No, your pickle is not illegal in New Hampshire simply for existing or being homemade for personal use. The “bizarre pickle law” requiring pickles to bounce is a myth tied to Connecticut, not New Hampshire, stemming from a 1940s food quality test to check freshness by dropping them from one foot.​
Recent Controversy
In 2025, Manchester’s health department issued a cease-and-desist to resident Daniel Mowery for selling or distributing homemade canned pickles without a commercial license, sparking “Picklegate.” State homestead laws exempt low-volume home sales (under $20,000 annually) from licensing, but Manchester’s stricter local ordinances override this for self-inspecting cities.​
Actual Regulations
New Hampshire permits personal home canning and gifting of pickles without issue, but commercial sales require compliance with local rules or state exemptions. No statewide “bounce test” exists; that’s Connecticut folklore for vendor quality checks on spoiled goods. Other food quirks include FDA-aligned bans on items like Kinder Surprise eggs due to choking hazards.
SOURCES
[1](https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/we-found-weird-laws-about-food-from-every-state/)
[2](https://www.runsensible.com/blog/weird-laws-in-the-us/)
[3](https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/dk24gd/til_the_law_that_requires_pickles_to_bounce_in/)
[4](https://www.tastingtable.com/2022006/how-homemade-pickles-caused-legal-debate-new-hampshire/)
[5](https://wbznewsradio.iheart.com/content/pickles-are-stirring-up-a-problem-in-manchester-nh/)
