Flavours

Why Our Pickled Fruit Jars Look Half Full (And Why That's the Point)

November 3, 2026 2 min readBy Atlanta Pickles Team

The Strawberry Lemonade by [PICKLES]: a 17 oz jar of pickled strawberries and lemon in a rosy brine

Every so often someone lines up their [PICKLES] jars on the counter, snaps a photo and asks a fair question: “Why does my Strawberry Lemonade look half full next to my pickles?” We love that question, because the answer is the whole reason our fruit jars exist.

Short version: the jar went out full of fruit. The fruit gave its juice to the brine. With our fruit flavours, the brine is the star and the fruit is the garnish.

Jar of The Strawberry Lemonade by [PICKLES] with strawberries and lemon slices in a rosy brine — The Strawberry Lemonade, 17 oz

Why soft fruit settles lower than pickles

A cucumber, a green bean or a piece of okra is firm. It sits in the brine and holds its shape, so the jar looks just as packed the day you open it as the day we filled it.

Strawberries, lemons and other soft fruit are different. They are mostly juice. In the brine they let that juice go, and as they do they soften and shrink down. The fruit does not disappear. It moves into the brine, turning it pink, golden or deep red and full of flavour.

So when a fruit jar stands next to a pickle jar, the fruit sits lower and there is more colourful liquid on top. That liquid is not filler. It is the best part.

Good to know: a fruit jar that looks “mostly brine” is a jar doing exactly what it was made to do. Don’t pour it out. Drink it, mix it, spoon it over things.

The brine is the main event

Our fruit jars started life for the pickleback-shot crowd, then found a much bigger fan club: people who want something bright to sip without alcohol. Plenty of our customers buy these jars for the brine alone and treat the fruit as a bonus.

Over ice with sparkling water it becomes a fruity, tangy spritzer.
Stirred into iced tea or lemonade it adds sweet-tart depth in one splash.
Shaken into a cocktail or mocktail it does the job of syrup and citrus at once.
Whisked with olive oil it makes a quick vinaigrette.

Then the fruit goes on top, on the rim or on the side, the way a cherry finishes a sundae. For drink ideas, see our guide to pickled fruit brine drinks.

Meet the fruit jars

The Strawberry Lemonade

Strawberry first, with a tangy finish behind it. The berries are soft, a bit like thawed frozen strawberries, which makes them perfect spooned over yogurt or cottage cheese. The rosy brine is pure strawberry lemonade for your glass.

The Pickled Lemon

Think of it as concentrated lemonade. Eat the soft inside of each slice rather than the rind, and watch for the odd seed. The golden brine is the easiest way to brighten tea, sparkling water or a salad dressing. More ideas in what to do with pickled lemon.

The Grape Cocktail

Very sweet, with a flavour that reminds people of cherries. Spoon it over vanilla ice cream, drop a few into a drink, and save every bit of that deep red brine. See pickled grapes: sweet, savory and how to eat them.

The Pickled Watermelon Rind

The one people describe as Sour Patch Kids in a jar: sweet, sour, with cinnamon and a sweet-chili fruit powder. It is a conversation starter on any snack board.

Keeping it fresh: unopened, the jar keeps for up to two years. Once it is open, keep it in the fridge and use a clean fork each time.