A good dill pickle is the answer to many life questions, not to mention dishes that need a little something extra. Usually sandwiches. Pickles come in a handful of shapes—whole, speared, crisp, and flat—so you can find the one that best complements your meal. And while there’s no wrong way to enjoy pickles, there’s a better way to optimize your pickle for the best sandwich experience. You need to shave it.
How do you prevent sandwiches in a lunch box from going soft?
Yes, there are sandwich-cut pickles, sliced lengthwise so the cucumber can lay flat on a piece of bread. While that works, slivered pickles hold up even better. But that’s not even why I started shaving my pickles in the first place. I did it because, for the first time, I just wanted a little pickle.
I was making myself an egg salad sandwich and decided that a little bit of pickle would be nice. I only buy whole pickles because then I can change the shape of them as needed. I tried to slice as thinly as possible with a knife, because I already predicted that the slippery minxes would slide out of my sandwich. Frustrated that I couldn’t get thin enough, I grabbed my vegetable peeler.
The resulting pickle shavings were perfect: thin, delicate, and ribbon-like. I only wanted a little pickle in my sandwich, so I was able to use just a few shavings of cucumber, which you can’t just do with pre-cut slices. The ribbons provided good coverage, so each bite had a little salty kick and they didn’t slide around as I ate.
