Consider the pickle. Whether sour or sweet, sliced or speared, it’s a seasoned veteran vegetable with a story to tell. New York City plays a big part in that tale, as does Long Island.
The latest Long Island History Project podcast reaches deep into the barrel of food history and talks with Paul van Ravestein, co-author along with Monique Mulder of The Pickled City: The Story of New York Pickles (Princeton Architectural Press, 2026).
Van Ravestein takes listeners from the pushcarts and crowded streets of the Lower East Side to the cucumber farms and pickle factories flanking the Long Island Rail Road in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
Along the way we detail the role of the pickle in the economic, social, and culinary history of the region. Syosset, Farmingdale, Greenlawn and other places all had their “pickle kings” who profited from the pickle, enabling a lucrative industry and legacy that lived on well into the 20th century.
You can listen to the episode here.
The Long Island History Project, hosted by academic librarian Chris Kretz, is an independent podcast featuring stories and interviews with people passionate about Long Island history.
Read more about New York State’s food history.
Photo: Stern’s Pickle Product delivery truck (courtesy Farmingdale Historical Collection).
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