Next time you finish that jar of pickles, don't toss the jar or the brine. Hey Wanderer (@heywanderer) has a much better idea.
The scoop
If you've ever contemplated making pickles but are too intimidated by the process, this is the hack for you.
All you have to do is add sliced cucumbers from your garden or the store into the juice and refrigerate for 24-48 hours. The longer the better for that pickle taste.
"We do this with our own canned pickle brine too, but grocery store pickle brine and veggies work just as well!" Hey Wanderer advised.
The video also showed how the juice of an empty jar of peperoncinis can be refilled with peppers as well — or any vegetable of your choosing.
How it's helping
If you're a pickle fanatic, this could save you tons of money and provide an endless supply. For gardeners who grow their own food, this is a great way to add variety to what to do with your produce. It's also an incentive to start growing cucumbers and peppers if you haven't already. If you have a cucumber on the verge of going bad, slice it up and toss it in the juice.
Saving the juice and the jar or container helps prevent waste and can reduce the amount of food being sent to landfill which produce toxins like methane — the most potent of greenhouse gases. This hack gives the container and its contents more lives.
Being smarter about your leftovers reduces waste and helps cool our planet. From using food scraps to make broth to using every last bit of your condiments, there are all kinds of ways to put your leftovers and scraps to good use. Compost what can't be used to reduce your carbon impact.
When purchasing food, consider Too Good To Go — an app where restaurants and businesses can list discounted food on the verge of doing bad available for pickup. You can also use pickle juice as a marinade — it's rumored that's what Chick-fil-A does. Or if you have weird cravings like this lady, you can freeze it for a frozen treat.
What people are saying
The pickle hack was given a heart by over 2,000 Instagrammers.
"Why have I never thought of this?" one asked.
"I do this all the time and I also put in carrots, onions and garlic," commented another, while others mentioned pickling eggs and green beans as well.
"This has changed my life," a third declared.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
