22 Recipes Using Pickle juice (2024)

FAQs

What can I make with pickle juice? ›

Freeze the leftover pickle juice in an ice pop mold to enjoy as-is, to melt into a bloody mary, or to create a pickle juice lemonade recipe out of homemade lemonade. Brighten up store-bought barbecue sauce with a dash of leftover pickle juice. Trade pickle juice for vinegar in your favorite gazpacho recipe.

It's a next-level source of hydration.

And that's where pickle juice's all-in-one status comes in clutch. Lavy says approximately one and a half to three ounces of pickle juice per day should suffice—whether you're drinking the stuff straight or diluting it with water to tone down the flavor.

It is hydrating and may help with muscle cramps, blood sugar, and gut health, among other benefits. Athletes have been sipping this briny beverage for years. Experts didn't know why pickle juice was good to drink after exercising. They just knew that it seemed to help relieve cramps.

When does pickle juice expire? Unopened pickle juice can be kept for up to two years in a pantry or any other dark and cool place. If the pickle jar has been opened, you can safely store it in the fridge for up to three months.

However, for years the internet has speculated that Chick-fil-A's chicken is marinated in pickle juice to give it its signature flavor. The company has never confirmed this statement, but many Chick-fil-A employees have added their two cents to the rumor.

As the potatoes boil, they will absorb the pickle juice and take on the tangy, salty flavor of the vinegar brine. This gives them a unique and delicious flavor that is sure to be an unexpected hit. Once your potatoes are cooked to your liking, drain them and serve them hot.

Pickle juice has been shown to help prevent muscle cramps in athletes when it's consumed during or after a workout. Shapiro recommends taking a 1-ounce shot of pickle juice after intense workouts to prevent cramping.

While pickle juice offers some health benefits, it may also pose some risks. Most of these risks are tied to the extremely high levels of sodium that pickle juice contains. Those who have or are at risk for hypertension (high blood pressure) should avoid drinking pickle juice.

For all its possible benefits, pickle juice also has a significant drawback: It contains a lot of sodium. I generally wouldn't recommend drinking pickle juice, especially if you have health concerns such as hypertension or renal, liver or heart disease.

The juice is also good for getting rid of muscle cramps as it hydrates the body. However, one should avoid drinking it on an empty stomach as it is acidic in nature. Fermented foods are great for gut health as they improve the good bacteria and flora in the gut.

Will pickle juice raise your blood pressure? ›

Pickles and other fermented foods boast some pretty impressive health benefits. But you have to use some caution: If you have high blood pressure or are sodium-sensitive, salt can drive up your blood pressure levels, and pickles and pickle brine are loaded with sodium that could do more harm than good.

It's safe to enjoy a small cup of pickle juice, but make sure that you do not exceed your daily value of sodium. People with high blood pressure, gout, and heart, liver, or kidney disease might need to avoid pickle juice.

Bring the pickling liquor to a boil, then pour over the new vegetables in the jar and seal. Leave to cool completely, then store in the fridge and use up within a week.

Olive all use the term on their websites, in advertisem*nts, and in the product descriptions of their pickle varieties. When asked why the word isn't on the front of the jars, all three companies provided nearly the same answer: They feel the word “pickle” isn't necessary on pickles packaged in clear glass containers.

The science behind why it works

While it hasn't been proven yet, researchers posit that pickle juice may help cramps by triggering muscular reflexes when the liquid contacts the back of the throat. This reflex shuts down the misfiring of neurons in muscle all over the body, and “turns off” the cramping feeling.

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.

Pickle juice's sharp, vinegary constitution can perk up any savory meal. Take advantage of its health benefits, too: You can drink it straight up for post-workout electrolytes and to relieve muscle cramps. You can even bake with it (yes, pickle bread is a thing)!