Even though Jill Dillard (née Duggar) and her husband Derick are away on a mission trip in Central America with their infant son Israel, they're still making sure that their first child is being raised with all of the Duggar family's traditions. During the Tuesday (March 29) night episode of TLC's "19 Kids and Counting" spin-off "Jill and Jessa: Counting On," baby Dillard gets to take part in a Duggar tradition - trying a pickle for the first time!
Jill and Derick set off for El Salvador last summer, embarking on a mission trip to spread the word and encourage the natives to accept Christianity. For their first few weeks in Central America, they each took language classes to strengthen their Spanish speaking skills so that they could communicate with the native people, and Jill even took the time to volunteer at a local midwife clinic - all of which was documented on the previous season of their new reality TV series.
In a new sneak peek for tonight's episode, Jill and Derick give baby Israel his first taste of a pickle and they document his reaction on camera, a longstanding Duggar tradition that started in the womb.
"The Duggars love pickles," Jill's sister Jessa Seewald (née Duggar) explains in the clip. "I think it probably started in that when my mom is pregnant, she craves pickles. Like that's the one thing, anytime we see her eating pickles, we're like, 'Are you pregnant?'"
"Any time a family member tries a pickle for the first time, we always get around and take videos and pictures and everybody comes around to watch their facial expression," sister Joy Anna Duggar says with a laugh.
"Let's see what he thinks about this. He's never had a pickle before," Derick says as little Israel sits in his stroller, gently gnawing on his fingers. "Wanna try a pickle?"
Derick gently feeds the pickle to his son and he immediately bites down on it with his first two teeth. As soon as Israel gets a taste of the brine, his face scrunches up but he keeps chomping away. When the taste of the salt and vinegar gets too overwhelming, he shuts his eyes and pulls away, but then he grabs the pickle with his tiny hand and goes back for more.
"It feels good but it tastes different," Derick says.
"I'd say he likes it!" Jill announces.
Watch the full sneak below and be sure to catch tonight's episode of "Jill and Jessa: Counting On," airing at 9 p.m. on TLC.
