The Tangy Trick That Transforms String Cheese Into Flavor Bombs

If you're a snack- and an Aldi fan, you're likely not surprised that string cheese claimed the top spot in Aldi's 2023 fan favorite foods. You might, however, be surprised that such a seemingly simple product reigned supreme. While you may just love to pull it into delicate strings before devouring, there are actually many ways to eat this popular snack. For instance, if you want your string cheese to taste like more than just blandness with a touch of salt, do what we tried: Pickle it.

Now, let's preface this by saying you really should love pickles before trying it because — and this may be a bit of a shock — your cheese is going to taste like them by the time you're done. If you appreciate a good briny tang, however, you're going to adore this trick. Buy your favorite brand of gherkin, remove them from the brine, and then pile in as many string cheeses as will fit in the jar. I used basic sour pickles and left the cheese to sit in the brine for three and a half days.

The cheese soaked up a subtle but very discernible pickle taste — it was deliciously tangy, with soft herby notes throughout. The texture was still quite firm — sure, it was a little softer, but it pulled better than before soaking it, giving more strings without getting even slightly mushy.

If you're a fellow pickle connoisseur, you're going to want to try these with as many complementary sides as possible. However, do keep in mind that the pickle taste is subtle, not powerful, and gets overwhelmed easily. I wasn't expecting this, but I found that almost every side I tried completely drowned out the nuance of the pickle. For instance, eating it with basic hummus that had harissa mixed in was too strong, and shockingly, even simple accompaniments like roasted peanuts (seasoned with salt), dates, and homegrown tomato caused me to lose all the cheese's unique flavor.

Salt and vinegar chips and cheese crackers (a gluten-free version of a Cheez-It — I'm afflicted with celiac disease, alas) were solid pairings and complemented the chickles — that's cheese pickles — well. Although my favorite plain pairings were with the carrot batons, and then a bit of quince paste smeared onto gluten-free toast. The pickle came through beautifully, and the crunch of the carrot was perfection — plus, the sweetness of the quince brought a whole new nuance to the chickles.

However, I suggest you forgo all of the above and turn them into mozzarella stick knock-offs. I used a gluten-free batter and didn't freeze the cheese beforehand (learn from my mistakes: Do that first), but the gooey, warm cheese saturated in essence of pickle was life-changing. They were so good that I burned my tongue, mouth, and throat scarfing them up while they were still molten. Next time I make these, I'll use pickled jalapeño brine and follow an Oaxacan cheese stick recipe for the ultimate experience.