(PUEBLO, Colo.) — An international TikTok trend and weather conditions from El Niño may be causing a pickling cucumber shortage, impacting Southern Colorado businesses and home producers.
Richard Wilson sent out a call for help on Wednesday, Oct. 23, in the “I Live in Pueblo West” Facebook group asking if any local growers had pickling cucumbers to spare.
“We are the owners of Richard’s Pickles here in Pueblo West,” Wilson posted in the group. “We are in preparation to get ready for the holiday Bazaar at the State fairgrounds next weekend and we are having a super hard time finding any pickling cucumbers. So I am here to ask if there are any local growers who happen to have either extras or some for sale.”
When FOX21 News contacted Wilson, he said he began his search at a local farm that usually supplies him, but when they were out of cucumbers, he checked his backup source, Walmart. All the Walmart locations in the Pueblo area were also out of pickling cucumbers.
He then expanded his search to surrounding areas, and found that farmers markets and other sources were out of pickling cucumbers as far as Colorado Springs. Wilson said that he’d been running his pickling business for seven years and this is the first time he’s ever faced this problem.
An article from FOX Weather published on May 3 said that extreme weather in Mexico, the source of the majority of cucumbers in the U.S., may be one of the factors causing the shortage. In the article, Jonathan Shultheis, a professor in horticultural science at N.C. State University told FOX Weather that in certain growing regions, the weather had been too hot, reducing yields, and in other areas it had been too cold.
The article went on to explain that the El Niño had led to extreme weather across Mexico. Pickling cucumbers grow best in temperatures between 70 and 90 degrees Farenheit, but the volatility of the weather made the conditions too inconsistent for the growing season.
Another possible cause of the pickling cucumber shortage is a recent viral TikTok trend originating out of Canada. According to an article by the BBC from Aug. 23, TikToker Logan Moffitt, known as the “cucumber guy,” has been sharing novel recipes featuring the smaller variety of cucumber. A recipe featuring a salad of grated cucumbers, sesame oil, garlic, rice vinegar, and chili oil became a hit.
The New York Post said in an article from Aug. 24 that cucumbers have been in short supply overseas, as supermarket chains reported a surge in sales of the cucumber variant, requiring some stores to order emergency shipments over the summer months. Some experts are skeptical that the TikTok trend is responsible for the shortage, believing that other factors are at play. But the grocers also reported a significant increase in the other ingredients required for the recipe.
Whatever the reason for the shortage, Wilson is still struggling to fill the quota of pickling cucumbers needed for the upcoming event, despite helpful suggestions offered by other members of the Facebook group. If anyone knows of a local supplier who still has pickling cucumbers available, contact Richard’s Pickles at the Facebook page linked above.
