Taster's Choice: Claussen wins raves in relish challenge

Mention relish, and most of us conjure up visions of slimy, neon green swipes across a steaming hot dog. It's one of those products that's either considered vile and unnecessary, or completely paramount to building the perfect dog - few consumers fall in the middle of the spectrum.

The 13 products tasted by the panel actually boasted all hues from yellowish-gray to dark green, and though we gave the option of hot dogs to ease the onslaught, the tasters preferred to try them alone.

Both sweet pickle and dill pickle relishes are sold in grocery stores, but for this test, we concentrated solely on the sweet varieties, which seem to be the more popular condiment. We included a couple of sugar-free brands that are sweetened with Splenda (to dismal results), and one that is kept in the refrigerator section. The rest were shelf stable products.

Despite a few audible groans when the cups were placed down in front of them, as this is clearly an anti-relish-on-hot dog group, the results were surprisingly positive. In fact, one product so impressed the panel that it gained entry into the Taster's Choice Hall of Fame, an honor reserved for products that score 80 points or more out of 100 in the blind tasting.

First-place Claussen ($1.99/10 ounces at Andronico's) got rave reviews, with panelists applauding the "fresh pickle taste," and "nice sour dill pickle notes." Most commented that the pickles were cut into a "nice brunoise," or tiny dice. "I could eat this with a spoon," said one taster, and another - who tasted it last - called it "the light at the end of the tunnel." All five tasters would buy this product.

Widely available Vlasic ($1.99/9 ounces at Andronico's) came in second place. Most commented on the "good balance between sweet and acid," and the "pretty green" appearance. Some found it "a bit spicy" with a "good texture." Three would buy it, and two might.

In third place was Heinz ($2.29/10 ounces at Bell/Cala Foods), described as having a "good crunch" and "strong caraway notes." One taster compared the pickle flavor to "cornichons," and another said it had "good acid with a touch of sweetness." Three would buy this brand, and two might.

Organic French brand Strub's ($5.49/12.5 ounces at Andronico's) came in fourth place. "The flavor is good and pickle-y," said one panelist, and others liked the "very crisp texture" and the "bread and butter pickle" taste. Two would buy it, and three might.

The scores dropped dramatically after the top four, but Del Monte ($2.55/12 ounces at Safeway) nabbed the fifth-place slot, with a "very sweet," "pleasant onion flavor," and a "nicely crunchy" texture. Opponents of the brand were put off by the "very gray" color and "mushy" mouthfeel. Two would buy this brand, one might, and two would not.