Ingredients
Don’t Pour Out the Pickle Jar: There Are Plenty of Uses for the Juices!
Just picked the last pickle out of the jar? Don’t toss it out, save the
liquid! The refrigerated juice from pickles, pickled peppers and sauerkraut
has dozens of uses in everything from marinades and sauces to dips, soups
and even drinks.
“Recycling” the juice also makes good economic sense. A good value to start
with, pickled vegetables and their juices are an easy and relatively
inexpensive way to pack extra flavor into foods. And with these ideas, you
ll be eager to use every drop:
Pickle and pickled pepper liquids make excellent marinades. They offer lots
of gutsy flavor when simply combined with a little olive oil and chopped
fresh herbs, or added to bottled Italian salad dressing.
Sauerkraut juice is the basis for this zesty marinade for grilled pork and
other meats. Combine 1 cup sauerkraut juice, 1/2 cup white grape juice, 1/4
cup oil and 1 clove chopped garlic with 1 tablespoon each of Dijon mustard,
minced shallots, chopped fresh rosemary and chopped fresh thyme. Add black
pepper to taste. The acid in the sauerkraut juice acts as a tenderizer,
resulting in super-succulent meats.
Most any barbecue sauce is better when doctored with a little pickle,
pickled pepper or sauerkraut juice. The new and improved version will have a
delightful tanginess not found in any bottled brand.
Add cut-up raw carrots, celery sticks, broccoli and cauliflower florets, and
red and green pepper strips directly to the jar of any type of leftover
pickle juice. Make sure to keep these tangy tidbits refrigerated. The
marinated veggies are great for snacking on straight from the jar or become
an innovative addition to a crudit
Instructions
Of course, some folks even drink pickle and sauerkraut juice straight as a
tonic! We’ve even heard of athletes who drink pickle juice as a way to
replenish the salt after their workouts.
While those libations may not be your cup of tea, with so many great uses
for the juices, pickled vegetables are certainly good to the last drop.
Courtesy of Pickle Packers International, Inc.
