was NOT just varieties of pickles, but of all foods that the company made or distributed at the time. Mr. Heinz was making the list in his mind while riding a subway. When he got to # 57, he came to his stop and ended the mental exercise. Later in the day, he thought back to his project and remembered he'd ended at #57. Puzzled, he decided that people would remember 57 more than 56 or 58 or any other number he thought up; so he used it as his trademark.