Pickles are somewhat of a guilty pleasure food to a lot of us. That salty-sour taste is to die for, even if some might find it repulsive. And the juice that comes with them? Well, that usually goes down the drain without a second thought.

But wait! You should probably stop throwing away that pickle juice because it’s a whole lot more useful to have around. If you’re still unconvinced, take a moment to listen to these 12 reasons to keep pickle juice.

1. Fancy a change to your workout hydration?

Ever had a gym buddy or close friend lecture you about electrolytes? Those vital things you lose as you sweat? Electrolytes like potassium and sodium get expended as you work up a sweat.

You might not be too eager to try it, but pickle juice packs some extra hydrating power that you need more than you think. It’s got a healthy sharing of sodium, and offers some potassium too. Give it a try next time!

2. It’s an underappreciated recipe booster!

If you’re the type who cooks a lot of meat recipes, then you’ll want to look into pickle juice. The sodium-rich, salty and sour mixture makes for a mighty fine marinade and tenderizer. That new burst of flavor might just be what your taste buds have been after for so long!

3. Bye bye, foul breath.

Might sound like the opposite of what you’d expect, but give it a try. The acidic, anti-bacterial nature of pickle water could work just as well as vinegar in removing that bad breath.

4. Clean cutlery with it too.

Copper and stainless steel surfaces can benefit from a pickle-juice-powered cleaning session. The stuff works surprisingly well to remove burnt, charred bits, or stains. Way better than tossing it down the drain!

5. It might be good at de-icing the roadside as well.

With the ecological concerns over using salt to de-ice roads, the US and Canadian governments have taken the time to investigate some alternative substances that could also get the job done. Pickle juice is one of these candidates, and its sodium concentration might just do a fine job at that.

6. Adios, weeds.

Being similar to vinegar as an acidic substance, pickle juice can also do a good job at killing weeds. Just make sure to dilute appropriately and watch where you pour it. It could harm your important plants if you’re not careful! That sure would put you in quite the pickle, wouldn’t it?

7. Make more pickles with it!

With some older pickle brine, you can absolutely repurpose it for a new batch of pickles. Do note that this new batch of pickles won’t keep for nearly as long as made-from-scratch pickles. Think of them as “easy make” pickles.

If you fancy giving any of these a try, be sure to let some friends know. They might want to explore the other uses of pickle juice too. Be sure to share this article with people too!

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Source: Healthline, FoodHero, CNN, Tasting Table