Kavey’s Genius Pickleback Ice Lollies!

Heeeeeell, YES, I made pickleback ice lollies!

And they are mighty, mighty fine!

First, I made straight pickled gherkin ice lollies, inspired by an idea I came across when searching for Zoku character designs. I used pickling juice (and a little sliced gherkin) from the jar I bought back with me from Amsterdam earlier this year. I loved them!

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And then I got to thinking about picklebacks, which were introduced to the London food and drink scene by BBQ masters, Pitt Cue. A pickleback is a shot of whiskey chased by a shot of pickle brine – the sharp, sweet, herbed and spiced liquid that gherkins are pickled in and which is leftover in the jar once the pickles are gone.

That gave me my eureka idea for pickleback ice lollies! I added a measure of American bourbon to some pickle juice. I also reduced the size of the pickle pieces, as whilst they look really cool, they’re not as lovely as the frozen juice itself. I didn’t do so well trying to make them into a smiley face…

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Kavey’s Genius Pickleback Ice Lollies

Ingredients
Pickling juice from a jar of pickled gherkins
Bourbon or other whisky of your choice
Optional: finely chopped or sliced slivers of pickled gherkin

Method

  • Measure the capacity of your lolly moulds.
  • Measure your bourbon and pickling juice to ensure that the bourbon is 18-20% of the total volume. Any more and the lollies won’t freeze but much less and the balance of flavours won’t work.
  • Combine ingredients, pour into moulds and freeze.

PS I’m calling them Kavey’s Genius because, honestly, I think they’re one of the most friggin’ awesome ideas I’ve had lately! Pete, on the other hand, thinks they are crazy!

What do you think?

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Please leave a comment - I love hearing from you!
43 Comments to "Kavey’s Genius Pickleback Ice Lollies!"

  1. NickyB

    Oh. My. God. This is my idea of heaven on a stick. Courier some up here now, I beg you!

    Reply
  2. Leila

    Kavey – I applaud you. Crazy was the person who mixed whiskey and pickle juice in the first place. Genius is the person who took it to the next level by making it an ice lolly. x

    Reply
  3. kaveyeats

    I need to get better with the smiley faces! The ones in the Zoku example pics are so cute!

    Reply
  4. techpractical

    The line between sun sanity and genius is fine – I think they’re somewhat linked in your case 😉

    Reply
  5. Io

    Krazy Lady.

    Pickle and bourbon go together like scissors and rock. Though cheese isn’t paper… but what is?

    Reply
    kaveyeats

    Ha, must be crazy to have managed to get you to comment, heheheh. PS what’s that about cheese and paper????

    Reply
    Io

    Rock, paper, scissors. Isn’t pickle juice mostly vinegar? I can’t see how that can work as a mixer – it’d drown out the alcohol. Although salt water, I can see maybe slightly. Still crazy though.

    I know!: Marmite beats cheese, cheese beats wine, beer beats Marmite. An almost perfect circle! 😀

    Reply
    kaveyeats

    Oddly enough, bourbon is a strong enough flavour that they both come through clearly, at the 20% bourbon 80% pickle juice ratio that I used.

    And your circle switches between beer and wine… sounds about right for you! ;-P

    Reply
  6. Ann @SimplyRelish

    If we never experimented with flavour combinations, we’d never progress. It’s wacky, but the fact is, you had the idea and carried it though instead of never trying it! Even if half the population thinks it’s gross, you will now be hooked on flavour combinations. I’ll volunteer as a taster!

    Reply
  7. Tezza

    Kavey, you are such a bad influence……

    Whilst in Tesco this evening I bought a half bottle of whiskey. This stuff has not until today entered my home. Curse you woman.

    Unfortunately my Tesco did not stock lolly moulds. So I thought I’d go with the liquid version first time around.

    When I got home (not quite literally straight away you understand…..) I raided my cupboards for shot glasses, knowing full well I didn’t have any. Found the closest thing to it. My one and only ramekin and a tiny glass beer tankard, which I think was a container for some Austrian/German mustard which I bought and consumed about two years ago, serving now as an ornament in my porch. Washed that out to get rid of the dust.

    One shot of whiskey, and a smaller shot of pickle juice down the hatch, I thought that was nice, but I think I got the pickle juice to whiskey ratio a bit wrong………. So then I had another one. This time more whiskey to pickle juice ratio.

    Sublime, so many flavours bouncing around on the old tongue region! Heat, and then sour, and then a strangeness you can’t describe, and then the ‘boosh’ of alcoholic content, and peatiness…..aaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!! My mouth and brain exploded both at the same time.

    If I get to make a frozen version I will report back.

    Reply
  8. Ren Behan

    Wow now that’s a flavour burst! I do love pickles but would I stretch to these…?! I’ll have to try them though they look fab!

    Reply

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