Annie & Skyler We are just using up the last of our precious 2022 pickles at the FIO Kitchens, but that doesn’t mean the pickle fun is all over! With a lovely jar of pickle juice in hand, let’s pause for a second to appreciate those underrated ingredient leftovers and scraps—herb stems, bread heels, broccoli stems, tea bags, and SO much more. Often this stuff ends up in your compost and don’t get use wrong—at Forks in Orbit, we heart composting—but before composting, we like to minimize our food waste by applying the 3 R’s of Recycling respectively: Reduce, Reuse, THEN Recycle—aka compost and/or feed to chickens.
HOW TO APPLY THE 3 R’s TO FOOD WASTE
- REDUCE Make sure everything you purchase at the grocery is stuff you need and will use. We LOVE our detailed shopping lists at FIO Kitchens, separated out according to the grocery store sections—dairy, baking, produce, meat, etc. The list makes it crystal clear what we really need, so we aren’t as affected by impulse buys. ALSO: Check the labels and be aware of use-by dates, so food doesn’t go bad and head straight to the compost.
- REUSE This is our favorite of the 3 R’s because it’s when you get to be creative. Save those herb stems and leek leaves for broth, make bread crumbs or croutons with the bread ends, spiralizer or shred that broccoli stem for a slaw. The best part about the REUSE step is that you still get to head to the last R by RECYCLING (composting or giving to chickens) any scraps or leftovers.
- RECYCLE Any and all compostable items should ALWAYS end up in the compost to be recycled into dirt (thanks a bunch, worms and microbes!!!) OR to be consumed by chickens or other livestock that will create eggs, manure, and so much more.
Today we are in our creative REUSE stage and laser-focused on our extreme love for an empty pickle jar, full of that tangy, delicious brine. The stuff is liquid gold in the kitchen. Read on for some of our favorite ways to use leftover pickle juice, plus a super easy recipe for FLAVOR-PACKED pickle-marinated grilled chicken.
Put the Juice to Use
- Add it to marinades. Pickle juice adds some salt and tanginess from the vinegar, but also give us all that flavor from the seasonings—dill, garlic, and more.
- Why stop with a pickle? Add a splash of pickle juice to your bloody mary or michelada for even more flavor.
- Stir it into a pasta salad or potato salad.
- Brine potatoes in it before roasting.
- Drink it. Some swear by pickle juice as a hangover cure.
- Use it in place of olive juice in a dirty martini, aka a pickle-tini.
- Stir it into chicken, tuna, or egg salad.
- Add a splash of pickle juice to Indian-style curries to brighten the flavor.
- Dip potato chips into the juice.
5-Ingredient Pickle Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole 3 to 4-lb. chicken, spatch-cocked, or cut into pieces (or 3 to 4 lb. desired bone-in chicken pieces)
- ¾ to 1 cup dill pickle juice, along with any remaining chopped dill, garlic or seasonings in the juice, plus more for serving
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 tsp. Montreal-Style Steak Seasoning
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Place chicken in a shallow dish or resealable plastic bag. Whisk together pickle juice, olive oil, steak seasoning, and garlic; add to chicken, turning to coat. Cover or seal bag and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours. Preheat grill to medium heat. Grill chicken, covered and turning once or twice, until caramelized and cooked through (170°F), 45 minutes to 1 hour. Drizzle with additional pickle juice just before serving.
