Spicy, sour, sweet or dill. Whatever your pickle preference, it’s likely Mt. Olive Pickles in Wayne County has your pickle craving covered.
With almost 100 years in the pickle business, Mt. Olive has certainly earned a reputation for being tops in the pickle industry. That reputation is not just in North Carolina, home of Mt. Olive Pickles, but nationally as well. Mt. Olive is the No. 1 pickle brand in the United States. Pickles, of course, come from cucumbers and our state ranks 4th nationally in cucumber production.
Each spring, the town of Mt. Olive celebrates pickles and community at the annual N.C. Pickle Festival. This year’s festival starts April 29. Pickle-themed entertainment abounds, like the Cuke Patch 5k, the Tour de Pickle bike ride and the Predict the Pickle Pass Through, which is guessing what time the train will come through downtown Mt. Olive. New this year will be the Got to Be N.C. Pavillion, which will feature a dozen N.C.-made foods and products, and the people who make them.
Mt. Olive also hosts one of the most unique New Year’s Eve celebrations in the state. Every Dec. 31 at 7 p.m. (which is midnight GMT time), a pickle is dropped at the corner of Cucumber and Vine.
Pickles are a great complement to salads, sandwiches and are also delicious right out of the jar. For something a little different, check out this pickle recipe from the Mt. Olive website.
- 1/2 pound green tomatoes or tomatillos, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 chile serrano, chopped
- 1/3 cup cold water
- 2 tablespoons white onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped
- 4-5 ounces of Mt. Olive Kosher Dill Pickles, diced
- 1/2 small avocado, diced
- Salt & fresh lime juice to taste
Combine all ingredients and stir thoroughly. If you prefer, you can substitute Mt. Olive Fresh Pack Dill Relish with Sea Salt, drained, for the dill pickles.