Tomato Candles Are Out, and This Quirky New Candle Is In (It’s My Go-To White Elephant Gift!)

In every White Elephant gift exchange, there’s a present so coveted, so clever, that it sends everyone at the party into a tailspin. The object of the game is to bring the most steal-able gift, and I’m convinced I found the thing that everyone will be clamoring for: a pickle candle. 

Specifically, the Grillo’s Pickle Scented Candle by P.F. Candle Co. Whether you’re a pickle person or not, I’m positive you’ll be curious to catch a sniff when this baby gets unwrapped. And that’s all it will take, because it smells incredible. Say goodbye to your tomato candles, because this pickle candle is here to stay (not actually, though, it’s a limited edition!). 

The Pickle Scented Candle is a limited-edition collaboration between P.F. Candle Co. and Grillo’s Pickles, the Boston-based pickle company you’ve likely seen at your local grocery store. The partnership started out as a gag to celebrate National Pickle Day on November 14, but ended up unlocking a new fragrance fixation that I honestly didn’t know I needed. 

Hand poured in P.F. Candle Co.’s Los Angeles studio, the soy wax candle is inspired by Grillo’s 100-year-old recipe, boasting notes of dill, lemon juice, and mint, atop cucumber, parsley, bell pepper, and lily of the valley. It’s fresh, herby, and vegetal, with the slightest hint of floral sweetness. Whatever you’re expecting from a pickle candle, know that this is not it. It smells so much more elevated. 

Full disclosure, I am a pickle person, but I wasn’t expecting to love the Pickle Scented Candle as much as I do. It’s crisp and tangy, with a garden freshness that smells divine even when it’s not lit. But I, of course, light it daily, especially after cooking. Its zesty, clean aroma softly fills my small kitchen and while it doesn’t claim to banish odors, I find that it helps conceal those pesky, food smells. The irony of this being a “food” scented candle isn’t lost on me, by the way. 

But this isn’t a regular pickle candle! The refreshing mint notes, bright lemon, and subtly sweet florals give this silly-seeming candle a surprisingly sophisticated scent. Its clean complexity will win anyone over, pickle person or otherwise. Which is why I think it’d be an absolute hit at a White Elephant. Whoever’s lucky enough to grab this gift will giggle and get use out of it every day, and is there anything better? It burns slowly and evenly (no tunneling!), which means they’ll get to enjoy its herby freshness for even longer, too. 

Buy: Grillo’s Pickle Scented Candle, $28