Pickles… either you love them, or you hate them. Personally, you can count me in on the love side. These crunchy treats are jam-packed with tart flavour and they pair so perfectly with sandwiches. I mean, are you really eating a pastrami sandwich if there’s no pickle on the side? Hint: no! But once you’ve eaten the last pickle in the jar, just what the heck do you do with all that pickle juice? Well, like most other people, I throw that mysterious green liquid down the drain. But this is a big mistake!
As it turns out, pickle juice is actually really awesome! Pickle juice has a number of different uses and surprising benefits for your health. Check out this list and make sure you don’t miss the video below that shows how one university football team is using pickle juice as their secret weapon!
1. Ease Heartburn
Acid to fight heartburn? Yeah, it sounds crazy but sipping some of the pickle brine can actually do the trick. Doctors are still trying to figure out why this works but one of the theories is that the vinegar encourages your stomach to produce more antacids.
2. Soothe Sunburns
We all know the pain of sunburn and the popular go-to is aloe vera. But while aloe vera will help cool the burn and promote new skin growth, pickle juice will come to the rescue if the burn itches or stings.
3. Relax muscles
Muscles cramping up? Chances are that you need electrolytes. Pickle juice is full of electrolytes such as sodium and potassium!
4. Relieve Sore Throat
A popular way to relieve a sore throat is to gargle with warm salt water. But next time, try doing this with pickle juice to gain the additional pH-level balancing effects of the vinegar.
5. Fertilize Plants
Did you know that some plants actually like acidic soil? Yep! Plants such as hydrangeas and rhododendrons can benefit from some pickle juice in the soil. Make sure you look up if your plants do well with acidic soil before giving them the juice!
6. Clean Copper Pots & Pans
Copper-bottom pots and pans are highly sought after and incredibly expensive so most owners want to keep them looking shiny and new. So if the copper starts to get nasty looking, pickle juice and some elbow grease should do the trick! The acid in the pickle juice will also brighten it up by reacting with the oxidization.
7. Get Crazy And Make Picklebacks
Okay, so this isn’t exactly “healthy” but have you ever had a pickleback? A pickleback is a shot of whiskey chased with a shot of pickle juice. The pickle juice will immediately neutralize the harsh flavours and burn of the whiskey!
8. Pickle More Vegetables & Fruits
Why not pickle more fruits and vegetables? Just throw them into the jar and let them sit overnight and ta-da! More pickles!
