What Even Is This? The Strange World of Extreme Pickle Products
From edible glitter to prebiotic soda, the pickle craze has officially outrun its own punchline.
GIF credit: The Clorox Company
It seems like the moment I open my eyes in the morning, I am bombarded by an endless stream of new pickle-flavored products. From pickle dips, chips, and snack foods to the convenience of pickles in pouches, many products born from the pickle craze have stood the test of time and become staples in people's weekly grocery shops. Others, however, have faded into obscurity, surviving only as internet curiosities.
Although a few have managed to make me tilt my head in curiosity, it's quite often I'm sighing and scrolling past them. After all, how far can pickle branding really go before even pickle lovers finally say no? With that in mind, here are some of the zaniest pickle products to hit the market.
Born from a TikTok trend where users added edible glitter to jars of store-bought pickles in pursuit of “pretty pickles,” glitter pickles are a product we never expected to see. Even more surprising is the specialized glitter that has come from their creation — because apparently, regular edible glitter wasn’t sufficient.
There’s nothing quite like the “refreshing” experience of soothing cracked lips with pocket-warmed pickle-flavored lip balm. This product exists thanks in part to collaborations like Burt’s Bees x Grillo’s Pickles, proving even lip care couldn’t escape the pickle craze. Pucker up!
Born from the ASMR and pickle-loving communities on TikTok, chamoy pickle kits combine American jumbo dill pickles with classic Mexican flavors such as tajin, chamoy, and tamarind candy. Kits often contain a jumbo pickle, Fruit Roll-Ups, sour tamarind candy, chamoy, tajin, and Hot Cheetos, allowing consumers to DIY their own concoction. Although first popular in 2021, they have yet to disappear completely from the internet and online marketplaces. The strange combination of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy flavors, layered onto the already divisive vessel of a pickle, is undeniably intriguing.
Pickle-Flavored Hydration Mixes
It’s no secret that pickle juice is packed with electrolytes due to its high sodium content, so making pickle-flavored hydration mixes doesn’t seem like that crazy of an idea. That is, until you really think about it, because a true pickle fanatic would probably skip the hydration mix altogether and go straight for the jar.
Just when I thought I’d seen it all with pickle sodas and beverages, from Dua Lipa putting pickle juice in her Diet Coke to people ordering their Dr Pepper with a side of pickles, I discovered prebiotic pickle soda. Solly’s Pickle & Lime Craft Soda claims to be “all natural,” “100% hydration,” and “low in calories.” Finally, a dill-lightful upgrade to regular pickle soda.
I guess there really is a pickle for every craving, no matter how questionable.
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