Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia

A fine spiced pickle...(Spurious Quotation)

This quotation about pickles is wrongly attributed to Thomas Jefferson and does not appear in Jefferson's writings or any other contemporary source.

A modern-day portrait of Thomas Jefferson in early 19-century attire with a speech bubble next to his head that says, "I said what?!"

Quotation: "On a hot day in Virginia, I know nothing more comforting than a fine spiced pickle, brought up trout-like from the sparkling depths of the aromatic jar below the stairs of Aunt Sally's cellar."

First appearance in print: William Clendenin, "The Story of Pickles," The Canner 54, no. 2 (May 27, 1922): 41.

This quotation does not appear in Jefferson's writings or any other contemporary source. It first appears in a piece published in a Chicago food industry publication, The Canner, in 1922, as an address by William Clendenin to the Women's National Health Association. Clendenin worked in public relations and advertising for several different industries; given the tone of his item in The Canner, it was likely meant as a tongue-in-cheek reference. Clendenin also claims that Julius Caesar, Napoleon, and Queen Elizabeth all loved to eat pickles.

- Anna Berkes, 1/16/24