as far as 6000 B.C. in the Fertile Crescent. Many people ferment foods to protect them from decay and food-borne illnesses. In regions with poor sanitation, such measures let folks meet their caloric needs without coming down with potentially fatal diarrhea and vomiting from pathogens.
You benefit from the fruits of their labor today. Those snack-sized pickles that make a convenient late-night nosh or crisp addition to your neighborhood barbecue?
They come preserved in salt brine and garlic — no cucumber from the produce section would stay fresh like a jar of gherkins.
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