I remember mom taking me to the local market. It was an old store with stained wood floorboards, sagging shelves, and barrels filled with two types of pickles – new (half sour) and dill (sour). My job was using tongs to fish out the best dill in the barrel, garlicky pickle juice running deliciously down my arm.
I was fishing into history.
Pickles have an impressive history. Think Shakespeare, Columbus, Napoleon, Thomas Jefferson, and Cleopatra.
Cleopatra?
She swore that pickles were her go-to beauty secret.
What are pickles? Any fresh fruit or vegetable, covered in an acidic or saltwater bath with spices, sugar, garlic, or herbs, and stored until fermented. Cucumbers are the most popular but there’s also shredded cabbage (sauerkraut), beets, green tomatoes, and many more.
