Pickles and pickle brine are trending – and here’s why
Get in baby – we’re making pickles… or, at least, using them (and their brine) in inventive ways. Here’s why everyone is eating pickles this year, plus some recipe inspiration to get you started on using pickles in your own kitchen.
Here’s something we did not have on our bingo cards for 2025: pickles, and pickle brine, are trending. We’re surprised, but pleasantly so, because here at TASTE, we’re big pickle fans – we love them for the tang, the texture and, most of all, the confidence it exudes. There’s no way to miss a pickle!
Why everyone loves pickles and pickle brine
From fashion blogs declaring that we’re in for a “dill pickle summer” to the singer Dua Lipa’s exhortation of the drink she invented containing Coke and pickle juice, it’s become clear: now is the perfect time to have a pickle – or use it in a new way.
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Abigail Donnelly, food director at TASTE, is no stranger to using pickles and their brine in inventive ways. “I often use pickle brine in salad dressings or pasta sauces. It works well as a replacement for lemon juice. I also love hot pickled onions, and I use the liquid as part of a marinade for chicken wings. It helps to tenderise them.” As for enjoying the tang of a well-made pickle outside of her kitchen, Abi is a massive fan of the pickles at Rosetta Roastery in Bree Street, Cape Town, where they’re served on a mortadella roll.
Another big fan of the pickle and all its tangy possibilities is Adam Klein, co-founder of the ever-popular Kleinsky’s deli in Cape Town. Adam took time out of his schedule (and the opening of a new branch in Birdhaven, Jozi (and the recent opening of a new branch in Birdhaven, Jozi) to talk about all things briny.
“Pickles have always been fundamental to the kind of Jewish or New York-style deli food we serve at Kleinsky’s,” he says. “I mean, can you imagine serving a pastrami sandwich without a pickle? You need that acidity to cut through the richness of the meat, to balance the smokiness. I like it for the contrast it can bring – for instance, if you combine it with cheese. I feel like it almost acts as a palate cleanser: it cuts through the fat, it makes the next bite fresh again.” He’s also a fan of the way that pickled veg can bring texture to a meal. “Think of a burger,” he says. “There’s no crunch there. You absolutely need that pickle for crunch.”
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Adam’s journey with New York-style deli food started with pastrami; then came the bagels and the pickles. This has led him down some interesting rabbit holes – he’s happy to converse about the difference between the kind of pickles we tend to like locally (vinegar brine-based) versus the popular kosher dill pickle you’ll find in the US. The latter, a salted-brine pickle, is a “completely different experience”, he says. “It leaves you with a very face-puckering kind of reaction. That said, if it doesn’t make you pull a funny face, is it even a pickle?” We think not!
As evidence that pickles have more uses than just being eaten as is, Adam confirms that Kleinsky’s has been using pickle juice or liquid in drinks for ages. “For at least three years, we’ve been serving a spectacular dill-pickle martini – made with vodka or gin, with a cocktail pickle, an olive and a splash of brine.” Even before that, their Bloody Mary cocktail has always contained pickle juice. The folks at Kleinsky’s took some inspiration from the American South, where pickle brine is viewed as a hangover cure, and added it to the Bloody Mary – which is itself viewed as the best drink to recover from a hangover.
Aside from using it in drinks, Adam sees pickle juice as a versatile ingredient. “We often add it to salad dressings; we also use it for our coleslaw, in place of apple cider vinegar. We just really like how it breaks the richness of dishes, and that element of brightness that it brings. It just brightens everything.”
Ready to hop on the brine bandwagon?
How to use pickles and pickle brine in your food and drinks
1. Start small.
For a nice batch of homemade pickles, try Phillippa Cheifitz’s recipe for pickled cucumbers. It really couldn’t be easier – and it’s a great way to prevent food waste if you’ve got cucumbers in the fridge that you won’t be able to eat soon.
2. Make a DIY deli lunch.
For a quick deli-style lunch in the comfort of your own home, try this sarmie with pickled red onions – a slice or two of pastrami or smoked beef would not go amiss. Hot tip: double the onion recipe if you can, as these are wonderful to have on hand to brighten up any salad, or when taco night rolls around.
3. Try an edgy pickle-infused drink.
If you’re ready to mix things up in the drinks department, have a go of the umami bomb that is Bianca Jone's pickle martini– there’s a heavy splash of pickle juice in there for a nice element of tang.
Go big with deep-fried pickles on flatbread.
Yes, this is as deliciously interesting as it sounds! Pickles and jalapeños are deep-fried before being served on flatbread with a zesty avocado dressing.
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