A few years ago, one of my good friends, Val, taught me an incredibly delicious, yet totally simple trick: reuse Claussen pickle juice to make your very own pickles. Claussen is like the gift that keeps on giving.
Here’s what you do (clearly, I’m all about lists lately):
- Buy a jar of Claussen pickles (or your favorite brand) when they’re on sale. Those babies are expensive.
- Eat those pickles. Nom nom nom.
- When the pickles are gone, save the jar, the vinegar juice, and all of the garlicky goodness that settles to the bottom.
- Chop up a cucumber or two in any shape or size that suits your fancy.
- Load up the jar with all the cukes.
- Seal it and put it back in your fridge.
- Twiddle your thumbs in front of the fridge for at least a week or two until the cukes have started pickling.
- Depending on how “pickled” you like them, eat them after a week or wait as long as you like!
- Enjoy your very own semi-“homemade” pickles.
- Cry when the jar is empty once more.
- Repeat steps 1-10.