Pickle juice

[TT120]

So I've recently discovered the deliciousness of pickle backs and thought I would like to share this strange concoction with anybody that might be brave enough to try it on the Playa. Since I cant find bulk pickle juice, I will have to start saving it now so I have enough to go around in about 6 months. (I like pickles and there is always a jar in my fridge) I have researched how long pickle juice will last and have come up with everything from "forever" to "1 week refrigerated". Seems to me that pickle juice, which is mostly vinegar, should last a very long time. Anybody out there have any experience in this field?

How long will pickle juice last?

[FIGJAM]

A long time, or you could freeze it!

[9ah]

Long time.

-The kid that would use it to make pickle concoctions a couple decades ago

[Eric]

Seems to me that pickle juice, which is mostly vinegar, should last a very long time.

[rant]
There is not now, nor will there ever be, pickle juice in my house that is "mostly vinegar". One drop of vinegar in pickles is too much (same goes for sauerkraut), I will only eat pickles made with brine. Real, honest-to-God good tasting brine, like the were made until industrialization took over (and that doesn't have preservatives or "stabilizers" in it). Plus, when you do a pickleback with pickle brine you actually get the salts & such that your body needs, not just sour crap that does nothing. I wouldn't expect it to last more than a month or so refrigerated, but it's so worth it.
[/rant]

Not that I have an opinion on pickles.

[trilobyte]

I'm giving this a nudge to Food & Drink, since that's a better fit for discussions about food & drink.

As far as your pickle juice issue is concerned, a couple things. First, a proper pickle brine should either a) be shelf stable, or b) keep for a very long time. However, if you're making or storing it up in advance, you may face some health department issues. My camp does a food permit, and I think pre-prepping has to be done in commercial kitchens and have proper documentation. Second, iffen you're camping within range of the 7:30 neighborhood, we should talk. Hit me up via PM and we can coordinate - my camp serves up pickles, and we end up with plenty of pickle juice that we're willing to give to any camp or bar that could use it. We crack open the jars on the playa and do the Nevada health permit, so there aren't any issues there.

[Drawingablank]

Although I agree about the brined pickles and normally make my own, commercial pickle juice (vinegar style) helps keep me from losing my voice on the playa.

I usually lose my voice by day 4 and last year was told that pickles and pickle juice helps - and it actually does. I will be bringing and eating a lot more pickles from now on.

[Simon of the Playa]

eric is right.

vinegar is verboten.


BTW, my father makes the meanest Half-Sour Garlic dills In The World...

[VultureChow]

Do my own pickles and frankly I do both natural fermentation and vinegar. A vinegar style pickled green bean is a wonderful thing.

Also, it would probably be more expensive, but it would be wasy easier. There are several types of bottled pickled juice specifically for picklebacks.

http://www.pickle-pop.com/11995-12-Lite ... -Liter.htm

Also, I just discovered someone sells pickle brine syrup for snow cones. That would really be an epic playa treat.

[LowePro]

Default water quality scientist here, fwiw,
Recommending that the pickle brine/vinegar/whatever will last longer and be less prone to microorganisms if you always only use clean silverware to extract your pickles. No grabbing by hand and don't reuse a fork in the jar after you've used the fork for something else. Don't leave the lid off longer than needed, and once your pickle jar is empty of pickles, I'd scrub the lid with scalding hot soapy water and seal it up, then back in the fridge. Or transfer to a plastic vessel and freeze it.

If you wanted to be extra thorough (and I might drink one of your P-backs, so I'd vote YES), you could heat your leftover brine in a pot, up to 200+F (a low boil), pour back into clean jars and seal, then back in the fridge.

[trilobyte]

@asr9754 - from your post, I'm guessing you're not familiar with the Nevada health permit process and guidelines. You'll be happy to know that it covers food safety and food handling.

[LowePro]

Gotcha, I was suggesting my 2cents how to handle the pickle juice while TT120 is at home saving up old pickle brine and jars, and trying to maximize its shelf life, per the original question. But yeah the same pickle-handling techniques could apply on-playa as well. Good to know the food handling permit covers this stuff.... although I'd probably drink it either way.

[Ugly Dougly]

Pickles can be made with either brine or vinegar. Sauerkraut is brine only.

If it's a homemade liquid, it falls under Nevada health, but if you bring it in freshly bottled then you get a pass, yes?

[Roberto Dobbisano]

hate to be brinier than thou, but...




vinegar pickles are for savages.

[H.G.Crosby]

vinegar pickles are for savages.

barbarians, evidently too.

[TT120]

Excellent suggestons. I never even thought about boiling it and then freezing it.

Trilo, I should be around 8:00 and H again this year so I will definately hit you up. I'm not planning on anything huge but I would like to share a little bit.

[VultureChow]

You could also boil and then can it. Would even be shelf stable.

[Savannah]

An apparently traditional old-fashioned no-vinegar pickle brine recipe . . .
http://www.simplebites.net/make-old-fas ... andmother/

I don't know if I have a preference, but I'm guessing from the murmurings that brine has the flavor edge, whereas vinegar pickles/pickle juice would of course be good for playa throat.

[Eric]

Pickles can be made with either brine or vinegar. Sauerkraut is brine only.

Incorrect. There are vinegar-based sauerkraut's out there, just check the labels in the store - there are also brands that add sugars to sauerkraut & preservatives to both (properly brined foods don't need preservatives). They are disgusting, and I assume a major reason a lot of people think they don't like either.

The difference is that the vinegar method is the modern industrial "quick pickle" (also done at home & restaurants), and brine is the traditional, but slow, method (again, also done at home & restaurants). A brined pickle gets it's pucker from slow lactic fermentation & the herbs and spices added while it's fermenting, a vinegar pickle gets it's pucker from the vinegar. I've had friends raised on vinegar pickles taste a brined pickle, and pretty much swear off the vinegar ones for life.

Again, not that I have an opinion on pickles, nor would I say that I eat them almost every single day of the year (even if it's true)

[VultureChow]

The flavor is just different. Vinegar is a bit harsher, but it's easier to approach as novice and get some really funky flavor combinations.

I do a rice wine vinegar pickled carrot with lemon grass and some other spices. I do the green beans with vinegar and wasabi. Think about the drink combinations you could do...

Sake with a pickled wasabi ginger rice vinegar brine chaser.
Tequila chased with Pickled jalapeno and cilantro brine.

I also do my own kimchi and sauerkraut.

[Simon of the Playa]

i know my pickles.


this, is THE pickle.

[VultureChow]

They're great for a store brand. I'm more of a full sour girl.
Also green tomotoes. The whole green pickled guys they serve with health salad and the jewish version of sloppy joes.