and now for the juice
eating a pickle cleanses the palate, but the juice cleanses the soul.
pickle juice is something that i hold near and dear to my heart. not only do i credit it for curing me of covid* (this has not been scientifically proven), but taking a little sip never fails to perk up my tastebuds and my day.
pickles are made by bathing cucumbers in a mixture of water, vinegar, and salt. the key ingredient here is time. as the cucumbers rest, their skin releases a naturally occurring probiotic that gives the juice a little extra oomph to turn it into something special.
as it turns out, that something special does more for you than what meets the eye. apparently, there is an extensive list of health benefits that this brine can boast about.
for starters, WebMD (everyone’s favourite site) wrote about how the Mesopotamians would drink pickle juice to preserve beauty and to make their soldiers stronger. one aspect of this may have to do with the juice’s ability to relieve muscle cramps and replenish electrolytes (this has been scientifically proven).
Texas-based company Pickle Juice has made a modern-day rendition of this by bottling up the brine and selling it as a sports recovery drink. not only is the product certified organic, but it also comes in a wide range of sizes. newcomers can start off with a purse-sized 2.5-ounce bottle, whereas fitness enthusiasts and those alike can opt for a gallon-large jug — bringing a whole new meaning to byob: bring your own brine.
personally, i’ll just stick to drinking the stuff straight from the source, since i don’t think a gallon of pickle juice would do well in German customs.
however, it does sound like we’ve found celery juice’s new replacement. after an influencer promotion or two, and perhaps a bit of a rebrand (less lighting, more Le Labo), Pickle Juice could do very well on Erewhon’s drink shelf.
to finish things off, i’m going to leave you with three instances in which a sip of pickle juice (straight from the jar of course) come in handy.
whilst cooking — the pickle jar tends to come out around the same time as the olive oil and salt. akin to an aperitif, you’ll find me taking a few swigs between slicing and sautéing to keep my stomach entertained for the meal to come.
when hungover — after mustering the courage to get out of bed, reward yourself with a swig of pickle juice, a fried egg (a runny yolk is critical), some toast, and maybe an avocado if life is going well. i’m no mathematician, but this formula works every time.
in a martini — trust me on this one. it’s like a dirty martini’s cool aunt who you hope to see at Christmas, but will most likely be stuck in the Seychelles working on a film that will win at Cannes the following year.
all of that is to say… some praise coconut oil, but i praise pickle juice.
*this statement has not been scientifically proven to work. despite my description of pickle juice as somewhat a juice of the gods, lots of sleep, kimchi soup from BDC tofu house, and a whole host of other factors played into my recovery from covid-19.
ah i loved this and your writing style is so lovely!
sehr gut