Whether you made your own pickles or bought a jar from the store, don’t throw away the juice. Pickle brine is worth its weight in gold, and the reason is simple. “A pickle brine is acid and salt plus whatever spices you have in it, and acid is in almost every recipe to balance it all out,” explains April McGreger, a fermenter and chef at The People’s Kitchen of Philadelphia and author of Jam On! Everything you need to know about canning and preserving. This means you can use pickle brine basically almost anywhere you would use an acidic ingredient like vinegar or lemon juice.

Of course, not all brines are interchangeable, but McGreger points out that you can use sweet or bread-and-butter pickle brine just as you would a classic dill pickle brine, adding more spice to suit your taste. “It’s actually no less versatile. You just have to think about whether you want that flavor profile in your dishes,” she says. No matter what brine you have on hand, here are five ways to use every last drop.

Make another batch of cucumbers

Yes, you can simply make quick pickles again by using the leftover brine as a pickling liquid instead of vinegar (don’t use the brine for pickled cucumbers, as this practice is unsafe and can lead to botulism). However, McGreger points out that the acid in the brine is more diluted, so you should taste it after 24 hours and again adjust the salt, vinegar, and spices to taste. She typically uses the brine once or twice until it loses its shine—she uses it once for cucumbers, which are naturally watery, diluting them, and twice for heartier vegetables like carrots.

Mix it with a spicy dressing

For years, McGreger tried to recreate her mother’s sweet and spicy dressing for corn salad and finally discovered the secret: pickled red peppers with a little mayonnaise. Dill pickle salad is even more versatile. “You can use pickle salad in a dressing just like you would lemon juice or vinegar and get a garlicky vinaigrette with a light herb flavor,” says McGreger, adding that you should wait to add salt until you’ve tasted it, as the salt content is already high.

She suggests adding a splash of dill pickle brine to the dressing for coleslaw, potato salad or tuna salad. You can also simply mix the brine with melted butter to make a simple topping for roasted or boiled potatoes.

Use it like hot sauce

Think of pickle brine like a vinegar-based hot sauce, says McGreger. “It has that tangy acidity, but it’s not spicy,” she notes. Add a dash of it to soups or stews that need a little more flavor; the acid will brighten and enhance existing flavors. Use it as a condiment for scrambled eggs and tacos, drizzle it over veggies, or use it in place of lemon juice in dips or spreads like hummus and mayonnaise. McGreger’s favorite quick-cooking dip is equal parts tahini and cucumber brine. “It makes a really delicious, easy dip for veggies, and you can throw in some herbs,” she says.

For pickling meat

McGreger often uses pickle juice to brine poultry like chicken thighs or turkey breast. “Sometimes I’ll thin the brine with buttermilk if I don’t want it to be so vinegary,” she says, adding that buttermilk is tenderizing and can also help with browning. Place the meat in a 4-quart Ziplock bag and add the brine until covered. If you like, season with herbs, a pinch of salt, black pepper and a little sugar (this can also help with browning) to taste.

If you’re using pickle juice alone, McGreger recommends leaving the meat in the brine for at least two hours, but no longer than 12. If you’re using equal parts pickle juice and buttermilk, you can refrigerate it overnight or up to two days. You can also use a cucumber-buttermilk brine to make irresistibly crispy pickle-brined chicken.

Add it to a cocktail

Cucumber brine is great for all your savory cocktail needs. “For a Bloody Mary, I usually replace almost all of the lemon juice with cucumber brine and add a citrus slice at the end to give it a little fresh citrus flavor,” says McGreger. “The brine really does a lot of the seasoning work and gives it that tart kick.” Of course, cucumber brine works well for a dirty martini, too. Instead of using olive juice, replace some or all of the dry vermouth with your favorite cucumber brine—McGreger loves a tangy green tomato brine. And if you don’t want to get your shaker dirty, picklebacks are always a good idea.