You've just eaten an entire jar of pickles and are wondering what to do with the liquid? The answer is: neither in the drain nor in the toilet, because pickle water is a really valuable home remedy! Save it and read about everything you can use it for.
There is no middle ground when it comes to pickles - you either love them or you don't. If you are a fan, you probably have a few glasses in your pantry. So next time you use one of these up, think twice about throwing out the cucumber water. It really has a lot of great properties and you can use it in a variety of ways.
Drinking pickle water: what's the point?
Drinking the liquid from pickles may sound gross to some, but there are several reasons to consider it. It is moisturizing and can, among other things, relieve muscle cramps (such asthis study from 2010suggests) and intestinal health.
What's in sour cucumber water?
Pickle water contains vinegar and salt, which can help balance electrolytes (namely potassium and sodium) in the body. This can be very beneficial after a workout, for example, because the body has lost a lot of it when sweating.
The benefits
There are several reasons why you should drink leftover fermented pickle brine. Here are the most important of them:
- To relieve and prevent muscle cramps
- To balance the electrolyte balance
- When losing weight – as an appetite suppressant and to stimulate digestion
- To strengthen the immune system - because of the vitamin C content
Which pickle water is healthy?
If you're sold on the health benefits of pickle water, it's important to know how to find the good stuff. Not all cucumber water is the same. The probiotic juice, which has a positive effect on intestinal health, comes from fermented cucumbers. This is the only type of cucumber water you should use to get these benefits for your microbiome.
Attention: Some pickles also contain a lot of sugar in the liquid, which is actually not healthy. To be on the safe side, always read the label and only consume this water that comes from fermented pickles and has no unhealthy additives. Ideally you use the brine fromhomemade pickled cucumbers.
How much can you drink?
Too much of a good thing is sometimes bad. Don't overdo it with pickle water - it contains a lot of salt. Stick to the rule of thumb: 1 ml per kg of body weight. As a rule, one large sip per day (or as needed) is completely sufficient.
Refine recipes with the broth
Even if you don't want to drink the pickle water, that doesn't mean you can't continue to use it. The leftover liquid is an excellent ingredient for dressings, marinades and various recipes. Use it as a substitute for vinegar, but make sure it already has salt in it.
You can also refine various alcoholic drinks and cocktails with the acidic brine. Whether with vodka, whiskey or gin – enjoy it.
Clean with pickle water
You probably know that vinegar is an excellent cleaning agent. Since pickle water contains vinegar, you can also use the leftover liquid for cleaning. Here are some things you can clean with it:
- Scrub copper items with a rag dipped in cucumber water and they will shine again!
- To descale your kettle, fill it halfway with water and add some pickle water. Let the water boil, then leave for a few minutes and rinse a few times.
- Scrub the grill grate with the pickle juice to remove charred food particles and grease.
Can also be used in the garden?
Against weeds
Due to its high acid and salt content, pickle water is an effective weed control agent. To use the waste product as a weed killer, pour some directly onto the plant you want to control - it's that easy!
For fertilizing
You can fertilize plants that prefer acidic soil with pickled cucumber water. Simply mix some of it into the irrigation water. This can promote growth and encourage flowering.
Also interesting:Which waste products are suitable as fertilizer?
In the compost
The acidity from the brine can also help the compost break down more quickly. However, be careful not to add too much of it so as not to reduce the pH too much. A glass every now and then is fine, but it shouldn't be every day.
Preserve food
You can also reuse the leftover gherkin stock for pickling. You can put various foods such as boiled eggs, onions, garlic, peppers, canned vegetables, etc. directly into the cucumber water and thus preserve them.
This is certainly only a part of the possible applications. One thing is for sure: instead of pouring the leftover liquid from the mason jar down the drain, save it for later use next time!
