Last year, the pickle world had a BIG moment: Pickle Ice debuted. Anyone who has ever snuck some pickle juice from the jar and—even better—stuck it in the freezer knows how momentous this was. Pickle Ice rocked the Internet, so we knew we needed to pay the factory behind the product a visit.
Buy now: Pickle Ice, $8 for 8, amazon.com
We traveled all the way to Waterloo, Wisconsin to visit Van Holten's, the company behind Pickle Ice—and so much more. They process 35 million (!!!) pickles a year for their super-popular Pickle In A Pouch. Being in a pickle factory was nuts: The smells were super overwhelming—all that vinegar!—and the tanks in which we made the Pickle Ice brine were GIGANTIC.
The brine is really what you'd think: vinegar, salt, water, dill oil concentrate (one whiff and you're toast), turmeric for color, plus a whole bunch of electrolytes. As more research comes out about pickle juice, athletes are starting to reach for it over Gatorade—NFL players, marathon runners—who are relying more and more on the vinegar-based product to boost hydration and relieve muscle cramps.
I'm telling you...these are a really big dill.
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