetable. After seeing this uproar, I guess I’m in the minority.

In sifting through all of the information that’s come out, I believe the plan is for Smuckers to put something out under the Bick label (a quick Google search reveals a Bick’s sweet mustard pickle already exists), but as one interviewed Newfoundlander said “Just not the same, b’y”.

Have you ever mourned the loss of a prepared foodstuff? If so, I’d love to hear about it!

In the meantime, if you’re curious about the draw of this mustard pickle, or just want to find a replacement, any traditional Newfoundland cookbook is bound to have one. Here’s one from the classic “Treasury of Newfoundland Dishes”.

My time-worn copy, handed down from my late mother-in-law