Have you ever stumbled upon something so baffling that it makes you stop and wonder, “How on Earth did that happen?” Like the mystery of Stonehenge, the Moai statues, or—brace yourself—Donald Trump back in the White House. But TikTok user @coleycake experienced a more…pickled mystery when they discovered a frog inside a sealed jar of pickles. Yes, you read that right—a frog.
Pickles are one of those foods you either adore or despise—there’s no middle ground. As someone firmly in the “love” camp, I can demolish a jar of pickles without breaking a sweat. But after seeing this TikTok, my enthusiasm for those crunchy brine-filled treats might need some serious therapy.
In the now-viral video, @coleycake shared their shocking find with the caption, “Soooooo is this a new flavor??? 😬🐸 #pickles #frog #vlasicpickles.” Floating among the pickles was a very dead, very pickled frog. A new flavor? Sure, if you’re into amphibian brine cuisine. For the rest of us, it’s the stuff of nightmares.
If the frog wasn’t bad enough, viewers pointed out something else equally revolting—what appeared to be a worm (or, horrifyingly, the frog’s intestines) swirling around in the vinegar. The consensus? This poor frog suffered one of the most stomach-churning fates imaginable.
The real horror, though, is imagining someone buying the jar, munching on a few pickles, and then discovering the amphibian horror show lurking at the bottom. It’s enough to make even the most diehard pickle fan switch to cucumbers.
So, how does a frog end up in a sealed jar of pickles? Theories abound, but it likely boils down to hygiene lapses at the production facility. While pest infestations—like mice or cockroaches—are unfortunately not unheard of in food factories, frogs are an entirely different story.
Rodents? Sadly, they’re known to sneak into machinery or packaging lines. Frogs? That’s a new one. Did it hop into a vat of brine? Was it already hanging out in the factory? Your guess is as good as anyone’s, but it’s clear this wasn’t part of the quality control checklist.
This isn’t the first time frogs have made surprise appearances in food products. From a frog spotted in a Hershey’s syrup bottle to hopping horrors in pre-packaged salads, it seems these amphibians are determined to crash the culinary scene.
Like the mysteries of ancient landmarks, the story of how this frog ended up pickled and preserved remains unsolved. One thing’s for sure, though—next time you grab a jar of pickles, you might want to give it a thorough once-over before diving in.