Pickle lovers can't get enough of them. Those who don't like them stay away from them and are commonly heard saying, "Hold the pickle!" Pickles are honored on November 14 every year by those who love them and eat them often. That because it's National Pickle Day. It has been estimated that Americans eat more than five million pounds of the food every year. However, they are not eaten just for their crunchiness and vinegary taste.

Pickles have been around for thousands of years, and they have been very popular since then. Most people eat them for their nutritional values, but there are other reasons to eat pickles.

Some people eat them for their beauty properties. Cleopatra believed she was very beautiful because she included pickles in her diet. Napoleon believed pickles had health benefits. Therefore, he stocked up on them for his armies so they would always be healthy.

Made from cucumbers

You don't have to be a farmer to know that pickles are made from cucumbers. There are so many varieties that some people have to spend a considerable amount of time at the grocery store trying to determine which kind to buy. A simple rule to follow is to determine their use. Those that are put on sandwiches are different from those that are put in foods or eaten right out of the containers.There are sweet ones, and there are sour ones.

A gherkin is a small, sweet pickle. Cornichons are tart pickles made from small gherkins. There are Kosher dills made with garlic and dill. Lime pickles are soaked in pickling lime. Bread and butter pickles are sliced. They get their name because they were made from surplus cucumbers and sold as a staple such as bread and butter.

The food is so versatile that in the south, children eat Kool-Aid pickles. They are made by soaking dill pickles in a mixture of Kool-Aid and brine.

Choosing the right ones

They are chosen to be used as a side dish, snack, or condiment. Some fast food restaurants such as McDonald's add a slice on their hamburgers and cheeseburgers.

Jason's Deli and other delicatessens offer whole pickles with their sandwiches. They are so good that customers ask for extra ones.

Pickles are so delicious that you do not have to wait until National Pickle Day to enjoy them. When there is a sale on them at your local grocery store, stock up on your favorite kind so you will have some on hand at all times. That way when you want one, you can just pick one out of a jar, pop it in your mouth, and enjoy.
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