The latest TikTok "hack" has me questioning the reality of the trend of "pickling" Diet Coke. (Be prepared for the abundance of quotation marks in this article.) As a food writer, I'm very interested in the uses of pickling Diet Coke, so I took some excursions down the rabbit hole to see what the hype was – and then desperately tried to figure it out. While I was able to enjoy an ultra-cold carbonated drink, I regret to report that none of the Diet Cokes were pickled.
Describe the process: Canned Diet Coke can last for three days or up to two weeks in the refrigerator. Then drink Diet Coke. What would you name this event?Maybe the word "storage" comes to mind. Maybe you'll call it "drinking Diet Coke". "chilling" is also a word worth describing (in multiple ways for the trend as a whole).
Referring to the Diet Coke "pickling" process, TikToker Hauskris states that canned beverages should sit in the refrigerator for at least a few days, but meaning longer is better. The rest of the "recipe" is how she likes to pour the soda, what type of glassware to use, and the lime flavor she adds. All of this really depends on your preference and how bland or bubbly you like your drink. My main concern is the pickling process. She described the Diet Coke she used as "super cold" because it was "marinated" in the refrigerator. Let's talk about that.
I've tried to come up with another term for this trend – pickled, fermented, pickled – but just like "pickled," they all actually mean something real.
Curing is a culinary term in which meat, fruits, or vegetables are soaked in a liquid. This liquid is called marinade. Marinades are usually made up of acids, fats, salt, and sugar. The action of the acid is to flavor and soften the tough fibers. The salt helps the flavor penetrate into the meat. Oil increases richness, hydration, and promotes browning during cooking, while sugar adds flavor and promotes browning. The ingredient list hints at the purpose and benefits of pickling foods – to increase flavor and tenderize.
Does this happen in the Diet Coke "hack"?No, it can't be marinated without marinade. Moreover, Can you even marinate liquids?If you think too much, the walls of reality will start to bend. Marinating the liquid with the liquid is just mixing the liquid. You can't marinate Diet Coke, but you can marinate it with Diet Coke. In any case, it is impossible for a can of Diet Coke to mix with anything and not absorb or lose any flavor anywhere. The purpose of the jar and any packaging is to prevent this from happening.
Maybe "pickled" is just a cute way to describe something that has been sitting out for a while. Usually the food is marinated for a few hours so that the effect of the marinade can take root. This trend is mainly focused on getting crispy cold drinks, so the reason is that the longer the can is left in the refrigerator, the lower the temperature. While there is some truth to this, it is not how temperature works. Why would you need a refrigerator?
Soda, as well as anything you put in the fridge, will just become as cold as the temperature set by the fridge. Depending on the starting temperature of Diet Coke, it only takes a few hours (not days, and definitely not weeks) for the drink to reach the same temperature as the refrigerator. When this happens, there is no way to make the soda cold other than a decrease in the ambient temperature.
As they say, when you play with fire. Do you want a crunchy Diet Coke?What do you do with it in the fridge at a very low temperature of 40°F?According to NBC South Florida, it specifically mentions that diet soda is slightly cooler than regular soda (which is frozen at 30°F) and that Coke freezes at 32°F. It looks like you've gotten 8 degrees, but you're missing out all the time.
You can put a can of Coke in the refrigerator, but you risk the can** and squirting soda residue. This can be something worth the risk, just make sure you set a timer so you don't forget it.
For those who are really focused, there is another option: you can reduce the temperature of your fridge to between 32°F and 39°F. However, this is only the temperature of the main part, and some items may freeze at a distance if you store food in the freezer. On the contrary, if you are determined enough, you should really buy a second refrigerator that only puts Diet Coke. Set the temperature to 33°F and load in the Diet Coke. Now you will get the coldest drink on TikTok.