Fried pickles are a side dish and appetizer found commonly in the Southern U.S. They are made by deep-frying sliced battered dill pickles.

Fried pickle
Fried pickles
A serving of fried pickles
CourseSnack/side dish
Place of originUnited States
Region or stateSouthern US
Main ingredientsPickled cucumber
Batter
Cooking oil

History

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Fried pickles first appeared on the American culinary scene in the early 1960s. The first known fried pickle recipe was printed in the Oakland Tribune on November 19, 1962, for "French Fried Pickles", which called for using sweet pickle slices and pancake mix.[1]

Fried dill pickles were popularized by Bernell "Fatman" Austin in 1963 at the Duchess Drive In located in Atkins, Arkansas.[1][2][3] The Fatman's recipe is only known to his family and used once each year at the annual Picklefest in Atkins, held each May.[4]

Fried pickles are served at food festivals and menus of individual and chain restaurants throughout the United States and elsewhere.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11] They can be eaten as an appetizer or as an accompaniment to other dishes.[12] Fried pickles are frequently served with a ranch dressing or other creamy sauce for dipping. In 1963, before the culinary world knew of ranch dressing, the Fatman offered ketchup as a dipping sauce.[13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Triplette, Laurie (June 20, 2014). "On Cooking Southern: Pickles to Fry For". HottyToddy.com. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  2. ^ "Fried Dill Pickles". Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  3. ^ Jones, Janie; Jones, Wyatt (2010). Arkansas Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff. Globe Pequot Press. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-7627-4894-5.
  4. ^ Taylor, Nelson (2000). America Bizarro: A Guide to Freaky Festivals, Groovy Gatherings, Kooky Contests, and Other Strange Happenings Across the USA. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-312-26286-0.
  5. ^ Alfeld, Beverly; Couch, Ron (2008). Pickles to Relish. Pelican Publishing. p. 189. ISBN 978-1-58980-489-0.
  6. ^ Rowe, Trent (March 4, 2010). "Restaurant Review - Hooters (Lakeland, Fla)". TheLedger.com. The Ledger. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  7. ^ Christiansen, J.; Campbell, L. (May 1, 1998). "Crocodile Lounge a high class swamp". Salt Lake City: The Deseret News.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ Harris, Jenn (November 19, 2014). "Boozy nachos and fried pickles at new Pasadena Whole Foods restaurant". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  9. ^ Buechel, Jennifer (December 1, 2014). "Inside the Kitchen with Jenny Buechel at Farwell's MAD Cafe". Tustin, Michigan: WWTV 9&10 News. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  10. ^ Butter, Susannah (January 21, 2014). "Where to eat deep-fried pickles in London". London Evening Standard. London, United Kingdom. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  11. ^ "Lobster Kitchen, Great Russell Street, WC1". Islington Gazette. London, United Kingdom. December 1, 2014. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2014. ... the deep fried pickles were tangy little beasts and ...
  12. ^ "Recipe: Fried pickles". The Accidental Scientist: Science of cooking. Exploratorium.edu.
  13. ^ "The History of Fried Pickles". America Fun Fact of the Day. June 14, 2017. Retrieved March 27, 2022.