Can You Reuse Pickle Brine for Homemade Pickles?
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Can you reuse pickle brine or leftover pickle juice to pickle vegetables and make more pickles?
I love the refrigerated pickles from the grocery store. They cost quite a bit more than the variety you find on the shelves, so a few years ago, I wondered what would happen if I tried to use the leftover pickle brine to make a refrigerator pickle.
It didn't take me long to learn that one jar of pickles can last for the equivalent of 2-3 jars of pickles when you reuse the brine!
Can you reuse pickle brine?
Yes, you can reuse the pickle juice to make refrigerator pickles! This has been my go to for a few years now!
This method is basically the same as making refrigerator pickles, but instead of making fresh brine, you reuse pickle juice from the jar!
The pickling liquid will make quick pickles out of the cucumbers you put in the brine.
Watch my video on how to make refrigerator pickles from leftover pickle juice
How to make a quick pickle
When you see your jar of pickles is getting low, simply slice up a few cucumbers and put them in the leftover brine.
I think they taste great after just a few hours, but you may want to let them sit in the fridge for 24 hours or so for the best results.
The fun thing about this is that you can make any shape of pickle you like. Cut them into slices for traditional pickle chips, or slice them lengthwise for perfect pickles for your hamburgers and sandwiches!
Use pickle brine for quick pickles
One of the things I love the most about reused brine for fridge pickles is that the cukes stay nice and crunchy - much like those refrigerated store-bought pickles!
But you don't have to stop with sliced cucumbers!
Use red onions for delicious pickled onions, or make dilly beans by putting fresh green beans in the jar of brine.
Use fresh cauliflower in the brine to make pickled cauliflower, or make dilled eggs by putting hard-boiled eggs in the dill brine!
You can also add peeled garlic cloves, or sliced jalapenos for more pickling fun! I especially love the spicy pickled jalapenos!
More uses for leftover pickle brine
- Use it as a marinade for chicken or pork for added flavor and moisture.
2. Mix it into salad dressings for a tangy kick.
3. Use it to pickle hard-boiled eggs for a quick and easy snack.
4. Use it as a base for a brine for meats before cooking (such as brining turkey before roasting).
5. Use it in place of vinegar in recipes for a different flavor profile.
6. Mix it into hummus or other dips for added flavor.
7. Use it to make a tangy vinaigrette for salads.
8. Mix it with mayonnaise to create a tasty aioli for sandwiches or salads.
Can you freeze pickle brine?
Don't have fresh cucumbers or other vegetables to turn into homemade pickles? Don't toss the brine, freeze it!
When you're ready to make a batch of pickles, let it thaw in your refrigerator, add the cucumber slices, and you'll have a second batch of yummy pickles!
Easy Refrigerator Pickles with Pickle Juice
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Leftover Pickle Juice see note below
- 5-6 Pickling Cucumbers
Instructions
- Wash and pat the cucumbers dry.
- Slice the cucumbers into lengthwise strips or into chips.
- Place the cucumbers into pint sized mason jars and cover with leftover pickle juice.
- Place the lids on the jars and tighten the lids.
- Refrigerate jars for at least 24 hours.
- Store the pickles in the refrigerator.
As a home canner, for safety reasons, I would not reuse the pickle brine more than once and within a couple of weeks because you cannot guarantee the acidity of the brine.
Thank you, Sandie! I'm not a home canner (at least not in the last 10 years), but I've been using this method in my kitchen for several years now. 🙂
If you are concerned about acidity when reusing the brine add 1/4 tsp citric acid powder per pint. PS: Reusing my homemade dilly pickle brine for both beans and cukes is great.