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.
