The Forgotten Kitchen Liquid That Doubles As A Natural De-Icer During Winter

How many times have you cleaned out your refrigerator only to find a number of pickle jars bereft of spears but still filled with brine? If you're a pickle-loving household or make your own, you might just pour the brine into the sink and recycle the jars. That leftover pickle brine you forget about actually has some absolutely genius uses, one of which is that you can actually use the stuff as a natural de-icer in the wintertime.

It's no secret that homeowners and municipalities are looking for alternatives to the wide number of ice salts that have been used to de-ice roads, driveways, and sidewalks over the last few decades. Rock salt is the most prevalent. While it is incredibly effective, its corrosive and toxic nature has made rock salt a bit of a pariah when it comes to ice removal. If you're someone who wants to limit or downright stop using rock salt on your property, pickle brine is a safe and incredibly effective solution.

The reason pickle brine is effective against ice and snow is that it contains high amounts of salt that will lower the freezing point of water. However, unlike rock salts, pickle brine is non-toxic and not corrosive, meaning that it is both practical and environmentally friendly.

If you need to be convinced that pickle brine is an effective de-icer, you need only look at the case of Bergen County, New Jersey. In 2014, the county was forced into using a mimic pickle brine solution to de-ice roads after a shipment of salt was delayed. It did the job really well, and since it was quick and cheap to make, the brine solution also proved financially rewarding. 

Now, the reason pickle brine is so effective is because of its high salt content. In fact, using pickle brine can melt ice in temperatures as low as -6 degrees Fahrenheit. As such, it is effective if used in preparation for a snowfall because it will keep whatever forms atop it from sticking to the surface you've applied it to.

Still, there is no getting around the fact that you will need a lot of pickle brine in order to properly utilize it as a de-icer. If you buy pickles on the regular, or make your own, dedicate a larger jar to fill with the leftover brine. Much like with collecting coffee grounds to use as grit on your walkway, you might just find that you end up having a lot more pickle brine than you might think. Hold onto it and use it for winter clean-up!