NATIONAL PICKLE DAY
National Pickle Day recognizes the tart, sometimes sweet, and even spicy pickle. Each year on November 14th, pickle lovers pop open pecks of their preferred preserved pickle. It may be a Dill, Gherkin, Cornichon, Brined, Kosher Dill, Polish, Hungarian, Lime, Bread and Butter, Swedish and Danish, or Kool-Aid Pickle. No matter your choice, eat them all day long.
The term pickle comes from the Dutch word pekel, meaning brine. In the United States, the word pickle typically refers to a pickled cucumber. However, just about any fruit or vegetable can be pickled.
The process typically starts with a blanching process, depending on the fruit or vegetable. Then the product is packed into jars with seasonings that will give the pickles their flavor. They can be spicy, tart, or sweet. However, the tartness and sweetness come from the brine. A basic brine includes vinegar and water. Various amounts of sugar adjust the level of sweetness in the brine.
Pickle Facts
We consume a phenomenal 5,200,000 pounds of pickles each year in the United States. While pickles can be high in sodium, they are a good source of vitamin K. In moderation, they make a great snack.
- Food vendors sometimes serve pickles on a stick at fairs or carnivals. They are known as stick pickles.
- A rising trend in the United States is deep-fried pickles. The pickle is wrapped in dough or dipped in breading and deep-fried.
- The popularity of the pickle dates back thousands of years to 2030 B.C. At that time, traders imported cucumbers from India to the Tigris Valley. Here the people first preserved and ate the cucumbers as pickles.
- Cleopatra attributed her good looks to her diet of pickles.
- Even Julius Caesar craved the benefits of pickles. He believed pickles lent physical and spiritual strength and gave them to his troops.
Snack on a pickle to celebrate, but don’t stop there. This snack is multipurpose. They make delicious additions to salads and sandwiches. Grind them up and make a relish. Experimenting with pizza? Top it with some pickles. If your Sloppy Joe is missing a little zing, add some pickles. While not everything is better with pickles (ice cream?), a little experimentation goes a long way with pickles.
HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalPickleDay
Try tasting pickled carrots, cauliflower, or watermelon. Even some proteins are pickled, such as eggs. What’s your favorite kind of pickle? Sweet, spicy, dill? Let us know by using #NationalPickleDay and posting on social media.
Educators, visit the National Day Calendar Classroom for project ideas, puzzles and more to use in your classroom.
NATIONAL PICKLE DAY HISTORY
While this holiday has been celebrated for 70 years on various days, National Day Calendar has not identified the founder of the day. However, in 1949, the first observance began with encouragement from the Pickle Packers Association.
November 14th Celebrated (And Not So Celebrated) History
1886
Inventor Friedrich Soennecken developed the two-hole puncher. He designed the tool to punch holes in numerous sheets of paper at the same time. He also receives credit for developing the binder.
1889
In an attempt to replicate the journey made by Phileas Fogg in the novel by French author Jules Verne and travel Around the World in Eighty Days, pioneering journalist Nellie Bly (aka Elizabeth Cochrane), departed from Hoboken, New Jersey on the Steam Ship the Augusta Victoria. She would complete the trip in 72 days.
1910
From a makeshift deck on the USS Birmingham, Aviator Eugene Burton Ely completes the first shipboard takeoff off the coast of Hampton Roads, Virginia.
1922
The British Broadcasting Company begins broadcasting in London.
1969
The three-member crew of Apollo 12 are launched into orbit for the second mission to land on the Moon. Commander Charles Conrad, Pilot Alan L. Bean, and Command Module Pilot Richard F. Gordon executed the mission.
November 14th Celebrated (And Not So Celebrated) Birthdays
Robert Fulton – 1765
Fulton partnered with Robert R. Livingston to bring the steamboat to a successful commercial operation.
Claude Monet – 1840
The artist was the founder of the French impressionist movement. Some of his most recognized works of art include Bouquet of Sunflowers, Water Lilies, and The Water Lily Pond.
Mamie Geneva Doud – 1896
Mamie Doud married Dwight D. Eisenhower and served as the 36th First Lady of the United States. Her tenure followed World War II, and she became known for her ability to organize dinners and events.
Mary Greyeyes – 1920
During World War II, Greyeyes became the first Indigenous woman to join Canada’s armed forces. A member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, she joined the Canadian Women’s Army Corps in 1942 and served until 1946.
Edward H. White II – 1930
On June 3, 1965, White became the first person to walk in space. He was tragically killed in 1967 during a flight simulation aboard Apollo 1. The other casualties included Virgil I. Grissom and Roger B. Chaffee. They were the first human losses of the U.S. space program.
