Sweet Pickle Potato Salad

This post may contain affiliate links, and I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read our privacy policy.

Sweet Pickle Potato Salad is a mayonnaise based traditional potato salad with added sweet pickles and sweet pickle juice.

August 19th is National Potato Day! You must celebrate by eating potatoes any way you enjoy them. I suggest making potato skins, French fries, baked potatoes, or this Sweet Pickle Potato Salad!

Share the potato love on social media today using the hashtags #NationalPotatoDay, #PotatoDay and #RecipesForHolidays.

Be sure to follow my August Food Holidays page so you never miss a food holiday in the month of August.

“My idea of heaven is a great, big baked potato and someone to share it with.”

-Oprah Winfrey

The History of Potatoes:

The Incas of Peru were the first to cultivate potatoes (8000BC to 5000BC). The ancient civilizations of the Incas used the time it took to cook a potato as a measurement of time.

Potatoes were introduced to Europe in the 16th century by Spanish Conquistadors. They were initially popular in Spain because they were inexpensive sustenance for the poor. Potatoes took up very little space and were very nutritious. One acre of potatoes could feed a family of four for a year.

In 1589, Sir Walter Raleigh introduced potatoes to Ireland.

European immigrants introduced potatoes to North America several times throughout the 1600’s, but they were not widely grown for almost a century. Not until 1719, when Irish immigrants brought the potato to Londonderry, New Hampshire, were potatoes grown on a large scale.

Thomas Jefferson served potatoes to guests at the White House, which helped the potato gain popularity in America. The popularity was strengthened with a steady stream of Irish immigrants to America.

Today potatoes are grown in all 50 states of the USA and in about 125 countries throughout the world.

Ingredients needed:

• red potatoes
• sweet pickle juice
• mayonnaise
• buttermilk
• Dijon mustard
• granulated white sugar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• hard-boiled eggs
• red onion
• celery
• sweet pickles

How to make Sweet Pickle Potato Salad:

The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.

Add the potatoes to a large pot of cold salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook just until tender (about 10 minutes). Drain the potatoes, and then transfer them to a large bowl. Drizzle pickle juice over the warm potatoes and toss gently. Let them cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, mustard, sugar and pepper. Pour this mixture over the cooled potatoes. Add the eggs, onion, celery and pickles.

Toss gently to blend. Season to taste with salt. Cover and refrigerate (can be made up to 8 hours ahead).

If you like pickles in your potato salad, then this is the potato salad for you. Don’t care for sweet pickles? Try making the same recipe using dill pickle and dill pickle juice. Enjoy!

Fun Facts about Potatoes:

• The potato is about 80% water and 20% solids.
• The average American eats about 124 pounds of potatoes per year while Germans eat about twice as much.
• Thomas Jefferson gets the credit for introducing “french fries” to America when he served them at a White House dinner.
• In October 1995, the potato became the first vegetable to be grown in space. NASA and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, created the technology with the goal of feeding astronauts on long space voyages, and eventually, feeding future space colonies.
• Sweet potatoes belong to the morning glory family. They are not related to the traditional potato.