What to Do With Leftover Pickle Brine (Don't Pour It Out)

Once a jar of pickles is gone, the leftover brine still has plenty of flavor and use left in it - pouring it down the drain wastes an ingredient that took real effort to build in the first place.

Use It as a Quick Marinade

Leftover pickle brine, particularly from something like pickled onions or jalapeños, makes a good quick marinade for chicken or pork - the vinegar's acidity helps tenderize the meat while adding real flavor, similar in principle to a buttermilk brine.

Make a Second, Faster Batch

The simplest use for leftover brine is simply adding new vegetables directly to the same jar. This second batch won't be quite as strong as the first, since the brine has already given up some of its acidity and flavor to the first round of vegetables, but it's still a genuinely good pickle, just slightly milder and worth eating a bit sooner.

Use It in a Vinaigrette

Substitute pickle brine for some or all of the vinegar in a basic vinaigrette - the existing salt, sugar, and any spices already in the brine mean you may need less additional seasoning than a vinaigrette built from scratch.

Add It to a Bloody Mary

A splash of leftover brine, particularly from pickled dilly beans or jalapeños, is a classic addition to a Bloody Mary, adding tang and a bit of extra savory depth beyond the usual tomato juice base.

Use It to Season Deviled Eggs or Potato Salad

A tablespoon or two of leftover brine mixed into a mayonnaise-based filling for deviled eggs, or into a potato or egg salad dressing, adds brightness and a bit of tang without needing to add fresh vinegar separately.

Use It to Quick-Brine Chicken Before Frying

A brief soak (30 minutes to a few hours) in leftover pickle brine before breading and frying chicken adds flavor and helps keep the meat moist, similar to a dedicated buttermilk or pickle-juice fried chicken brine that some restaurants specifically use.

How Long Leftover Brine Keeps

Leftover brine keeps for about as long as the original pickle did, assuming it's stayed refrigerated the whole time - generally a few weeks. If it's been sitting significantly longer than that, or shows any signs of spoilage covered in our storage guide, it's better to discard it and start fresh.

A Practical Habit

Rather than reflexively pouring out an empty pickle jar's brine, get in the habit of asking what else is in the fridge that could use a splash of tangy, already-seasoned liquid - more often than not, there's a use for it somewhere in that week's cooking.

For the full range of pickles to start with in the first place, see the complete pickling guide.