21 Things To Do With Pickle Brine

Don’t toss out that leftover brine at the bottom of the pickle jar! Here are ways to incorporate it into drinks, dishes and — magically — use it to make more pickles.

Dill, onion, olive, and pickled pepper brine line a shelf of my refrigerator. I religiously hoard these by-products of pickling because they're versatile condiments on their own. Pickle brine's sharp, vinegary constitution can perk up any savory meal. You can drink it straight up for post-workout electrolytes and to relieve muscle cramps. You can even bake with it! If you find yourself with a surplus of pickle juice, keep reading. We’ll teach you how to use leftover brine in no time.

But first ... What’s happening in that jar?

Put on your lab goggles! The science of pickling, wherein an object like a fresh cucumber is placed in brine, comes down to osmosis. The cucumber has a semi-permeable membrane or skin, meaning it will allow some molecules to pass through and some not. Spice molecules, yes. Entire peppercorns, no.

Both the brine and cucumbers have water in them, but since the brine is so salty (or is a "hypertonic" solution), the cucumber will want to reach equilibrium. The water and flavors of the cukes start to exchange places with the salt and spices in the brine, resulting in a new, milder brine after the pickles are done curing. Osmosis at its finest.

Before you start reusing pickle brine, there are few preliminary steps you should take. First, take a look at the jar. Is there any visible mold on the sides, lid, or floating on its surface? If so, discard it. If your brine passed the mold test, the next step is to remove any spices and aromatics by running the pickling brine through a fine-mesh strainer or coffee filter-lined colander. Then, taste it! You heard me. You have to know how briny it is so you can adjust it if needed. Taste good? Check out all the things you can do with it:

It came from inside the fridge

  1. Reuse homemade or store-bought pickle brine to make a new batch of homemade pickles (grab our recipe for quick pickles here). Bring the leftover pickle brine to a boil in a pot with a fresh clove of garlic and a few pickling spices before pouring it over a clean jar of cucumber slices, onions, peppers, or peeled boiled eggs. Then refrigerate and watch the magic happen! All sorts of veggies are prime for the pickling: radishes, green beans (aka dilly beans), and cauliflower are all good candidates. When you’re finished with the first batch, repeat ad infinitum.
  1. Speaking of eggs, add a splash of juice to the yolks of your deviled eggs. That’ll give them some extra zing.
  1. In general, use pickle brine where you would use strong acids like vinegar or citrus juice. An excellent example is to swap the lemon out in hummus!
red pepper flakes, ground coriander, freshly ground black pepper and 7 more
red onion, allspice berries, white vinegar, salt, sugar, cloves and 2 more
distilled white vinegar, garlic cloves, kosher salt, filtered water and 2 more
bay leaves, cloves, onion, sugar, large eggs, cider vinegar, salt and 1 more
mayonnaise, bread and butter pickle, sweet pickle relish, hard-boiled eggs and 3 more
sea salt, pickle juice, garlic, chickpeas, Tahini, cornichons and 1 more

Soups, salads, and sandwiches

  1. Comedian Hannibal Buress says he dips his hand into a jar of leftover pickle juice and flicks ham sandwiches 7 to 11 times for more flavor. An easier way to accomplish this (and to mimic the oil and vinegar of classic Italian hoagies): Transfer 1 part strained pickle juice and 1 part olive oil to a squeeze bottle. Shake and squirt at will.
  1. For more sandwich-slathering fun add pickle juice to vegan Worcestershire sauce, tartar sauce, gribiche, and special sauce.
onion powder, low sodium soy sauce, cayenne pepper, ground ginger and 6 more
pepper, scallions, mayonnaise, shallots, dill pickles, capers and 4 more
large egg, garlic, capers, olive oil, salt, parsley, cornichon and 3 more
  1. Toss your salads (including macaroni or potato salads) with a simple, puckering vinaigrette, herby dressing, or creamy ranch. When making slaw, you only need 1 to 2 Tbl. of pickle juice per head of cabbage to dress it.
kosher salt, olive oil, garlic clove, distilled white vinegar and 5 more
honey, dijon mustard, olive oil, garlic, parsley, dill, pickle juice
dijon mustard, pickle juice, greek yogurt, onion powder, garlic powder and 5 more
  1. A uniquely tart condiment to learn is a gastrique. It starts as cooked down honey or sugar syrup, but instead of apple cider vinegar, add the complex bouquet of brine. Once cooled, it’s a stellar accompaniment for strong blue cheeses, fruit, or poached proteins.
  1. Pack a picnic by marinating soft cheeses like mozzarella or balls of goat cheese in a jar. Add a little pickle juice, olive oil, thyme, red pepper, sliced garlic, and a couple of olives.

