MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) — Wisconsin falls bring a lot of traditions like Thanksgiving, football, apple picking and much more. But, for residents at East Castle Place in Milwaukee, the fall means pickles. 

Yes, pickles.

Each year the facility works to jar thousands of pickles to sell.

“They’re delicious because I am a sweet and sour person,” East Castle Resident, Carolyn Newald said.

To the residents, it’s more than just pickles, it’s a long-standing tradition that comes around each fall.

“It dates back to the 1920s and it was started by the women’s auxiliary,” East Castle Place Director of Community Life, Laura Wengler said.

The process of jarring thousands of pickles is a hot commodity at the facility.

“It was just the popular thing to do so I wanted to help and I like the pickles,” East Castle Place Resident, Marilyn Stanley said.

Last year, they sold out completely, so this year they have plans to make even more.

East Castle Place Resident, Marilyn Stanley has been apart of this tradition for the past three years. She knows a thing or two about these pickles and the process they go through.

“Well they are kind of a sweet-sour and I like pickles so I usually buy a couple of jars or more,” Stanley said.

However, what she doesn’t know is the formula, that makes these pickles so delectable. Inside each jar is a recipe for their famous cherry dill pickles that’s secret recipe dates back to the 1920s.

“The taste like cherries but there is some cinnamon involved and some brine but that’s about all I can divulge,” Wengler said.

Wengler is the gatekeeper of the super-secret recipe. Meanwhile, the work to create these pickles is tough and time-consuming. Residents and staff spend an entire day putting together these highly regarded pickles.

But the real reason why everyone comes to help is to spend time with each other.

“Just being here with friends and knowing that I am doing something that is going to make us some money,” Stanley said.

Once these pickles are chopped, jarred, and brined they will sit in the refrigerator for two months before their big public sell-out day in the winter.

Also, all of the proceeds from these pickles goes back to the resident libraries at East Castle Place to keep them up and running.