Koolickles

Vibrantly red, perfectly crunchy, and an impeccable balance of sweet and sour: the koolickle is a famed Mississippi Delta invention. Known in some circles as the “pickoola,” this local invention is exactly what it sounds like: a pickle soaked in Kool-Aid, thereby tinting the pickle bright red and providing it with a tangy crunch.

While no one knows exactly how the koolickle came to be, there are some logical origin points. The South has long been in the habit of pickling—everything from peaches to okra to watermelon rind—likely because of its long history of backyard gardens and food preservation. Some theories posit that the humid southern climate required more sugar in the preservation process. Thus, it comes as no surprise that the tradition of pickling, particularly with such added sweetness, would continue to evolve as the generations continue.

The tradition of the koolickle likely also has ties to the southern practice of inserting a peppermint stick into the middle of a pickle, creating a sweet-meets-sour effect. More closely tied to the koolickle is the tradition of the SnoCo Pickle, in which a pickle is soaked in snow cone syrup. In similar fashion, some southerners recall inserting a Jolly Rancher or other sour candy into a pickle, creating a similar effect to that of the koolickle. Still others have been known to sprinkle Pixie Stix sugar or Kool-Aid powder straight onto the pickle.

Koolickles have risen to relative prominence in the last twenty years, having been featured in the New York Times, Southern Living, and across a wide range of online cooking sites. Their origin, however, lies in the Mississippi Delta, where they can be found in a variety of locations, provided you know where to look. Many associate koolickles with the southern convenience-store chain Double Quick, which sells the salty sweet treats at their counters across the region and has even trademarked the name. In most gas stations, they have been homemade by an owner or employee of the store and remain in their gallon-size pickle jars, suspended in their syrupy red liquid. Koolickles can also be found at school fundraisers and sporting events, and at neighborhood house stores, in which community members sell snacks (both homemade and store-bought) out of their kitchens.

To make a hearty batch of koolickles requires very little—a normal batch of dill pickles, Kool-Aid powder, and sugar. Most practitioners follow a simple set of instructions: slice the dill pickles into halves and add to a batch of Kool-Aid (extra strength, most agree). Next, add extra sugar, combine, shake, and refrigerate. Some cooks opt for leaving the pickles whole rather than slicing them, but this risks the vibrant red color not seeping all the way into the center of the pickle. After a week of refrigeration, the koolickles are ready to see the light of day—be that at the local gas station, at a neighborhood house of treats, for one’s own household, or behind the counter at a high school basketball game. While most koolickles use red Kool-Aid, technically the fruit punch variety, some practitioners opt for green apple or even grape Kool-Aid flavoring, thus turning the pickles neon green or bright purple.

While children in particular seem to love the sweetness of Koolickles, it would be a mistake to believe this treat is enjoyed only by young people. The treat is for young and old, sometimes shared through the generations for its complementary mix of flavors.