Prairie Fresh®, the premium pork brand known for its flavor, quality and culinary inspiration, has officially announced the winners of its Prairie Fresh & Pickle Contest, a nationwide celebration of one of the year’s biggest food trends: pickles.
Pickle flavors have taken over menus, kitchens and social feeds as consumers crave tangy, nostalgic bites in new and creative ways. Over the past year, Google searches for “pickle” have increased by 3,800 percent (Mother Murphy’s, 2025), while 63 percent of consumers worldwide have shared positive sentiments about pickles on social media (Seattle Times, 2025).
Leaning into this cultural moment, Prairie Fresh invited home cooks, food creators and flavor enthusiasts to show how the tangy pickle trend could elevate their favorite pork dishes. The goal was simple: spotlight the versatility of pork while inspiring fans to experiment with craveable, briny flavors and share their most creative pairings. From smoky ribs with spicy pickle slaw to tenderloin tacos topped with sweet-heat pickle chips, participants showcased their imagination and appetite for innovation.
Recognizing how social media fuels food culture, Prairie Fresh hosted the contest on Instagram, where food content drives some of the highest engagement on any platform. The hashtag #Food appears on more than 250 million posts, and 38 percent of Instagram users look at food content while 27 percent share it (MenuTiger, 2025). In addition, new Talkwalker data underscores just how much pickle-related content has exploded on Instagram. In 2025, posts and comments mentioning “pickle” or #Pickle generated more than 6.2 million engagements and a potential reach of 134.9 billion, representing a year-over-year increase of more than 13,000 percent in engagement and a 5,000 percent increase in reach compared to 2024. That surge in audience activity and cultural relevance made Instagram the ideal platform for Prairie Fresh to celebrate culinary creativity and connect with fans in real time.
The contest captured the imagination of food lovers across the country, generating widespread engagement and thousands of impressions as participants demonstrated how these two iconic foods create a flavor combination that is both craveable and creative.
In total, $4,500 in prizes were awarded to the top three entries, with the grand-prize winner receiving $2,000, second place $1,500 and third place $1,000.
After careful review by the Prairie Fresh culinary and brand teams, three standout winners were selected for their creativity, presentation and passion for flavor:
1st Place: Shannon Kohn, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina (@shannonkohncreates)
Shannon’s “Triple Pickle Caesar Salad with Crispy Pork Croutons” brought unexpected flair to a classic favorite. Her version featured pickle-brined, pickle chip-crusted Prairie Fresh pork tenderloin “croutons,” topped with a zesty dill pickle Caesar dressing. Judges praised the playful balance of tangy, smoky and savory elements that made this dish both restaurant-worthy and instantly social-media ready.
2nd Place: Chera Little, New Braunfels, Texas (@cheralittlefood)
Chera’s “Pickled Pork Sausage Dogs with Sweet-Dilly Corn Salsa” delivered layered flavor and creativity from bun to topping. Using Prairie Fresh Original pork sausage blended with sweet-dill relish, seasonings and a touch of heat, Chera pan-seared her sausage and finished it with a quick pickle juice bath for tenderness and depth. Her fresh corn salsa, built with jalapeños, red onion, cabbage and a cilantro-dill pickle drizzle, completed the dish with texture, color and a burst of brightness.
3rd Place: Dave White, Solsberry, Indiana (@greatwhitesmoke)
Dave’s “Pickleback Rack” combined his championship barbecue skills with bold pickle flavor in every bite. His smoked and glazed Prairie Fresh baby back ribs were de-boned and layered across garlic-herb Italian bread, then stacked with dill pickles, creamy dill slaw and crispy fried pickles on the side. The result was a craveable, over-the-top sandwich that captured the best of Southern barbecue innovation and backyard fun.
“The creativity and enthusiasm from those who took part has been incredible,” said David Eahart, Senior Director of Communications & Brand Marketing, Prairie Fresh. “This competition highlights not just the versatility of Prairie Fresh products, but also how the pickle trend continues to inspire culinary innovation. It has been exciting to see home cooks and creators across the country transform something so simple into dishes full of flavor, heart and originality.”
The Prairie Fresh & Pickle Contest underscored the brand’s commitment to celebrating food culture and engaging directly with the growing community of culinary enthusiasts who bring bold ideas to life on their own tables.
To learn more about Prairie Fresh, the Prairie Fresh & Pickle Contest, and view the winning recipes, visit www.prairiefresh.com and follow the brand on Instagram and Facebook.
About Prairie Fresh
Prairie Fresh® is the brand of a uniquely connected food system relentlessly seeking a better way to produce wholesome pork by purposely connecting every step between its American-owned farms in the Midwest and Great Plains and family tables around the world. Prairie Fresh pork is produced, sold and marketed by Seaboard Foods and processed in Oklahoma, Iowa and Missouri.