MENU

Ice Cream & Sorbet Category Main Page Articles & Reviews    Main Nibbles Main Page Articles & Reviews Of Fine Foods From A To Z   Product Reviews Main Page Foods, Beverages, Books, News & More

August 2008

Updated July 2009

Product Reviews / Main Nibbles / Ice Cream & Sorbet

Bob’s Pickle Pops

Frozen Pickle Juice As A Savory Ice Pop

CAPSULE REPORT: And now for something different, as Monty Python would say. The Pythons would have a good time with Bob’s Pickle Pops, frozen ice pops made from pickle brine and pickle juice. These “tartsicles” are just 5 calories a pop.

• Overview
• Health Benefits
• Buy Online

You don’t have to be pregnant to crave Bob’s Pickle Pops (previously known as Pickle Sickles). They’ve been selling out in Texas for years, and thanks to online ordering, you can have them wherever you live.

First, let’s explain the almost-obvious: Bob’s Pickle Pops are push-up ice pops made from pickle juice (the brine left over from pickling) and freshly-squeezed pickles, much like an apple or orange is pressed for juice. They taste like frozen pickle juice, and they were a sellout at the Outerskate roller skating rink in Seguin, Texas, where they were invented.

Yes, many people are happy to have a frosty, salty, sour treat instead of a sweet ice pop or ice cream. But there’s more to Bob’s Pickle Pops than a five-calorie, sugar-free ice pop.

Health Benefits Pickle Pops are healthy. Vinegar, which is a component of pickle brine, is a healthy food. While there are many unsubstantiated claims for vinegar (especially apple cider vinegar) as an overall health tonic and disease preventative. While some of these are overstated, alternative therapists and scientists alike can agree on that vinegar is high in acetic acid, which, like other acids, can increase the body’s absorption of important minerals in the foods we eat, including calcium.

Pickle Bob.

• Vinegar has also won attention in a 2004 study for its potential to help type 2 diabetes. Indications show that vinegar may be able to inactivate some of the digestive enzymes that break the carbohydrates from food into sugar, thus slowing the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream.
• The spices used in the pickling process, such as garlic and dill, have wide-ranging health properties. Garlic is an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and cardiovascular aid (it helps to lower blood pressure).
• The sodium in a Bob’s Pickle Pop is less than that in a slice of bread.
• It has no fat and have less than 1 gram of sugar.

If the idea of frozen brine appeals to you, the calories can’t be beat. The pops arrive unfrozen—juice in plastic casing. Stick them in the freezer and in a few hours, you’ve got Pickle Pops. And don’t throw out the brine in your pickle jars—freeze it! (See more tips for using brine.)

Coming soon: Spicy Pickle Pops.