‘Pickle Man’ Ronald Buescher Remembered as Innovative and Respected Scientist
Buescher’s research improved pickle crispness through water chemistry
By John Lovett – Oct. 3, 2025
IN MEMORIAM — Ronald W. Buescher was a food science professor at the University of Arkansas whose research and innovations garnered him international recognition as “The Pickel Man.” (Photo courtesy of The Buescher Family)
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Although internationally recognized as “The Pickle Man,” Ronald W. Buescher is remembered for more than just his fermented vegetable research.
Buescher, who passed away Aug. 2 at the age of 82, was a “fun and loving family man and a dedicated professor at the University of Arkansas,” said Luke Howard, a former student of Buescher and a retired professor of food science with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
A celebration of life will be held for Buescher from 2-4 p.m. on Nov. 9 at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks in Fayetteville.
Receiving the Pickle Packers International Hall of Fame Award is just one of Buescher’s many achievements. Buescher’s fermented vegetable research resulted in many commercially available fermented food products with improved color stability and texture. His efforts also amounted to 94 peer-reviewed journal publications and a 1993 patent with Luoqing Yang for a natural substitute to yellow dye No. 5 using turmeric.
Buescher worked with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the Division of Agriculture, for 46 years. His interest in pickle crispness improvement led to national prominence and changes to the industry worldwide. His innovations have also been used in the food industry to reduce waste and improve product quality, market life and processing efficiency.
“Ron Buescher was one of the pioneers in food science at Arkansas, joining the department only a few years after its creation,” said Jean-François Meullenet, senior associate vice president for agriculture-research and director of the experiment station. “Ron served as my department head for a significant portion of my faculty career. I remember him as a supportive boss who helped me develop as a scientist. He was himself a great scientist and he was an inspiration to many early career faculty members. He will be greatly missed.”
Shortly before Buescher retired in 2013, the food science department established the Ron Buescher Endowed Scholarship to support food science majors in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.
“His professional and personal guidance and insight were often sought, much appreciated and will be sadly missed by all who knew him,” Howard said. “He was an amazing and brilliant man.”
Near the end of his career, from 2002 to 2008, Buescher served as head of the food science department before returning to faculty tenure. He had also served as interim head from 1997 to 1999 and 2001 to 2002.
Pickle perfection
Buescher landed into pickle research through an unplanned visit to the Atkins Pickle Company in 1978. His research led to additions of calcium chloride to pickling brine, which diffuses into the cucumber and cross-links pectins in the cell wall, resulting in improved crispness, Howard said.
“He will be best remembered as an innovative and respected scientist, contributing to major advances in improving processed vegetable quality analysis methods for research and the industry,” Howard said.
Renee Threlfall, an associate professor and research scientist in enology and viticulture for the Division of Agriculture and Bumpers College, met Buescher on her first day visiting the food science department for graduate school over 30 years ago and recognized him as an expert in food and beverage fermentations.
“He was a wonderful teacher of food biochemistry and demonstrated great leadership skills as a professor,” Threlfall said. “He provided unwavering loyalty and support for our food science department, including faculty, staff and students.”
Buescher mentored numerous graduate students and visiting scientists from around the world and served as a project leader on several international projects where he educated scientists from developing countries in food quality assessment, fresh produce shelf-life extension and food vitamin supplementation.
Born in Washington, Indiana, Buescher earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in horticulture from Purdue University in 1969 following graduation from Edwardsport High School in 1961. A stint at Vincennes University was followed by further studies in Brazil before returning to the states.
After obtaining his doctorate at Purdue, he spent the rest of his academic career at the University of Arkansas with a visiting professorship in England and technical adviser positions on vegetable postharvest handling, processing and preservation in Egypt, Ecuador, India, Mexico, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, the Netherlands, the Philippines, South Africa and Yemen.
Buescher also served on the editorial board of the Journal of Food Biochemistry from 1985 to 1998 and Scientia Horticulturae from 1988 to 1997.
Honoring his legacy
To honor Buescher’s legacy and wishes to help food science students, memorial donations to his endowed scholarship are welcome. Please send donations to the following address: University of Arkansas Foundation, Ron Buescher Endowed Scholarship, 1120 W. Maple St., AFLS E 213, Fayetteville, AR 72701.
Online donations are also accepted through the University of Arkansas giving platform. Under the designation field, please select the “other” option and enter the “Ron Buescher Endowed Scholarship.”
To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on 𝕏 at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on 𝕏 at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
IN MEMORIAM — Ronald W. Buescher was a food science professor at the University of Arkansas whose research and innovations garnered him international recognition as “The Pickel Man.” (Photo courtesy of The Buescher Family)
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