The Pickle Professor

Many of history’s greatest inventions have been the result of accidents. Penicillin, the microwave, potato chips and even Leslie Grant’s award-winning “Sweet Garden Crunchers” pickle recipe.

Grant is one of 15 lucky people who have seen their pickle and jam recipes go from blue ribbon winners to commercial products for the Chaska-based M.A. Gedney Company. However, unlike many of the seasoned contest cooks, Grant’s road to pickle success was far from calculated.

Now, with International Pickle Week kicking off tomorrow, May 16, and the Minnesota State Fair accepting entries for its annual canning contest, Grant reflected on his road to pickled cucumber stardom.

Oops

It was more than a decade ago when the University of Minnesota associate professor was at home in St. Louis Park cooking up a double batch of pickles. At the time, he knew little about canning, but had to do something with the oodles of cucumbers populating his garden.

“My friends and neighbors locked their doors after awhile,” said Grant jokingly, of all the cucumbers he tried to give away.

He concocted a recipe of cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, apple cider vinegar and sugar and got to work canning pickles.

Though he was focused on doubling his ingredients for the big batch, when it came time to add the sugar, Grant accidentally tripled the amount.

Grant knew he had screwed up, but rather than starting over from scratch, he opted to keep going. He finished canning the pickles and handed them out to his neighbors. They loved them.

“One of my neighbors said they were the best pickles he had ever eaten,” recalled Grant. “He said I had to enter them at the (Minnesota) State Fair.

Grant had never entered a fair contest in his life, but decided to take his neighbor’s advice. He chose two of his prettiest jars of pickles and entered one in the “Bread and Butter” category and the other in the “General Pickle” category.

Much to his surprise, the rookie canner ended up winning the coveted blue ribbon for the best overall pickle.

Battle of the sexes

That was in 1997. And though Gedney isn’t able to reproduce every blue ribbon winner for commercial sales, a year later, they had perfected a mass-market recipe to turn Grant’s pickles into a bonafide product. Suddenly his “Sweet Garden Crunchers,” along with his face and story, could be found on grocery shelves across the country.

“It was kind of surreal,” Grant admitted.

“In 1998 they went on the market,” he continued. “It was the first summer I got to ride the Gedney float with the rest of the ladies.”

Grant recalls that the previous winners, all females, were “somewhat taken aback” when he boarded.

“I broke the gender barrier,” he said.

Grant said that they ran him through “the gauntlet,” challenging him to enter again so they could beat him.

“I haven’t entered since,” he said, noting that a full agenda has mostly kept him from jumping back in. Until now.

“I’m working on another recipe, but I can’t tell you any more than that,” he said with a wink and a smile, alluding to the fierce competition he expected from the other canners.

Advice

Meanwhile, Grant has some words of advice for those looking to enter the state fair competition.

“Start with the best cucumber,” he said. “Good ingredients make for good product.”

Grant also recommends using good water. “I don’t use Minneapolis water,” he said. “I buy it at the grocery store.”

Presentation counts as well. Grant cuts his cucumber slices by hand and has even been known to arrange them in the jar.

Beyond that, Grant encourages contestants to get creative. After all, one never knows when an extra heap of sugar might just be the key to winning it all.

-Mollee Francisco, staff writer

* Sponsored by M.A. Gedney Company

* Contestants must pre-register online or via mail now through Aug. 5

* Prizes awarded at the fair on Aug. 21

* For more information, visit www.gedneypickle.com, www.mnstatefair.org

or contact the Minnesota State Fair Competition Office at (651) 288-4417

Pickle categories

* Best Southwest-flavored dill cucumber pickle using chipotle peppers and/or other flavors

* Best cucumber pickle using balsamic vinegar

* Best Cajun style dill cucumber pickle

* Best uniquely flavored cucumber variety

* Best ethnic product or recipe using cucumber as the main ingredient

* Best reduced-sodium cucumber pickle

* Best kid’s cucumber pickle recipe