Get your cook on

  1. One of my favorite recent discoveries is zupa ogórkowa, or Polish pickle soup. When heat is applied to pickle juice and chicken stock, it mellows out the sharp edges of the brine. Try different proportions of broth to brine in gazpacho, a batch of beans, congee, and boiled potatoes. (Read more about congee here). I’ve tried slowly simmering chicken adobo with a mix of pickle juice and soy sauce; it was plucky but satisfying over rice.
garlic dill pickles, all purpose flour, pickle juice, sour cream and 8 more
cold water, tomatoes, pepper, garlic, yellow onion, cucumber and 4 more
kielbasa, baby spinach leaves, olive oil, chicken broth, dried oregano and 4 more
active dry yeast, sugar, olive oil, bread flour, dill pickles and 3 more
scallions, peanuts, cold water, cilantro, ginger, cracked black pepper and 2 more
whole peppercorn, salt, sugar, water, chicken, garlic, cooking oil and 3 more
  1. Keep pickle brine around like you would a cooking wine. If you’ve just seared some meats, quickly deglaze the pan with brine to create a punchy sauce.
  1. You don’t have to brine just vegetables; meats and seafood benefit from acidic marinades, too. They help tenderize the muscle fibers and pack it with flavor. Chicken, steak, and pork chops will all work.
coarse sea salt, pepper, pickle juice, paprika, salt, cracked black pepper and 7 more
worcestershire sauce, onion, dijon mustard, salt, skirt steaks and 1 more
freshly ground black pepper, bone-in pork chops, coarse sea salt and 3 more
  1. Fill a pot with diluted pickle juice to steam your vegetables or poach fish.
  1. Round out your bbq with a brilliant mop sauce.
  1. Whip up batches of ceviche and kinilaw in minutes.
sugar, salt, black pepper, butter, pickle juice, cayenne pepper and 5 more
cayenne pepper, lime juice, lemon juice, tomatoes, red snapper fillets and 8 more
nut, lemons, tuna, rice vinegar, orange peel, salt, spring onion

Down the hatch!

  1. You could drink it all if you could handle it.
  1. But if the bite is too hard for you, tone it down with nonalcoholic concoctions. A splash of olive juice with seltzer is very similar to Vichy Catalan, a Spanish sparkling water.
  1. For a sweeter summer sip, shrubs or drinking vinegars are tamed with the addition of fruit.
  1. If you’re feeling a cold coming on, a shot of tonic or ginger switchel may help. Their spicy hot nature is sure to clear up your sinuses.
peach, white vinegar, vanilla bean pods, white vinegar, fresh lavender and 3 more
fresh horseradish, daikon radish, onion, vinegar, jalapeno pepper and 4 more
fruit, honey, cold water, ginger, apple cider vinegar
  1. A pickleback is the perfect chaser for stinging drinks like straight whiskey or tequila. The strong flavors of the pickle juice neutralize the burn you feel at a bar.
  1. Dirty up your martini or gibson with pickled onion brine.
  1. And if you need a little hair of the dog, pickle juice is amazing in micheladas or bloody mary’s.

fresh dill, ice, pickle, pickle brine, vodka
hot sauce, sea salt, lime wedge, lime wedge, lager, chili powder and 3 more
bloody mary mix, celery, salt, vodka, pepper

No matter how you sprinkle pickle brine, you’re preventing food waste and adding a new jolt of flavor to your dishes.

Now it’s your turn. We want to hear about what kinds of refrigerator pickles you make and how you use up the brine. Be sure to tag @yummly on Instagram for a chance to be featured!