FOOD NEWS
Unique Ways To Use The Juice From A Jar Of Olives
BY NICOLE QUY
Make Martinis
Once you’ve finished all the olives in a jar, you can put the leftover brine to good use in many ways, but perhaps the most fun option is to make cocktails.
Add the olive juice to a classic cocktail like a dirty martini, Bloody Mary, or vodka tonic, or get creative and add a savory dimension to other drinks like margaritas.
Salad Dressings
Another great way to use up olive brine is as a tangy base for salad dressings from classic vinaigrettes to creamy dressings and anything in between.
Add herbs, garlic, mustard, and lemon juice or add creaminess with Greek yogurt or mayo. Just remember to taste before adding salt because the brine is already quite salty.
Meat Marinades
Any meat benefits from a marinade and almost any marinade benefits from the addition of salty, acidic olive brine, which adds flavor and tenderizes the meat.
Pair the olive brine with soy sauce and brown sugar for pork or beef, or mix olive juice, garlic, and lemon juice to create a delicious marinade for seafood.
Add It To Pasta
Olive juice is a versatile addition to add a rich, tangy dimension to pasta dishes such as creamy alfredo, carbonara, or a light, simple aglio e olio.
Olive brine also adds a salty oomph to zesty pesto sauce, helps balance the sweetness of tomato sauce, and adds a salty, umami layer to any other sauce.
Add It To Bread
Take your homemade bread to the next level by incorporating olive brine into your dough to give the bread a delicious sharpness and greater depth of flavor.
Simply combine olive juice with a little warm water before adding it to your dry ingredients. You can also chop up a few olives to add to the dough for some texture.