Rick Field of Rick's Picks answered a few of our questions: Rick Field

KC: Why pickles?

RF: For me, a passing interest became a hobby, which became an obsession, which became a full-blown career. 

KC: How long have you been pickling?

RF: With my folks since I was about 12.  For fun on my own, since 1997.  As a business, since 2004. 

KC: What is your favorite type of pickle?

RF: I don't play favorites.  My favorite is always the next one.  

KC: What advice do you have for novice picklers?

RF: There is no such thing as a bad experiment.  Explore your inner pickler.  

KC: It seems like almost anything can be pickled, what are the properties of a vegetable or fruit that make it good for pickling?

RF: Vegetables with good structure will lead to good results.  Cucumber, beans, beets, fennel.  The texture of the final product is so important.  

KC: Any pickling disasters or unlikely successes?

RF:  My pickled eggs never made it out of the kitchen.

KC: Most cultures of the world have some sort of pickling tradition, why is that?

RF: Every place on earth needs to preserve the bounty of the harvest for times of want.  

KC: We love your Smokra, which is your favorite of the peck?

RF: My current favorite is our newest pickle, called "Hotties".  It is a crinkle-cut pickle chip with sriracha and dried habanero. 

KC: What are your favorite pickle pairings?

RF: Phat Beets with goat cheese is hard to top. . . correction. . . it is easy to top. . . with fresh blueberries! 

You can purchase Rick's Picks Pickles online or at Farmers Markets or at various retail outlets in New York and beyond.