Kool-Aid Pickles

As I write this, I’m sitting in my parent’s kitchen in the Dallas suburb I spent most of my life in. It feels so fitting to be thinking about Kool-Aid pickles here and now. 

When I was a kid, summertime meant one thing: pool days. I lived walking distance from the neighborhood recreation center, which included a huge outdoor pool. From the ages of roughly 10 to 14, my friends and I spent countless days at the rec center pool during summer vacation. It was the hub of summertime socializing in our world, and it got us out of the house and out of our parents’ hair — all for the cost of a $2-a-day pass. 

It regularly reaches 100°F degrees in Dallas during the summer, so the pool was a complete reprieve from the sweltering heat. Not only because there were multiple pools of varying depths and sizes to cool off in, but also because of the snacks available at the pool. Amongst the summertime pool snacks that we regularly enjoyed, there was one that reigned supreme: Kool-Aid pickles. 

Many people, including several of my coworkers, may initially find the idea of Kool-Aid and pickles to be blasphemous. However, many of those people are surprised by just how much they enjoy the sweet and sour (but simultaneously refreshing) taste of a nice, cold Kool-Aid pickle.

Kool-Aid pickles, or Koolickles, are a Mississippi Delta delicacy. They are pickles that have been soaked in a mixture of pickle brine and Kool-Aid long enough to absorb the sweet Kool-Aid flavor and the bright Kool-Aid color. 

When I was growing up in Dallas, these pickles were a familiar fixture. The pool wasn’t the only place we could find them. Ice cream trucks would often sell them, and there was a barbecue spot I loved with an assortment of Kool-Aid pickles in all different flavors.

Cherry and tropical punch flavor Kool-Aid pickles were the most popular flavors when I was growing up, but I also love blue raspberry and green apple! 

To make Kool-Aid pickles you just need a packet of unsweetened Kool-Aid in whatever flavor your heart desires, some sugar, and a jar of dill pickle spears. 

• Make sure your Kool-Aid powder and sugar are fully dissolved in the pickle brine before pouring the mixture back into the jar. After that, you definitely want to let your pickles soak in the Kool-Aid brine for at least 5 days. This way the pickles really absorb the flavor from the Kool-Aid. Ideally, you want the pickle to change color all the way through. 
• Remember to give your pickle jar a shake every 1 to 2 days. This ensures that the color and flavor get evenly distributed along the length of each pickle spear.