Particulars Pickling is one of the oldest forms of food preservation, discovered at the dawn of civilization, thousands of years ago in Mesopotamia. North Americans prefer pickles with warts while Europeans prefer them wartless. Refrigerated versions account for about 20% of all pickle sales. International Pickle Week is one of the country’s longest running food promotions. It has been observed for more than 50 years. IPW runs for ten days during the last two weeks in May. The pickled vegetable industry has its own trade association: Pickle Packers International, Inc. During WWII, the U.S. Government tagged 40% of all pickle production for the ration kits of the armed forces. Good pickles have an audible crunch at ten paces. This is measured using an Audible Crunch Meter. Pickles that can only be heard at one pace are known as denture dills.
