Celebrate the Health Benefits of Pickles

Whether you like them sweet or sour, mild or spicy, stock up on a few jars of pickles and celebrate National Pickle Day, November 14th.

Cucumbers as well as other fruits and vegetables have been pickled in salty brine as a means of long-term preservation for thousands of years. You can find references to them in the bible, Shakespeare’s writing and pickles are said to be one of Cleopatra’s beauty secrets.

The pickling process can also increase the nutritional value and ease digestion of certain foods. During fermentation some vitamins are produced or become more concentrated. Kimchi, the Korean pickled cabbage dish was found to contain more vitamins than unfermented cabbage.

After celebrating, you may decide to grow a few extra cucumbers, peppers or cabbage next season and try your hand at pickling.

A bit more information: Keep kids busy and add a bit of science to your celebration with an electric pickle experiment. Turn a pickle into a battery and light it up or set off a buzzer. Check out these three experiments:

The Electric Pickle

Kosher Dill Current

Glowing Pickle