Don't throw out the vinegar from jars of pickles. It can be used in place of ordinary vinegar. Sprinkle it on fries, add to French dressing for salads, mix with olive oil for a bread dip. It can also be used one more time to make the lovely refrigerator pickles that are on trend at the moment.
This isn't a super thrifty tip because it won't save you a great deal of money, but it is still quite a handy idea anyway because these vinegars are usually already spiced and will also hold some of the flavour of the vegetables that were in it, giving your recipes a unique flavor.
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Also you can marinate chicken in it. Chik Fil A does this for their chicken. Delicious.
Yeah we actually cut up cucumbers and put them in there and they taste just so pickles.
Re adding cucumbers or marinating chicken in left over pickle juice. 'Tantalizing ideas, however, can you please give us more specific directions on doing this? Must we cook the cukes first? Do we heat the juice first? How long before we can eat these? How long keep them?
I hope Shirley will see your question and respond. In my experience, people just add raw cucumbers (or other vegetables) to the pickle juice to make refrigerator pickles. It usually takes a few days for the flavors to develop. The vinegar will keep them from going bad but I wouldn't keep them longer than a few weeks.
As for marinating, I would just do it for an hour or two since it is vinegar based.
Let us know how it turns out. :)
yes, making refrigerator pickles you just cover your cucumbers carrots, onions, mushrooms or whatever with a mix of vinegar, water and spices and keep in the fridge. I use this if I have too much to eat in too short a time. It saves throwing stuff away, but doesn't last as long as properly bottled pickles
Better yet, ferment your own vegetables in brine (super easy!) and use the brine in dressings, sauces, and marinades. Vegetables fermented in brine are filled with healthy probiotics (veggies fermented in vinegar have no probiotics).
For a new taste treat, I added the brine from sweet pickles to my Polish dill pickles and used the brine from the dills on the sweet pickles. Each jar's pickles had a new and refreshing taste. Hubby ate them almost as fast as I could make them.
I would let them set for a day or two before he could get in either jar.
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