Brian Celebrates International Pickle Day

Today we celebrate the pickle. Welcome to International Pickle Day. You probably didn’t even know it existed did you? Just remember as you grow your cucumbers this year, whether they are going to be slaughtered and tossed in salad or drowned in cream and pepper or imprisoned in a jar they are revered enough to have a holiday.

I have always loved pickles and can remember grabbing that jar of Vlassic dills as a kid and chomping into one of those crisp, refreshing little devils and washing it down with a slurp of the pickle juice out of the jar. We even have dill pickle flavored chips and sunflower seeds these days.

The pickle even has its place in history. Did you know that pickles are mentioned at least twice in the Bible? In his day Aristotle talked of the healing effects of pickles. Julius Caesar made his army eat them and Cleopatra thought pickles made her beautiful.

There are even still a few odd laws on the books concerning pickles like in Trenton, New Jersey where you can get a ticket for throwing a bad pickle in the street or in Connecticut where in order for a pickle to be considered a pickle it must bounce and not fall apart if dropped from 12 inches. What if you were throwing pickles in the street in Trenton to see if they bounce? You could find yourself locked up with a bunch of other pickle bandits. According to Japanese researchers eating a pickle a day keeps your brain operating at its peak. “Benefits that include improved mental energy and focus, and a slight improvement in performance on IQ tests, are seen with the consumption of one medium-sized pickle a day.”

We salute you Mr. Pickle and I will honor you today as I place you on top of my charred patties of beef, covered in cheese creating a nice soft, warm resting place for you while I bathe you in ketchup and cheer you all the way through my digestive system.