We’re becoming prolific pickle-ifiers, having already pickled popcorn, chips, hummus, mustard, jalapeños— and of course, cucumbers, in a variety of shapes and brines. What’s left to pickle? Always loving alliteration, we poked around, contem-plating pickled peaches, peas, potatoes, pistachios, prunes, pollock, Pad Thai, pretzels, peppermints, and pudding... None proved praiseworthy. (Luckily, these were just postulations and ponderings.) Finally, we considered pups. With persnickety pleasure, we put pups through their paces. Not only did they pass our production probes, but they also passed our panel! If it’s not already obvious, we’re proud to present Trader Joe’s Perfectly Pickled Pups.

But pickled hot dogs, you say? Our Perfectly Pickled Pups are so much more. Parroting the format of our successful Parmesan Pastry Pups, we begin with Mini Uncured Beef Franks. These teeny wieners are infused with dill-pickle flavor, by way of popular brining ingredients such as sea salt, sugar, onion, garlic, vinegar, and dill weed. The pickle-flavored Pups are then coated in a mixure of batter and breadcrumbs that’s seasoned with even more particularly pickley ingredients.

The results (once you procure them from the store and prepare them in your air fryer or conventional oven) are these savory, couple-bite-sized treats that are crispy on the outside, tender and beefy on the inside, and perspicuously pickle-flavored. The only pending postulation is: what will Trader Joe’s pickle next?!