5 Facts About Pickles

Pickles are food that are enjoyed by many. Some people like them on their hamburgers. Some people like pickle wedges that come on the side of sandwiches. Some people love eating pickles or pickle slices alone. Of course, other people don't like pickles. However, it is also interesting to know facts about pickles.

Pickles Are Really Old

It is known that pickles are an extremely old food because they are mentioned in the world's oldest piece of literature. This is The Epic of Gilgamesh which was thought to be written around 4,000 B.C.

East Asians Knew How to Pickle Before Making Pickles

At least 3,000 years ago, East Asians were pickling foods. However, it was not until about 1,000 years after that when a cucumber was first pickled in East Asia to make a pickle.

Pickles Have Different Flavors

All pickles start being made by leaving cucumbers soaking in a solution where they can ferment. This is usually a brine, but sometimes it is a vinegar. Pickles are given different flavors when spices are later added to the brine or vinegar. A few different flavors of pickles are bread and butter pickles, Kosher Dill pickles, Polish pickles, and lime pickles.

Thomas Jefferson Was a Known Lover of Pickles

It is known that Thomas Jefferson loved pickles. This is because he wrote, "On a hot day in Virginia, I know nothing more comforting than a fine spiced pickle, brought up trout-like from the sparkling depths of the aromatic jar below the stairs of Aunt Sally's cellar." Pickle companies had been founded prior to Jefferson's birth, but none were in the United States.

H.J. Heinz Was Originally a Pickle Company

Most people now associated the brand H.J. Heinz with ketchup. Of course, the company sells other products. H.J. Heinz originally started by selling pickles and other vegetables. Also, the 57 has nothing to do with having 57 varieties of anything. Heinz just thought it was the perfect number for advertizing his brand and he was correct. Heinz pickle pins are still given out just like they were at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.