Pucker up, Vlasic is developing pickle chips made of actual pickles

For pickle fans, this is a big dill.

Pickle producer Vlasic is developing chips made entirely of pickles, the brand's parent company, Conagra Brands, confirmed during a recent event.

"Pickles themselves are a great snack, essentially no calories or carbs," said Tom McGough, Conagra co-chief operating officer, during the April 10 Investor Day event. "But eating pickles out of a conventional jar is inconvenient and messy."

McGough announced two new pickle products – Vlasic single-serve pickle slices and also a Vlasic vacuum-fried pickle chips – that he said "taste absolutely fantastic."

Pantry and refrigerated pickles are a $1.1 billion category, growing 6% over the past year, McGough said.

Consumers craving pickle-flavored snacks isn't new.

"Pickles has always been a flavor that people have loved in snacks," McGough said. "Whether it’s in potato chips or even in our Bigs Vlasic Dill Sunflower Seeds."

But unlike Lay's pickle-flavored chips that were re-released this year, these pickle chips aren't made with potato.

A Conagra Brands spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY Wednesday that the "pickle chips are in our innovation pipeline, but still in development." A release date isn't yet known.

Contributing: Amy Huschka, Detroit Free Press

Follow USA TODAY reporter Kelly Tyko on Twitter: @KellyTyko