Most people throw away the leftover pickle juice after they finish a jar of tasty dill pickles, but that is because they don’t know that this liquid has other applications in the kitchen. Pickle juice can be used to marinate meat, sauté vegetables, and even for baking bread.
Pickle Juice Can Be a Marinade
The herbs and spices that make simple cucumbers into flavor-packed pickles include fresh dill, allspice, mustard seeds, and red pepper flakes. Those can also take a savory dish to the next level. One such use is for chicken marinade. To achieve that, enthusiasts should place a couple of chicken breasts in a plastic bag and then pour the pickle juice over them. Now the bag should be sealed tight, put in the fridge, and left to marinate for eight hours. The marinade trick works well for other meats, including pork and beef.
Pickle juice can also be used to create a tasty veggie sauce that is also great for sautéing mushrooms. To do that, one must mix pickle juice with butter and shallots for five to seven minutes. This will bring out a rich, acidic flavor that can be applied to green beans, zucchini, radishes, and other veggies.
Baking Bread With Pickle Juice
Just like pickles on top of a sandwich are a great addition, so can pickle juice be used as the liquid for baking bread. Apparently, adding just a bit less than a cup of pickle brine makes for a wonderful addition to the dough. This secret ingredient gives the bread a delightful tang and adds to its moist texture. The salt and vinegar contained in the brine will boost the fermented flavor of yeast and enhance the delicious loaf. Bread made this way is great for pastrami or corned beef sandwiches.
Another great thing about pickle juice is that it doesn’t have to be used immediately after the pickles are gone from the jar. It can be stored in the fridge for later use and will remain good for as long as the liquid has a bright green color with no rancid smell or floating mold.