Pickles, a most ancient food.
Archeologists say that pickling is one of the oldest forms of food preservations, a technique with roots in ancient Mesopotamia that began around 2400 B.C. Cucumbers were the first vegetable known to be pickled, but onions eventually became popular pickled items. Sarah Harrison’s 1739 cookbook, “The House-Keeper’s Pocket-Book,” recommended flavoring them with white wine vinegar, cloves, mace and a little pepper.