Pickles are an American staple. Whether as a topping for burgers or eaten straight out of the jar, people love them—so much so that more than nine pounds of pickles are consumed per person annually. That’s a lot of pickles … and a lot of leftover pickle juice! So what do you do with all that leftover goodness? While many might pour it straight down the drain once all the pickles are gone, there are several ways you can use it. Here are 9 ways you should be recycling your pickle juice:
- Re-Pickle With It
Seems pretty straight forward, and why not? If you have vegetables that need to be used, empty them into a jar of leftover pickle juice. Let them sit for a few days, and voila! You’ll enjoy all sorts of tangy snacks. Shredded baby carrots, thinly sliced red onions, hard-boiled eggs and more all pickled to perfection will allow you to liven up your sandwiches, tacos and side dishes.
- Liven-Up Other Foods
There are oh so many ways you can enhance your foods with pickle juice. Add a tablespoon of pickle juice to your store-bought or homemade barbecue sauce, a little to your macaroni and cheese recipe, or even marinate soft white cheese in it. Like to juice? Add some of it to your vegetable juice for a tangy twist. Need a new take on your poached fish recipe? Use a little pickle juice to perk it up.
- Add A Kick To Your Drink
Pickle juice is a great additive to a variety of cocktails. You can add a tablespoon of pickle juice to your Bloody Mary, a side to your glass of whiskey (also known as a pickleback), or make a “red beer” using tomato juice and pickle juice. Not feeling so hot after enjoying one too many libations the night before? Pickle juice replenishes depleted sodium levels and works to rehydrate you back to health.
- Use It As A Cleaning Agent
Many commercial cleaning products are filled with toxic chemicals, making a homemade version much more appealing. Pickle juice works wonders as a grill cleaner, making the charred bits scrape off hassle-free. You can also use it to make blackened copper pans shine.
Related: 56 Household Uses For Baking Soda
- Get In The Garden With It
Sick of trying to keep weeds from wreaking havoc on your hard work in the garden? The high vinegar and salt content of pickle juice makes it a perfect weed killer, so dump it on dandelions, thistle and almost any other weed that makes its way around your home. Bonus: You can kill weeds while making other plants, like hydrangeas and rhododendrons, thrive since they need an acidic soil in order to be at their best.
- Pickle Up Your Post-Workout Drink
Recovering after a workout is just as important as fueling up beforehand. You need to ensure you replace lost electrolytes and sodium—both of which can cause uncomfortable cramping and dehydration. One study even found that pickle juice stopped post-workout muscle cramps in a mere 85 seconds.
- Cure Your Heartburn
It’s an uncomfortable feeling that often has us reaching for drugstore remedies to alleviate the symptoms, but what if heartburn could be cured by opening up the fridge? That’s right. When heartburn strikes, simply take a few sips of pickle juice, which helps balance the pH in the stomach to calm acid reflux.
- Halt Your Hiccups
There’s plenty of methods people tout as being the go-to for stopping pesky hiccups from continuing. A common claim for curing them is drinking a small glass of pickle juice. Try for yourself and see if it’s the number one method for you!
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