Why I Never Throw Away Pickle Brine—and You Shouldn't Either

When I think of pickles, I think of Rugrats. The Nickelodeon cartoon was one of my favorites when I was little, and it still holds up. Growing up, I knew that the main family in the show was the Pickles, but it wasn't until a few years ago that I finally got the joke of protagonist Tommy’s baby brother being named Dill, as in Dill Pickle. This revelation (I can't believe I didn’t pick up on it earlier!) is one of my Roman Empire moments. 

In addition to being a fan of The Pickles, I’m also a fan of pickles. There’s the classic pickled cucumbers, but I also love pickled red onions and instantly gravitate toward menu items that include them. However, until a year ago, I assumed pickling vegetables myself would be more trouble than it was worth.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. With quick pickling methods, it’s quite simple to infuse flavor without any canning required. 

While there are recipes for homemade pickling brines, I discovered a zero-waste hack for homemade pickles that’s even easier: I pickle vegetables using leftover store-bought pickle juice.

How To Make the Easiest Quick Pickles

By using leftover pickle juice lingering in my fridge that would’ve gone to waste, this trick serves two purposes in one. With the pickle brine already taken care of, all I have to do to make pickles is chop up my desired vegetables, place them in a jar with the brine (no need to heat up the brine), and wait for the pickling magic to happen. 

Tips for Making Pickles With Leftover Pickle Brine 

• Vegetables: You can use any vegetable your heart desires: cucumbers (preferably Persian), onions, carrots, beets, jalapeños, etc. Any vegetable you use will take on the flavor of a store-bought pickle.
• Brine: You can also use any type of brine. I often use the leftover brine from ALDI bread and butter pickles. Just make sure that you have enough liquid to cover the vegetables.
• Flavorings: Make your brine semi-homemade and extra flavorful by adding fresh herbs, peppercorns, or a splash of orange juice. It’s an opportunity to use up anything else you have on hand that otherwise would’ve gone to waste.
• Timing: Keep the pickled vegetables in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, but for best results, wait 24 hours (I rarely do). Pickling time will depend on which vegetable you use: the larger and denser it is, the longer it will take to pickle.
• Serving: Enjoy your pickled vegetables on their own or serve them with burgers, sandwiches, and salads.