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gschwim 14 years, 7 months ago.
My memory of Karl Ehmer is seeing him at the Octoberfest on his farm in LaGrangeville, NY back in the mid-80’s sometime. Like in CW McColl’s song "Convoy", the aroma from the hogs there was mighty intense. He was drinking quite a bit of wine, then got into his huge Mercedes with his wife and drove off.
I am sure there were other producers of Wurst in
Glendale/Ridgewood besides Ehmer, Forest Pork Store, and Morscher’s. They were the mom and pop meat markets, and I am sure some of their output was wholesale to restaurants. But, they are all gone now. Somehow, the unwrapped wurst I buy in their retail store co-located with the meat plant on Fresh Pond Road in Ridgewood seems better than the Cryovac-packed product sold in retail outlets. It may just be that there is no watery liquid included with the wurst sold at the retail store.
I WAS THE OWNER OF THE ATLANTIC PORK STORE ON ATLANTIC AVE IN EAST NEW YORK IN THE 60’S. MR EHMER AND I WERE GOOD FRIENDS SO MUCH SO THAT I OPENED THE KARL EHMER STORE IN THE MALL IN HONESDALE,PA.IN THE 70’S.
I AM RETIRED NOW,FOR THE LAST 14 YEARS I GO BETWEEN FLA AND MASS.
I HAVE GOT MY GRANDCHILDREN HOOKED ON LANDJAEGERS.
GOOD FOOD IS HARD TO FIND. GOD BLESS GLENDALE & RIDGEWOOD THE HOME OF GOOD WURST!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To Kozel, Tony Bad, et al: Try the products at Morscher’s Pork Store, 58-44 Catalpa Ave., Ridgewood, NY. They don’t do mail order and parking is rough, but I’m sure you’ll be pleased with the brats, weisswurst, cold cuts, and everything in the store. It’s a meat loaf and not a sausage, but try the leberkaese! Now, as of July 20, the Forest Pork Store in Ridgewood converted to a wholesale operation. Their store in Huntington, Long Island, is their retail store. Again, excellent products! TJW
Sometime last year I made it up to Karl Ehmer’s in Hillsdale, N.J. Outside the store was a cart with compartments for boiling, grilling, and griddling. I bought some franks and bratwurst in the store to take home and had a beef frank and a beef and pork frank (griddled) from the cart. Beef dogs were good, German style dogs were exceptional. Closest thing to Thumann’s that I’ve tasted. Similar in flavor, but a tad milder, and with a tougher casing. For some strange reason, there are no places in Jersey that I know of that serve the Thumann’s dog on a griddle. Maybe because they are so popular in the supermarket deli section for home grilling. Rosco’s in Connecticut serves the Thumann’s griller. See Drew Bunyak’s excellent review.
I found the brats to be okay, but I prefer the brats at the Union Pork Store. Never had the hot dogs at Forest Pork Store, but if they are as good or better than the ones at Ehmer’s as suggested by Kozel, then I’ve got to try them.
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Originally posted by kozelSounds like you and my wife were separated at birth. It’s her family’s Christmas Eve tradition that dinner is Karl Ehmer peanut franks and salads. We’ve even shipped the franks to our kids when they couldn’t come home for Christmas. I prefer Forest Pork store’s franks; but I rarely get them.
That sounds like a tasty tradition! On Christmas Eve the Italian side of our family takes over…fish, fish, and more fish…although we always manage to include some German style herring salad in as one of the seven fishes!
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Originally posted by Tony Bad
I am a big fan of the Forest Pork Store. Their products remain great, which is what Karl Ehmer’s used to be as well.Their peanut franks are great if you are adding them to a soup or something. My kids like me to put them into pea soup when I make it, and if I don’t have any ham around, I will do so. Other brands, like Boars Head, Nathan’s, or Sabretts are too heavily seasoned, and it changes the soup’s flavor.
I still think Karl Ehmer products are good, just not what they used to be…but hey…I am not what I used to be either!!
