The History of Fresh Produce

In a Pickle

August 25, 2026·57 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

How did a jar of pickles keep Julius Caesar's legions marching, Cleopatra beautiful, Captain Cook's sailors alive, and Napoleon's armies fed — and why does the same basic technology of salt water and a vegetable keep reappearing at every major turning point in human history? What is the true story of the poisoned green pickle, the Heinz pickle pin that required police crowd control at the 1893 World's Fair, and the man who went over Niagara Falls in two welded plastic pickle barrels? And, why does Connecticut law require that a pickle must bounce?Join John and Patrick as they tell the global history of the pickle — ten thousand years of brine, from Mesopotamia to the Lower East Side deli...----------In Sponsorship with Cornell University: Dyson Cornell SC Johnson College of Business-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: historyoffreshproduce@gmail.com

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