People who love pickles are easy to shop for and hard to surprise. They already have their favorite dill spears in the fridge. The best pickle gift is one they wouldn't have bought themselves, and for most pickle lovers that is a jar of something they have never tried, like a box of pickled mushrooms in five different varieties.
Here are fifteen pickle gift ideas, from serious to silly, how to put together a pickle gift basket, and the story behind the Christmas pickle.
The pickle gift they haven't tried: pickled mushrooms
A pickle lover has cucumbers covered. Pickled mushrooms are the step beyond: sharp like a pickle, but savory too, and good straight from the jar, on a cheese board or in a Bloody Mary. Most people have never had more than one kind, which is what makes them a good gift.
Golden Grove makes five, and each tastes different:
- Crimini: classic mushroom flavor in whole caps, with garlic and thyme.
- White shimeji: bright, delicate and crisp.
- Black shimeji: savory, tender and bold, in apple cider vinegar.
- King oyster: meaty coins with truffle oil in the jar.
- Shiitake: the deepest and most savory, with tamari in the brine.
"The mushrooms taste fresh and each jar is actually different, which I appreciated because I was expecting the flavors to be more or less the same."
— Samantha L., Golden Grove customer
The Build Your Variety Pack lets you choose the jars: a 6-Pack with one of each and a second of the classic crimini makes a proper gift, and a 2-Pack is the right size for a host or a stocking. The label says to store the jars in a cool, dry place and refrigerate after opening, so a sealed jar wraps and travels like any other pantry gift.
15 pickle gift ideas
1. A box of pickled mushrooms
The gift above: five varieties, mixed however you like. The one most pickle lovers haven't tried.
2. A pickle tasting flight
Three or four jars of very different pickles, say a fermented dill, a bread-and-butter, a spicy one and a jar of pickled mushrooms, with a note to taste them side by side.
3. A pickle gift basket
Pickles, cheese, crackers and something to serve them on. How to build one is below.
4. A pickling kit
Jars, pickling salt, dill seed, mustard seed and peppercorns, for the pickle lover who wants to make their own.
5. A fermentation crock
For the serious home fermenter: a crock with weights for sauerkraut and sour pickles.
6. A pickle cookbook
A good book on pickling and preserving, ideally one that covers more than cucumbers.
7. Pickle-flavored snacks
Dill pickle chips, pickle popcorn seasoning or dill pickle nuts. Cheap, fun and easy to add to a basket.
8. A relish dish or a pickle fork
A vintage-style divided relish tray or a long-handled pickle fork, so the jars come out properly at the next party.
9. A charcuterie board with pickles
A wooden board plus two or three jars of pickles to put on it. Our guide to the best pickles for a charcuterie board helps you choose.
10. A Bloody Mary kit
A bottle of good mix, celery salt, skewers and a jar of pickled crimini for the garnish. See our Bloody Mary bar and garnish ideas.
11. A Christmas pickle ornament
A glass pickle to hide in the tree, with a note explaining the tradition. Inexpensive and a great stocking stuffer.
12. A host gift pair
Two jars of pickled mushrooms tied with string, to bring to dinner instead of another bottle of wine. More ideas in host gifts that aren't wine or flowers.
13. A pickle-of-the-month plan
For the truly devoted: a jar arriving every month from different makers.
14. Pickle novelty gifts
Pickle socks, pickle-shaped pool floats and "kind of a big dill" mugs. Not serious, but pickle people tend to love them.
15. A pickled mushroom and cheese pairing
A jar of pickled king oyster with a wedge of aged Comté and walnut bread, or white shimeji with burrata and prosciutto. A ready-made appetizer in a box.
How to build a pickle gift basket
- Pick a container you would keep: a wooden crate, a basket, or a serving board.
- Choose three or four jars that taste different: a classic dill, something sweet or spicy, and a jar of pickled mushrooms for the surprise.
- Add things to eat with them: a hard cheese that keeps well, crackers and a small jar of mustard.
- Add one thing to serve with: a pickle fork, small bowls or a relish dish.
- Write a card with ideas, like "on a cheese board", "in a Bloody Mary", "straight from the jar", so nothing sits in the cupboard.
The Christmas pickle tradition
A glass pickle ornament is hidden in the Christmas tree, and whoever finds it on Christmas morning gets an extra present or good luck for the year. It is usually called a German tradition, but it is really German-American. Glass ornaments were imported from Germany and sold in American stores like Woolworth's from the late 1800s, and in a 2016 survey nine in ten Germans said they had never heard of the custom.
Order in time for the holidays
Orders usually leave within one to two business days, and most arrive three to five business days after they ship. Holiday demand can add delays, so for Christmas, order by the second week of December.
Pickle gift questions
What do you get someone who loves pickles?
Something they wouldn't buy themselves: pickles they have never tried, like pickled mushrooms, a tasting flight of different styles, a pickling kit, or a pickle gift basket with cheese and crackers.
Do pickles make a good gift?
Yes, for someone who already loves them. Choose jars they don't have, and add a note with ways to use them.
Do jarred pickles need to be refrigerated before opening?
It depends on the jar, so read the label. Shelf-stable jars don't, but pickles sold from the refrigerated case always do. Our pickled mushroom jars say to store them in a cool, dry place and refrigerate after opening.
What is the Christmas pickle tradition?
A pickle ornament is hidden in the tree, and the first person to find it gets an extra gift or good luck. It is a German-American tradition.
The short version
For a pickle lover, the best gift is a pickle they haven't tried. A Build Your Variety Pack of pickled mushrooms, in a 6-Pack for a real present or a 2-Pack for a host, does that, and the rest of this list fills a basket around it.