By March 2023. Spring in Memphis, and I am 64, watching the azaleas and dogwoods bloom along my neighborhood walk, the annual resurrection that makes the winter worth surviving. The smoker wakes up in spring the way the whole city wakes up — slowly, with a stretch, then fully, with purpose.
Mama in Whitehaven, navigating her days between clarity and fog, still sharp enough to critique my cooking and still loving enough to eat it anyway.
Smoked turkey wings this week — big, meaty, brined and rubbed and smoked at 275 for three hours until the skin crackled and the meat pulled clean. Turkey wings are the working class of BBQ: cheap, underrated, and transformed by smoke into something extraordinary. Uncle Clyde served them on Fridays at his stand, and I serve them on Saturdays in my backyard, and the tradition bridges the gap between then and now.
Sunday at Mt. Zion, the choir sang and I sat in my pew and let the music hold me. The bass notes I used to add are quieter now — my voice is aging, the way everything ages — but the listening is its own participation, and the church holds me the way the church has held this community for a hundred years: faithfully, unconditionally, with room for everyone who shows up. I show up. That is enough.
Uncle Clyde’s turkey wing stand didn’t just sell wings — he kept a jar of Kool-Aid Pickles on the counter, that shocking-red brine glowing like a stoplight, and every kid on the block knew what it meant. After a Saturday in the backyard with the smoker going and Mama’s voice carrying through the screen door, I found myself reaching for that same sweet-sour bite that’s been a Memphis staple longer than I can remember — because some traditions don’t need smoke or ceremony, just a jar, some patience, and the particular genius of this city’s streets.
Kool-Aid Pickles
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 5 days (brine time) | Servings: 16
Ingredients
- 1 (32 oz) jar whole dill pickles
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 packets (0.13 oz each) unsweetened Kool-Aid powder, cherry or tropical punch
- 1/4 cup pickle brine (reserved from the jar)
Instructions
- Drain and slice. Open the jar of dill pickles and drain most of the brine, reserving 1/4 cup. Slice the pickles into spears or thick coins and return them to the jar.
- Make the Kool-Aid brine. In a bowl or measuring cup, stir together the sugar, Kool-Aid powder, and the reserved 1/4 cup of pickle brine until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
- Combine. Pour the Kool-Aid mixture over the pickles in the jar. If needed, add a small splash of water to ensure the pickles are fully submerged. Seal the jar tightly.
- Refrigerate and wait. Turn the jar upside down once a day to distribute the brine. Refrigerate for a minimum of 5 days — the longer they sit, the deeper the color and flavor penetrate.
- Serve. Pull straight from the jar and serve cold. They keep refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 55 | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Carbs: 14g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 280mg