[Cherrie]

I was given a gallon of garlic pickle brine by the fresh pickle seller at the farmers market. Cucumbers are coming on in my garden. Would it work to pick and wash them then submerge them in the brine? I have a cellar house that stays about 50 degrees. Could I put them in there or would I need to do some kind of canning process on them? I want to end up with a crispy pickle.

[Christine]

I’ve sliced cucumbers and put them in pickle brine in the fridge and let them sit awhile and they were great.

[Caye]

Use it in salad dressings, coleslaw, potato salad, even as a daily shot (if you need a break from apple cidar). Dirty martinis too.

[Molly]

Each time it’s used it gets more diluted because the salt in the brine pulls water from the cucumbers. I find the resulting pickles are not as strong. You could boil off some of the water if you wanted.

That being said, I only make refrigerator pickles, and I guess I would worry about the safety of canning the pickles if you don’t know if it’s got the correct concentration of salt and vinegar.

[Rachel]

Refrigerator pickles would work. For canning they will get soft unless you’re adding pickle crisp. Also, since you don’t know the concentration percent for acid and salt, it wouldn’t be safe. Fermented pickles – same as canned.

[Theresa]

I reuse my homemade pickle brine a few times for refrigerator pickles. The littles love them. I make a new batch most weekends and the kids eat them up through the week.

[Ashley]

Yes you can reuse it. Just plop the washed cukes in the brine and stick it in the fridge for crunchy refrigerator pickles, or bring it all to a boil and water bath can them ten minutes til the lids seal.

[Author]

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