Fried Pickles

Fried pickles are the ultimate comfort food dipped in a little bit of ranch dressing. This is my friend Ree Drummond’s (The Pioneer Woman) best fried pickle recipe!

November 14th is National Pickle Appreciation Day! This is a day that we can celebrate pickles of all kinds! I recommend to take the day to make some fried pickles. You can also just eat a pickle and appreciate it! Share your pickles on social media today using the hashtag #NationalPickleAppreciationDay, #PickleAppreciationDay and #RecipesForHolidays. Be sure to check out our November Food Holidays page so you can follow all the food holidays in the month of November!

“Good ideas, like good pickles, are crisp, enduring and devilishly hard to make.”

-Rushworth Kidder

The History of Pickles:

Throughout history, pickling has been a necessary way to preserve food (traveling across the ocean, long winters, etc.)

We know that more than 4,000 years ago, ancient Mesopotamians began soaking cucumbers in an acidic brine to preserve them.

Pickles were one of Cleopatra’s secrets for maintaining beauty and health. Julius Caesar and other Roman leaders gave their soldiers pickles to eat for strength.

Pickles were first brought to America by Christopher Columbus.

Eastern European Jewish immigrants introduced kosher dill pickles to America in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

HEINZ company started making dill pickles in the 1860’s, and introduced the world to the first ever sweet pickles in 1876.

During World War II, the United States government rationed pickles. 40% of the pickles produced at that time went to the armed forces.

How to make Fried Pickles:

Stir flour and spices together in one bowl. In a second bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg.

Heat oil in a pan. Use vegetable or canola oil. It’s easiest to have a deep fry thermometer handy so you can keep an eye on the temperature. You want the oil to reach 375 degrees.

Lay the pickles on a paper towel to drain and dry out. Dip a few pickles at a time in batter and then toss them in the flour mixture.

Fry pickles for just about 2 minutes, until golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and put them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with batches of the remaining pickles and batter.

Serve fried pickles with ranch dressing for dipping. Or if you have another favorite dipping sauce, it’s okay to use that too!

Fun Facts about Pickles

• The average American eats 9 pounds of pickles per year.
• The average U.S. household buys a new jar of pickles every 53 days.
• Germany, India and the Netherlands are the top consumers of pickles.
• Pickle juice is sometimes used by athletes to treat dehydration.
• After beating the Dallas Cowboys 41-14 on a day when temperatures reached 109˚ F, players from the Philadelphia Eagles football team famously credited their endurance to drinking pickle juice.
• Pickles made an appearance in the Bible and also in Shakespeare’s writing.
• Pregnant women sometimes crave pickles and ice cream!