The Many Uses of Pickle Juice
Getting to the bottom of a jar of pickles is not the end of the pickle experience - the pickling juice can also be used to enhance the flavor of many things.
Evidence of the use of pickling as a means to preserve food can be traced back thousands of years in many cultures around the world. While modern methods of food preservation have made pickling less necessary, pickling remains a useful way to preserve foods, and people still like them, because pickling is a good way to develop the flavor of many vegetables. I grew up with a wide range of pickles at the dinner table, and loved them all. In fact, I have always been keen to try anything that has been pickled and seem to have liked everything I have ever tried. I don’t know if it’s a nature or nurture thing, or maybe it’s an acquired taste like beer or whiskey. Perhaps it’s a love of saltiness - or perhaps I am descended from an ancient line of people who ate pickles seasonally to avoid starvation. Who knows, but I have always found it a bit sad to come to the end of a jar of pickles. It seems a shame to dump out the juice when the jar is finished, with all that flavor, character, and whatever residual goodness has come out of the vegetables. There is magic in those jars and it should not go to waste!
So, over the years, I have looked for ways to use up the juice from both sweet (e.g. bread and butter) and sour (e.g. dill) pickles, and it is surprising how many uses can be found for leftover pickle juice. Here are a few of them!
Vinnagrette: Pickle juice can be used as a substitute for vinegar in salad dressings for a zesty kick. It works in many ways, and I have found that sweet pickle juice is better in some salads, whereas as non-sweet (like for dill pickles) is better in others. This works with pasta salad too!
Potato Salad: Substitute the vinegar in your potato salad recipe with pickle juice for a tangy twist. I like this so much I never make potato salad without pickle juice, and both sweet and sour options work.
Brine for Pork: Ever had fried or barbequed pork chops that were first marinated in dill pickle juice? How about pork-shoulder shish kabobs marinated in sweet pickle juice with onions? It’s a different flavor for sure, but for those eating a lot of pork to save money (because it’s one of the cheaper meats), this will add a welcome new variation to the dinner menu.
Brine for Fried Chicken: I have never personally tried this, but from what I have read, soaking chicken pieces in pickle juice before coating and frying will give them a very different flavor. Maybe I’ll give this a try the next time chicken goes on sale.
Quick Pickled Vegetables: Use the pickle juice to quick-pickle vegetables like onions, carrots, or radishes. First shake some salt on them and massage it in to sweat them down a bit - for about 30 minutes - then squeeze out the water and add leftover pickle juice. I prefer this with sweet pickle juice - but to each their own.
Soup and Stew: Adding about 1/2 a cup of pickle juice to soups and stews can enhance their flavor. In particular, I find the juice from fermented tomatoes works really well for this sort of thing.
Pot Roast: When slow-cooking a pot roast, pickle juice can be used as part of the cooking liquid (no more than 1/2 cup) for added flavor. I have never tried this with beef (I like red wine with beef) - but it works great with pork.
Sauces and Dips: Pickle juice can be added to sauces and dips like tartar sauce, remoulade, or aioli for a tangy twist.
Chips: Salt and vinegar chips are ok, but proper kettle cooked chips dipped in pickle juice are on a whole “nother” level. I’m not saying this is a healthy choice, but once and a while, it’s a guilty pleasure worthy of one’s indulgence.
Bloody Mary: It seems fitting to end this list with a cocktail. The next time you throw together a Bloody Mary, add one or two tablespoons of pickle juice to give it a little more zing. I’ve tried this with both sweet and sour pickle juice and I like it - and who knows, maybe those few extra electrolytes from the pickle juice might help ease recovery the next morning!
Final thoughts
I guess the most important point to make when it comes to using pickle juice is to experiment, and start small. Try a little, and if you like it, add a little more, while taking care not to add too much. It is also useful to play around with using sweet pickle juice as opposed to sour and tangy juices. Some things go well with either, some are better with one or the other - and of course it’s all a matter of taste. I’m sure there are many more ways to use up pickle juice, so please let me know in the comments, I’d love to give yours a try.
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