Many people love pickles in jars. They certainly enjoy its salty, sour, and savory taste. Some even add it to their meals on a regular basis. If you are one of these people, I’m curious about what you do with used jars of pickles.
The jars are definitely reusable, but you know what? You can also reuse pickle juice in many ways. Therefore, don’t ever think of throwing them away.
Use It As A Vinegar Substitute
Similar to the above, you can also use extra pickle juice as a substitute for vinegar in a wide variety of recipes. As an added bonus, the brine will give the recipe a boost of additional flavor as well.
Just make sure that the flavor of whatever pickles you’re using will go well with the rest of the recipe. Feel free to experiment with different brands of pickles as well.
A Glass Pickle Jar can be Used to Pickle Other Foods
Although this one may seem obvious, it’s always surprising how few people use the leftover pickle juice to pickle more foods!
The mix is already in there, and you already know that you’re going to like the taste.
As it turns out, this tip is just as easy as it sounds: all you have to do is drop your veggies in the brine, close it up and enjoy. Some good contenders for pickling might include shredded carrots or cabbage.
On the other hand, you could also slice up some cucumbers to make some more pickles.
Use For More Acidic Soil
For any gardeners out there looking to change the pH level of their soil, pickle juice can be particularly helpful.
Although you shouldn’t just go dumping the stuff into your garden beds willy-nilly, it can be helpful for anyone trying to grow hydrangeas or rhododendrons whose soil is just a little too alkaline.
Use Pickle Juice To Tenderize Meat
If you ever wondered how you could use your pickle juice another way, this is one of the best ones we’ve found.
This is highly recommended if you have a large jar of pickles. To use this trick, all you have to do is pour your pickle juice into a container and whisk in some minced garlic, ground pepper and mustard.
When it’s well-combined, brush it generously over the meat of your choice. As it turns out, this marinade is particularly useful for tougher cuts of meat!
Remake them As Piggy Banks
If you have any little children running around your house, but one or more of your old jars to use as adorable piggy banks!
Although you’ll have to get a lid that you can cut a little coin slot into, decorating the jar couldn’t be easier—and it will provide a fun activity for you and your kids to do together!
Make sure to clean the jars out all the way first and to let the paint dry before you start using them. And of course, don’t forget to teach the kids how to open pickle jar.
Use Pickle Juice To Clean Pans
As it turns out, pickle juice actually does a great job as a cleaning agent under certain circumstances as well.
If you have some grill grates in your oven that just won’t come clean or some copper pans that are stained, try soaking both in some pickle juice before scrubbing them down.
The acidic nature of the solution should loosen up any hard-to-clean particles and make the whole process much, much easier.
Make A DIY Sewing Kit
If you do much mending of pants or other fabrics around the house, a pickle jar can be a nice way to make a little sewing kit for yourself.
All you have to do is mount a pincushion on the top of the jar, keep some thread mounted to it and fill the jar itself with a bunch of replacement buttons. While this can definitely be a convenient trick, make sure to thoroughly clean out the jar first!
Before you transform the pickle jar into a sewing kit, take note of this hack on how to get pickle smell out of jar. You’ll need hot water and soap to be able to do so. Try following these steps.
Use Old Jars of Pickles As Flower Vases
If you have a big enough jar and a bouquet of flowers that you’ve trimmed short enough, a pickle jar can serve as a great DIY vase.
Obviously, the container itself is perfect for holding water for whatever you put inside it, but the size is also perfect for a dinner table decoration.
To make it look a little dressier, try wrapping the outside of the jar in twine and hot gluing the ends of it in place. Put it in the middle of the table, and voila!
Takeaway
Whether you have a vintage pickle jar or a new one, these hacks will work on both of them. Aside from enjoying the yummy taste of pickles, you can also take advantage of what jars of pickles have to offer.
Sources: This Is Insider, iDiva, Homemade Home Ideas, One Good Thing