When cucumber season arrives, they seem to come in abundance. To preserve the harvest, pickling is the most popular method. It’s a way of preservation that has been around for thousands of years dating to 2030 B.C. when cucumbers from native India were pickled in the Tigris Valley.
Pickles were brought to America by Christopher Columbus in the 15th century. By 1659 a Dutch farmer was growing cucumbers in New York in the area known as Brooklyn. Dealers bought, pickled and sold the cucumbers out of a barrel on the street. By the early 19th century pickles were being packed in glass containers and sealed with cork. In the early 1850s paraffin was created as a sealer. By 1858 the mason jar created just for pickles was being used. In 1893 A. J. Heinz, known as the Pickle King, was in the business of commercially selling pickles in jars.
During World War II the government rationed pickles and 40 percent of national production went to the armed forces.
Pickle Facts
Jewish immigrants introduce...