For decades now, those in the know have sought out Gary’s Pickles wherever the business happened to pop up: at farmers’ markets, street fairs and festivals. There was a year-round booth for several years at the Middletown Indoor Flea Market, but that building was condemned due to mold problems in January 2023 and the market closed down indefinitely. “During COVID, we started selling out of our warehouse up on South Ohioville Road; we made a little stand. Other than that, it’s only ever been farmers’ markets and festivals,” says Adam Bliden, son of the owner of the business, Barry Bliden.
That fly-by-night status has changed, however. To the great delight of mid-Hudson pickle-fanciers, Gary’s Pickles finally has a genuine bricks-and-mortar storefront in midtown New Paltz, launched on February 3 and now open seven days a week. It’s located on the ground floor of the Medusa Antiques building on Main Street, in the northeast corner. Right now, it’s retail-only, but according to Adam, the plan is to bring actual pickle production into the spacious storefront in the foreseeable future.
“Our commissary was offsite, in Wallkill, and we’re still using that; but we’re in the process of moving it into here,” he says. “It doesn’t take a whole lot; I just need to have a plumber come in and hook up the sink.” Some of the space will also be dedicated to selling local produce as well, “I’m hoping by spring, summer or fall.”
Adam refers to the new, more permanent headquarters of the business as his “baby,” as his father Barry is easing gradually into retirement after having run Gary’s Pickles since the death of founder Gary Karp, in 2013. “Recently he’s taken a step back and I’ve taken a step forward,” Adam explains. “I’m the ‘new Gary.’ I’ve known people for years who don’t believe my name is not Gary.”
Gary Karp, an Ellenville native, moved to Middletown and started selling home-cured pickles at the Maybrook Farmers’ Market, hosted on the grounds of a long-gone drive-in theater, back in 1982, Adam says. The response was positive enough that Karp incorporated as Gary’s Pickles in 1986, taking his friend Barry Bliden on as a partner. “Dad worked with him for the first 27 years.” Together they expanded their reach to more outdoor markets around the mid-Hudson region, and built up a small-but-devoted following. But Barry didn’t give up his day job as schoolbus driver until Karp’s passing. “We kept the same business model. He worked on a much smaller scale,” says Adam of the growth of Gary’s Pickles in the decade since.
Nowadays, it’s Adam, his mother or one of his siblings you’re most likely to encounter at a Gary’s Pickles kiosk at a fair or behind the counter at the new shop. Adam – who moved from Wallkill to New Paltz in July 2023 and is a volunteer firefighter and a paramedic for the New Paltz Rescue Squad – has been involved in the family business since he was 15. “This is something I could never shake. It started as a job in high school. It was just something I helped my Dad with, until I took over control of operations last year.” Part of those operations involve sourcing of ingredients, which is done as locally as possible, Adam says. “We get everything we can from New York.”
The Gary’s Pickles van is still parked behind the store, and pop-up sales will still happen once the outdoor farm market and festival season gets underway. But diehard pickle-lovers no longer have to wait to find them. “Word-of-mouth is huge,” says Adam. “I get e-mails daily about how and where to buy the pickles.”
Intrepid investigative reporters from Hudson Valley One needed to find out what’s behind all the buzz, of course, and we were suitably impressed on our expedition last week. Instead of a glassed-in counter or bank of shelves, the visitor to Gary’s Pickles in New Paltz is confronted with a long row of enormous plastic barrels with delicious things curing inside, topped by displays of what’s on offer today. The pickling process can take as long as 12 weeks, so not all products are available at all times. If some highly popular item sells out, you just have to wait for the next batch to be ready. As Adam says, “You can’t rush the process.” We can report that everything we tried is worth the drive or the wait, however.
On the day of our visit, they were all out of half-sours: the fresher, more cucumbery-tasting of the main product line. The top seller, however, was a veritable knockout: classic full sours, the closest equivalent to a standard deli kosher dill. These cure longer and are redolent of dill and especially garlic. They retain a satisfying crunch, and the pucker factor isn’t overpowering. We wimped out on tasting the “hot and spicy” pickle and the red pepper stuffed with provolone and salami, but both have enthusiastic followings.
This tester is not a fan of sweet pickles in general, so the sweet gherkins were not my favorite, despite their interesting gingery note. I found the bread-and-butter slices, however, surprisingly palatable. And the sweet-and-sour horseradish slices were so tasty that I had to take a pint home (and add hamburgers to the week’s dinner planning). This is a seasonal item, only available when fresh horseradish is on the market, such as around Passover. “This is everyone’s favorite, but my least favorite to make,” Adam says. We recommend grabbing some while you can, so that the picklers’ eyes will not have watered in vain.
Other treats we sampled include pickled mushrooms (more absorbent, and therefore more pungent); mozzarella balls (fresh and creamy, with a slight red-pepper bite); and a super-crunchy pickled green tomato. “That’s my favorite,” Adam says. We also brought home a container of what he calls “the best sauerkraut on the planet. It’s an old Polish recipe: Gary’s grandmother’s.”
Speaking of sauerkraut – a renowned biodynamic superfood when not pasteurized – it’s worth noting that most of these products are cold-fermented in a simple salt brine, plus appropriate spices. No vinegar is involved, and no cooking. So, not only are the flavors and textures fresh and snappy, but they’re also good for your gut biome.
“I like to say that they have more electrolytes than Gatorade and more probiotics than kombucha,” Adam says, citing pickle brine as a miracle remedy for muscle cramps due to exercise. In fact, among his most avid customers are rock climbers, hikers, runners and cyclists, and he brings vats of brine to local marathons, bicycle races and tours for charity like the annual Ride for Mental Health.
You don’t have to wait for Gary’s Pickles to come to an event near you anymore. The storefront at 215 Main Street (Route 299) in New Paltz is open every day from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Standard prices are $7 per pint, $13 per quart, $17 for a half-gallon and $25 for a full gallon. To learn more, visit https://garyspickles.com and www.facebook.com/GarysPickles.
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