Best Pickles to Buy Online: What to Look For

Buying pickles online sounds simple until you are staring at forty jars that all promise to be "the best." You cannot taste them, you cannot pick up the jar, and shipping glass across the country adds its own questions.

This is the checklist we would give a friend. Full disclosure: we make Atlanta Pickles, so we are biased, but everything below applies to any jar you are thinking about buying.

1. Read the label like you mean it

Product pages should show you the ingredients and the nutrition panel. If they do not, that is your first clue. Here is what to check:

• A short, readable ingredient list. You should recognise everything on it: the vegetable, vinegar, water, salt, spices.
• Artificial colours. Some pickles are dyed to look greener or brighter. If you would rather skip dyes, look for them on the list.
• Sweeteners. Sweet pickles should be sweet, but it is worth checking what kind of sweetener is used and whether a "dill" pickle has sugar added.
• Sodium per serving. Pickles vary a lot. If you watch your salt, compare the number on the panel rather than the claims on the front.
• Serving size. Make sure you are comparing like with like.

2. Know which kind of pickle you are buying

Online, there are two big families:

• Vinegar-brined, shelf-stable pickles. These are packed in a vinegar brine and sealed, so they travel at room temperature and keep in the pantry until opened. Ours are this kind: shelf-stable for up to two years unopened, refrigerate after opening.
• Refrigerated pickles. These must stay cold the whole way, which means insulated packaging, ice packs and usually expedited shipping.

Neither is "better," but for ordering online, shelf-stable jars are far simpler and cheaper to ship. Our post on fermented vs vinegar-brined pickles goes deeper.

3. Check how it ships

• Shipping cost. Look for a free-shipping threshold. We ship free in the US on 2 or more jars, which is why most people order a pair.
• Packaging. Glass needs proper padding. Look for a maker that says what happens if something arrives broken.
• Made to order or warehouse stock? Small makers often pack orders themselves, which usually means fresher stock.

4. Prefer glass

Glass does not hold on to old flavours or smells, it lets you see what you are getting, and it is easy to reuse or recycle. A resealable lid matters too, since a good jar of pickles gets opened dozens of times. All of our jars are 17 oz glass with resealable lids.

5. Look for small batch, and ask what that means

"Small batch" should mean real people making a limited amount at a time, close enough to the product to notice when something is off. Good signs:

• The brand tells you where it is made. Ours are made in small batches in Atlanta, Georgia.
• You can find the makers in person, for example at farmers markets.
• The range has personality: unusual flavours a big factory would not bother with.

6. Use awards and reviews wisely

Independent awards and lots of reviews are both helpful signals, as long as they are specific. Look for named competitions and years, and a review count big enough to mean something.

For transparency, here are ours: a 2026 Good Food Award for The Spicy Garlic, Flavor of Georgia 2026 Category Winner for The Green Tomatoes, Flavor of Georgia Best Pickle 2024 for The Banana Pickle, and Best Spicy at the 2024 Artisan International Flavor Awards for The Ghost Pickle. We have been seen on The Today Show, and we are rated 4.9 out of 5 across 280+ reviews.

7. Find your flavour family before you click buy

The "best" pickle is the one you will actually finish. Most pickles fit into one of three families:

Sour

Our sour scale runs from The Dill Chips (least sour, with coriander and lemon-lime zest) to The Vintage (medium, classic pickling spice and crushed bay leaf) to The Power Sour (most sour).

Spicy

Anything we name "Spicy" is 3 out of 5 with habanero, and The Ghost Pickle is a 4 out of 5. See our full spicy pickles heat scale.

Sweet

The Bread and Butter uses brown and white sugar with a cinnamon pickling spice, and The Heat and Sweet adds red jalapeños.

Our checklist, in one place

1. Ingredients and nutrition panel visible before you buy.
2. Shelf-stable or refrigerated: know which, and how it ships.
3. Free-shipping threshold and a clear broken-jar policy.
4. Glass jar, resealable lid.
5. A real maker you can find, ideally small batch.
6. Specific awards and plenty of reviews.
7. A flavour family you already know you like.

Buying pickles online: quick FAQ

Will glass jars survive shipping?

Properly packed, yes. Look for jars wrapped individually with padding between them, and check what the maker does if one arrives damaged.

What should I do when the box arrives?

Shelf-stable jars can go straight into the pantry. Open one, refrigerate it, and keep the rest until you are ready.

How many jars should I order the first time?

Two is a good start: enough to compare two flavour families, and with us it unlocks free US shipping.

Ready to try? Start with our Bestsellers, browse all pickles, or read our pickle brands buyer's guide.

Award-winning jars to start with

The Spicy GarlicGood Food Award 2026. Habanero, 3 out of 5.Shop · $16.95The Banana PickleFlavor of Georgia Best Pickle 2024. Garlic dill, no heat.Shop · $16.95The Green TomatoesFlavor of Georgia 2026 Category Winner.Shop · $16.95The Ghost PickleBest Spicy, 2024 Artisan International Flavor Awards.Shop · $16.95