Pickles. Canva / 2021.
The 14th of November is Pickle Day.
It celebrates the simple but timeless wonder of pickles!
They exist in some form in just about every cuisine in the world.
Very few people don’t like pickles, and it’s no wonder. Pickles offer all kinds of sensations: crunchy, sour, salty, cold, refreshing.
But, is there anything worse in the world than a soft pickle?
Have you ever had genuine homemade pickles? If so, what did you think of them compared to commercial, store-bought pickles?
Nothing says it has to be cucumber pickles today. You could enjoy pickled Brussels sprouts, pickled green beans, pickled cauliflower, pickled watermelon. All these count as pickles! And in England, a famous pickle called “Branston” is actually a form of what North Americans would call “relish“.
Would you try unexpected foods with pickle flavouring, like pickle chips, or pickle ice cream?
Have you ever tried these different pickle foods?
- a dill pickle on a banana split instead of the banana;
- pickle pizza;
- pickle soup;
- pickles on a stick;
- chocolate-covered pickles.
#PickleDay #NationalPickleDay
See also: Pickles, Pickle Grabbers, Pickling, Pickling Salt, Pickling Lime
Activities for today
- Treat yourself to some deep-fried pickles;
- look for recipes that use pickle brine;
- send someone a pickle bouquet today;
- buy yourself a pickle Christmas tree ornament;
- use pickle brine to marinate chicken in before frying (discard brine afterward, do NOT reuse);
- use pickle brine as a salad dressing base.
Resources
- Pickling (National Center for Home Food Preservation)
- Miscellaneous information about home-canned pickles
- Crisping pickles
- Pickling vinegar
History
A Pickle Day was mentioned in 1949, though with no date attached to the mention:
“There is a National Pickle Day. It has never been clear whether one is supposed to eat pickles on this day or go out and get pickled.” — Skeffington, L.B. Farmers Day Could Be Handy Thing for Political Orators. Binghamton, New York: Press and Sun-Bulletin. Tuesday, 11 October 1949. Page 5, col. 3.
Over the decades since then, it was celebrated in many different months, often in May.
The Lower East Side of New York City has held its own Pickle Day on a Sunday in New York since 2000. [1]Schwartz, Danny. Inside the Outrageous Chaos of NYC’s Pickle Day, the Wacky Yearly Fest for Pickle Fans. Eater.com. 14 October 2019. Accessed October 2021 at https://ny.eater.com/2019/10/14/20910498/pickle-day-new-york-city-lower-east-side-photos-food-costumes . It was started by the Lower East Side Business Improvement and the New York Food Museum. [2]10 years of Pickle Day. Accessed October 2021 at http://www.nyfoodmuseum.org/_phome.htm
The earliest print mention that CooksInfo is aware of for a Pickle Day being observed on the 14th of November dates from 2009 in Oregon:
“Did you know Nov. 14 has been established as National Pickle Day? Just imagine the fun you can have decorating your retail window with a pickle motif and explaining to all customers the significance of your theme.” — Soto, Arlene. A window display says a lot about your business. Coos Bay, Oregon: The World. Saturday, 17 October 2009. Page C1, col 1.
We have not been able to find any clues about whether there were any rhyme or reason for the November date, which seems to have appeared from out of nowhere.
Sources
It’s National Pickle Day: 5 facts that make pickles a big dill. Fort Myers, Florida: ABC 7. 16 November 2020. Accessed October 2021 at https://abc-7.com/news/2020/11/14/its-national-pickle-day-5-facts-that-make-pickles-a-big-dill/
It’s National Pickle Day! Toronto, Canada: CBC. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.cbc.ca/kidscbc2/the-feed/its-national-pickle-day
Isom, Cathy. Celebrating National Pickle Day. South East Ag Net. 14 November 2018. Accessed October 2021 at http://southeastagnet.com/2018/11/14/celebrating-national-pickle-day-2/
Wida, Erica Chayes. Best recipes to celebrate National Pickle Day. Today Show. 14 November 2019. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.today.com/food/best-recipes-celebrate-national-pickle-day-t161124
References
| ↑1 | Schwartz, Danny. Inside the Outrageous Chaos of NYC’s Pickle Day, the Wacky Yearly Fest for Pickle Fans. Eater.com. 14 October 2019. Accessed October 2021 at https://ny.eater.com/2019/10/14/20910498/pickle-day-new-york-city-lower-east-side-photos-food-costumes |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | 10 years of Pickle Day. Accessed October 2021 at http://www.nyfoodmuseum.org/_phome.htm |