Shutterstock.com

Pickled History

How the humble cucumber became one of America’s most sought-after savory snacks

By Natalie Hughes

From the March 2026 Issue

Learning Objective: Students read an infographic, then use it to create their own infographic.

Featured Skill: Visual Literacy,

Standards

What is a pickle?

Pickling is an ancient way of preserving food by soaking it in a salty brine or vinegar. Today in the U.S., the word “pickle” usually refers to one thing: a brined cucumber.

Ancient World

Many food historians believe that the first pickled foods emerged as far back as 2400 b.c. in ancient Mesopotamia. There, a variety of foods, including cucumbers, were preserved in salt water and considered delicacies.

1400s

Italian merchant Amerigo Vespucci supplies ships sailing across the Atlantic with barrels of preserved fish and vegetables, including pickles. Some sources say the pickles helped sailors avoid getting scurvy, an illness caused by a severe lack of vitamin C.

1600s

Dutch farmers in what is now New York begin growing cucumbers to be pickled and sold, helping to spark the pickle industry in what would later become the U.S. However, Native Americans in North America had already been preserving meats in maple-sap vinegar for many years.

1880s

Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe arrive in New York City, bringing with them their recipe for kosher dill pickles. By the 1920s, these salty, garlicky pickles become famous across the city’s Lower East Side, which becomes known as the “pickle district.”

1930s

During the Great Depression, a time of great economic struggle, food was expensive. According to some sources, meals like butter and pickle sandwiches, as well as peanut butter and pickle sandwiches, begin popping up on menus during this time because pickles are cheap and plentiful.

1963

Bernell Austin invents a new way to enjoy pickles: covered in batter and fried. He serves them at his Arkansas drive-in, and, in the following years, fried pickles spread across the South. Today they’re enjoyed across the U.S.

2000

The Philadelphia Eagles football team dominates the Dallas Cowboys during the hottest game on NFL record. They attribute their win to drinking pickle juice, which can calm cramping muscles.

2020s

Pickles take over pop culture. Kool-Aid pickles explode on TikTok. And pickle collaborations—from pickle ketchup to pickle-scented candles—flood our feeds.

Writing Prompt

Research the past, present, and future of something that interests you—a food, a technology, a music genre, anything!—and create your own infographic on it. Present your timeline on a poster or using a digital tool.