How to Make Pickle Lemonade

Once again, TikTok has convinced me to try something that seems unappetizing. This time, that thing is: pickle lemonade.

It’s not just influencers hyping up the lemonade; big brands like Popeyes added the briny beverage to their menu. Athletes are fans, too, as pickle juice helps replenish electrolytes and reduce cramping during long periods of physical activity.

I still wasn’t entirely sure if it was worth the hype, so I consulted with a few experts and made a batch myself. I brought it along with me on a 10K incline hike on a day that ended up being a scorching 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

My Trail Runner Friend Swears By Pickle Juice

The first person I reached out to was my friend Rochelle Bilow, who is not only a trail runner but also a food editor and knows a thing or two about viral culinary trends. She told me that while running the Black Canyon 50K this past February, she accidentally forgot to pack electrolytes. Normally, she would have pushed through, but it was an extremely hot day in Arizona, which meant she was losing a lot of salt through her sweat.

“By mile 20, my legs were cramping and feeling completely fatigued. I knew it was because my body was losing too much salt,” Bilow shared with me.” So at the next aid station, I crammed like four pickles into my mouth to get as much salt as possible.”

Unfortunately, she was nearly at the finish line, so she didn’t experience that much of an energy boost.  But she believes that if she had loaded up on pickles or pickle juice earlier, it could have made a big difference.

Pickles Are Electrolyte Powerhouses

Just half a cup of pickle juice has 720 milligrams of sodium. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, endurance athletes should aim to get about 300 to 600 milligrams of sodium per hour during long workouts.

For physically active people, consuming electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium is especially important because exercise causes them to be lost through sweat, says Alyssa Pacheco, a registered dietitian based in Boston, Massachusetts.

“Without enough electrolytes, you may underperform, recovery can slow, and the risk of cramps and fatigue can increase,” says Claire Rifkin, a registered dietitian based in New York City.

@nytcooking

Pickle lemonade summer? Here’s how to make it: • 7 large organic lemons, at room temperature • ⅔ cup granulated sugar • 3 cups chilled, filtered water • 1 to 1¼ cups dill pickle juice (see Tip), plus pickle spears for garnish • Ice, for serving Thinly slice 1 lemon, discard the seeds, and set aside for garnish. Roll the remaining lemons firmly against your counter top before juicing them in order to extract as much juice as possible. Quarter the lemons, then squeeze enough of the lemons into a measuring cup to get 1 cup of lemon juice. (A citrus juicer may be helpful here, if you’ve got one.) Add the squeezed lemon peels and any unsqueezed lemon quarterspieces to a large jar, such as an 8-cup Mason jar, a wide pitcher or even a large bowl. Add the sugar to the lemon peel pieces in the jar and, using a wooden spoon or a muddler, muddle together until the sugar has mostly dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice to the jar, cover and shake vigorously (or stir, if your vessel doesn’t have a lid) to ensure the sugar has fully dissolved. Add the water, then add pickle juice to taste. Shake or stir to mix; then strain using a fine-mesh strainer. (To store, refrigerate up to 3 days.) To serve, pour into glasses over plenty of ice. Garnish with a lemon slice and a pickle spear. Tip: When choosing pickles for this recipe, look for refrigerated dill-flavored ones like Grillo’s, for brighter flavors. Sweet bread and butter pickles, or other pickles that use too much garlic or other seasonings, might overpower the balance of acidity (lemon), sweetness (sugar) and saltiness (pickle brine). Depending on your pickle choice, you may need to adjust the sugar and lemon ratios.

♬ There She Goes – CYRIL & MOONLGHT & The La’s

Beyond electrolytes, this sour drink offers other perks, too. “Lemons are a rich source of vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that may improve your immune system,” says Pacheco. Plus, if you grab a jar of fermented pickles from the refrigerated section, you’ll also get a dose of probiotics, which support overall gut health, she says.

How to Get the Most Out of This Pickle Lemonade, According to Nutritionists

One easy way to boost the electrolytes in this drink even more is by swapping the water for coconut water, says Rifkin. Depending on the brand you purchase, coconut water contains varying amounts of sodium, manganese, and potassium.

Kelly Jones, a registered dietitian based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, suggests reducing the sugar in this recipe, especially if you’re prediabetic or diabetic or if you aren’t engaging in high-intensity physical activities. “For an average active adult doing moderate activity for less than an hour, you can consider reducing the sugar to half or even a quarter of what’s in this recipe,” she says.

At this point, I felt like I had a pretty clear game plan for how to turn this pickle lemonade into a drink that would fuel me through my hike. I used this recipe as a base and swapped in coconut water for regular water, used fermented pickles instead of regular ones, and opted for agave syrup over sugar.

How to Make Pickle Lemonade

Servings: 5 cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Duration: 10 minutes

Pickle Lemonade Ingredients

Recipe

1. Squeeze the juice from the lemons and pour it into a 32-ounce mason jar or a large pitcher.
2. Add the agave and use a whisk to combine everything.
3. Pour both the dill pickle juice and coconut water into the same mason jar or pitcher.
4. If you’re using a mason jar, seal it with a lid and give everything a good shake. If you’re using a pitcher, use a long wooden spoon to stir everything together.
5. Give it a quick taste and adjust the sweetener to your preference.
6. Serve over ice and garnish with a lemon or pickle slice. If you plan to take it on the go, chill it first. Then, pour it into an insulated water bottle to keep it cold during your adventure.

(Watch me make it in the video below!)

The Verdict: Refreshing, Tangy, and Surprisingly Fueling

After opening the weather app on my phone and seeing the temperatures climb to nearly one hundred degrees, I almost considered skipping my two-hour hike. But I was determined to see if this pickle lemonade would actually work, especially on a day when I knew I would be sweating profusely.

I loaded up two insulated water bottles: one with plain water and the other with ice-cold pickle lemonade. During the first 30 minutes of my hike, I consumed about one cup of pickle lemonade and saved the rest for after my hike. (FYI: I did sip water and ate a few snacks along the way.) Beads of sweat were falling from almost every crevice, but I refused to be deterred. While I was definitely sore when I got home, by the next morning, I was back to normal and ready to join my friends for a day at the lake.

As for the taste, let me preface by saying I absolutely love pickles, so I knew those flavors wouldn’t be an issue. The refreshing coconut water balanced out the sourness of the pickle and lemon juice, and the agave added just the right touch of sweetness to round it all out.

As someone who has a love-hate relationship with TikTok food trends, I was actually thankful this wonky pickle lemonade landed in front of me. It’s a fun, DIY route to load up on electrolytes without relying on a sugary sports drink.

While it’s definitely on the quirkier side, the recipe works—not only in terms of flavor but also as a nourishing way to keep you fueled during summer adventures.

Also, pickle lemonade is a lot more delicious than throwing back plain pickle juice or munching on whole pickles.

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