Sounds like you and my wife were separated at birth. It’s her family’s Christmas Eve tradition that dinner is Karl Ehmer peanut franks and salads. We’ve even shipped the franks to our kids when they couldn’t come home for Christmas. I prefer Forest Pork store’s franks; but I rarely get them.
To answer Jimeats’s question, the difference between franks and wieners can vary. For example, obvoiusly, "frank" comes from the city of its origin, Franfurt, Germany. Likewise, "wiener" comes from "Wien," which is the German (Austrian) word for the city we know as Vienna. So, the difference can be from the particular spices used in each city’s product, in the same sense that their is a difference between, say, an Italian sausage and a Mexcian chorizo. On the other hand, another difference is size and shape, with a frankfurter being relatively short and fat, like an American hot dog; and wieners being substantially longer and thinner. I assume that both size and taste can differ, but guy behind the counter at the German meat shop (Schaller & Weber) in my NYC neighborhood tells me that they use the same recipe for their franks and wieners, with only the shape being different. And finally, regarding Karl Ehmer, specifically, the wieners are long, thin, contain pork and come eight to a package. The franks are all beef, are shorter, thicker and come six to a package.
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Originally posted by efuery
I like their bratwurst and landjager
If you are from Queens, there is the Empire Market in College Point and he makes and smokes his own landjager. It not as smokey as the Forest Pork store’s but I like it. Come to think of it, they also make their own dogs and wursts too.
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Originally posted by kozel
Karl Ehmer is a local producer from the Ridgewood/Glendale section of Queens NYC. They’ve operated a small group of local stores in New York and Long Island. My wife swears by the peanut franks (smaller than regular but bigger than cocktail) and their German potato salad and frozen potato balls. They also sell Bauer’s mustard. Karl had a farm in Lagrangeville New York on Noxon road where he once hosted an Octoborfest some years back. Karl passed on some time back and that may be the reason some think their products have changed.Another quality German butcher that is still in business is the Forest Pork store. The original one is on Forest Ave in Ridgewood and they have a great store in Huntington Long Island. Like Karl Ehmer, they have different wursts and other German products.
I am a big fan of the Forest Pork Store. Their products remain great, which is what Karl Ehmer’s used to be as well.
Their peanut franks are great if you are adding them to a soup or something. My kids like me to put them into pea soup when I make it, and if I don’t have any ham around, I will do so. Other brands, like Boars Head, Nathan’s, or Sabretts are too heavily seasoned, and it changes the soup’s flavor.
I still think Karl Ehmer products are good, just not what they used to be…but hey…I am not what I used to be either!!
I like their bratwurst and landjager
Karl Ehmer is a local producer from the Ridgewood/Glendale section of Queens NYC. They’ve operated a small group of local stores in New York and Long Island. My wife swears by the peanut franks (smaller than regular but bigger than cocktail) and their German potato salad and frozen potato balls. They also sell Bauer’s mustard. Karl had a farm in Lagrangeville New York on Noxon road where he once hosted an Octoborfest some years back. Karl passed on some time back and that may be the reason some think their products have changed.
Another quality German butcher that is still in business is the Forest Pork store. The original one is on Forest Ave in Ridgewood and they have a great store in Huntington Long Island. Like Karl Ehmer, they have different wursts and other German products.
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Originally posted by gschwim
A local supermarket began selling Karl Ehmer Wieners and Beef Franks. Just tried the wieners and found them pretty good (and big! — about twice the length of the bun). Anyone have an opinion?
I like Karl Ehmer’s products, but they have gotten a bit average in recent years as the company has grown. They are a lot diferent than the Kosher type, more heavily seasoned dogs you often find in stores. I like them, but some may find them bland. I’d recommend giving them a try.
Just what is the difference between a frank and a weiner? Up here in the Boston area I’ve never seen a weiner advertised. Chow Jim
A local supermarket began selling Karl Ehmer Wieners and Beef Franks. Just tried the wieners and found them pretty good (and big! — about twice the length of the bun). Anyone have an opinion?
Karl Ehmer Franks & Wieners
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