# The brine that's leftover in a jar of store-bought pickles-- do you do anything with it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [June 4, 2024, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brine-thats-leftover-in-a-jar-of-store-bought-pickles-do-you-do-anything-with-it/1002459 "2024-06-04T00:04:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brine-thats-leftover-in-a-jar-of-store-bought-pickles-do-you-do-anything-with-it/1002459/1 "2024-06-04T00:04:09Z")
Sweet, dill, garlicky, hot… whatever it is when you’ve eaten all the pickles, do you put other stuff in there? Use it for salad dressing? Marinate meat in it? Drink it from the jar? Keep it going like sourdough starter? ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brine-thats-leftover-in-a-jar-of-store-bought-pickles-do-you-do-anything-with-it/1002459/2 "2024-06-04T00:04:46Z")
Straight up drink it, proudly. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brine-thats-leftover-in-a-jar-of-store-bought-pickles-do-you-do-anything-with-it/1002459/3 "2024-06-04T00:08:02Z")
Put it in batter for chicken or fish or chicken fried steak. Or any not sweet batter. ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brine-thats-leftover-in-a-jar-of-store-bought-pickles-do-you-do-anything-with-it/1002459/4 "2024-06-04T00:12:29Z")
In my wilder partying days, we used it for [picklebacks](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickleback). Much preferred over a plain whiskey shot. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brine-thats-leftover-in-a-jar-of-store-bought-pickles-do-you-do-anything-with-it/1002459/5 "2024-06-04T00:13:09Z")
I’ve used it for pickled eggs. Also stuck cut-up carrots in there for pickled carrots. And sliced cucumbers for more pickles. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brine-thats-leftover-in-a-jar-of-store-bought-pickles-do-you-do-anything-with-it/1002459/6 "2024-06-04T00:13:45Z")
This, its like a liquid pickle. Devine. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brine-thats-leftover-in-a-jar-of-store-bought-pickles-do-you-do-anything-with-it/1002459/7 "2024-06-04T00:14:21Z")
Yep, put other stuff in there. Got some red onion slivers working right now. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brine-thats-leftover-in-a-jar-of-store-bought-pickles-do-you-do-anything-with-it/1002459/8 "2024-06-04T00:17:11Z")
[Well…](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whacky-recipes-that-work/399580/29) ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brine-thats-leftover-in-a-jar-of-store-bought-pickles-do-you-do-anything-with-it/1002459/9 "2024-06-04T01:17:43Z")
If I make a sauce too spicy I use juice from the sweet pickles to dial it back. It works a charm. I also mix up my own sweet chili sauce from pantry ingredients, because I can’t get my favourite any more. I use pickle juice for that too! ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brine-thats-leftover-in-a-jar-of-store-bought-pickles-do-you-do-anything-with-it/1002459/10 "2024-06-04T01:23:31Z")
Use it to marinate tofu overnight, and then batter and fry the tofu like you would chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brine-thats-leftover-in-a-jar-of-store-bought-pickles-do-you-do-anything-with-it/1002459/11 "2024-06-04T01:25:37Z")
Same here but I don’t make that stuff enough to keep any around for a long time. If I have it then great. If not then I make do with something else. ---
**Author:** ![Deanna\_D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Deanna\_D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deanna_D)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brine-thats-leftover-in-a-jar-of-store-bought-pickles-do-you-do-anything-with-it/1002459/12 "2024-06-04T01:26:16Z")
My Mom would cut up celery sticks and put them in the pickle jar. After a day or two, they picked up a great flavor. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brine-thats-leftover-in-a-jar-of-store-bought-pickles-do-you-do-anything-with-it/1002459/13 "2024-06-04T01:29:09Z")
Use instead of vinegar in potato salad. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brine-thats-leftover-in-a-jar-of-store-bought-pickles-do-you-do-anything-with-it/1002459/14 "2024-06-04T01:30:51Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > And sliced cucumbers for more pickles. This is the answer. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brine-thats-leftover-in-a-jar-of-store-bought-pickles-do-you-do-anything-with-it/1002459/15 "2024-06-04T01:33:05Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > This is the answer I know, right? It’s the gift that keeps on giving! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brine-thats-leftover-in-a-jar-of-store-bought-pickles-do-you-do-anything-with-it/1002459/16 "2024-06-04T01:35:14Z")
I typically put dill brine – we hardly ever have sweet pickles – in ramen noodle soup. One time, I somehow ended up with a near perfect imitation of hot & sour soup that way. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brine-thats-leftover-in-a-jar-of-store-bought-pickles-do-you-do-anything-with-it/1002459/17 "2024-06-04T01:40:49Z")
My kids drank it. Not me. Boiled eggs. If it’s a good pickle it works. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brine-thats-leftover-in-a-jar-of-store-bought-pickles-do-you-do-anything-with-it/1002459/18 "2024-06-04T01:42:36Z")
Ditto on the picklebacks. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brine-thats-leftover-in-a-jar-of-store-bought-pickles-do-you-do-anything-with-it/1002459/19 "2024-06-04T01:49:28Z")
Wow. I’m dazzled. 🤩 I feel like an unimaginative dullard. I shall henceforth strive to do better. * * * * * * @Chronos I read the linked post. Are you saying you used pickle juice in a chocolate chip cookie recipe? 🍪 ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brine-thats-leftover-in-a-jar-of-store-bought-pickles-do-you-do-anything-with-it/1002459/20 "2024-06-04T02:00:32Z")
That’s what they said. 🤯 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brine-thats-leftover-in-a-jar-of-store-bought-pickles-do-you-do-anything-with-it/1002459.md?page=2)