Farmer White's in Williamsburg

Somehow we'd gotten a hold of a jar of habanera pickles made by Farmer White's. They were so remarkable, we decided when the opportunity arose, we'd go to the source. We are happy to tell you they are alive and thriving in Williamsburg near Traverse City.  Mary, on the left, is the recipe creator for the family which has been in business for more than 50 years. They make jams in tons of different flavors. How can we buy generic brands of jelly when these divine creations exist right in our backyard? We walked away with lots of goodies....double cherry pies, chocolate covered cherries, cherry bombs, more pickles and of course, jams ;}

Safie Pickles in Chesterfield

One of our faithful readers, Marge, put us on to Safie Pickles in Chesterfield.  They have been canning veggies for over 75 years and can be found in specialty markets in Macomb County like Vince and Joe's, Pete and Frank's, Nino Salvaggio's and Randazzo's. On display you can also see pickled asparagus, beets, beans and peppercini peppers. They are dedicated to "growing local" and using only the freshest ingredients.  You won't find them using preservatives at Safie's. Their 14,000 square foot packing facility is off Gratiot just north of 21 Mile Rd. Chowing down the bread and butter chips and the dill spears right now, we give them two pickles up!

McClure's Pickles

Two Detroit boys named Bob and Joe McClure learned from their mom, Jennifer, how to pickle cucumbers in a divine manner. They started bottling them commercially in 2006 and as evidenced by their appearance on the Food Network, they are growing rapidly, expanding all the way to Brooklyn, NY. We bought these crisp and delicious spears in large 2 lb jars....one's garlic, the other spicy hot. You can find them at Eastern Market, the Royal Oak Market, Whole Foods and even the Black Lotus Brew Pub. McClure's Pickles are a great garnish for a bloody mary!