That Jar Of Pickles In Your Fridge Is The Key To Sparkling Copper Cookware

Pickle juice has plenty of culinary uses. Among many other things, it makes an excellent briny addition in super flavorful potato salad and can be used to upgrade your favorite salad dressings. But apparently, pickle juice has magical cleaning powers, too.

According to Joanna Gaines of "Fixer Upper" fame, the leftover brine from your favorite jar of pickles is a great natural cleanser for copper cookware. That's because pickle juice contains vinegar (an acid) and salt (a mineral), two ingredients that together create a dynamic cleaning formula. When applied to copper pots or pans, the acid-salt combination is strong enough to get rid of tarnished spots and reveal a shiny, sparkling surface. 

There is one caveat to this method. If left on a copper surface too long, pickle juice can expedite the aging process, giving it that blue-green look. Sometimes Gaines does this intentionally to create a specific design look with decor items, but there's no need to push it that far with pots and pans you actually use. Be sure to thoroughly wash your copper cookware with mild dish soap and warm water after cleaning it with pickle juice and dry it well to prevent unwanted oxidation.

If you're fresh out of leftover pickle juice, don't worry. As long as you have some kind of acid and salt, you'll be able to clean copper cookware just fine. Paula Deen says ketchup is a fantastic natural cleanser, thanks to the acidity in the tomatoes. Squeeze a dab of ketchup on the tarnished area of a copper pan, and scrub it gently with a towel. Rinse the ketchup away to reveal the original bright, coppery exterior. You can also use this unexpected condiment to clean rusty cast iron pans.

Lemon juice and salt are another cleaning duo that will give both copper and stainless steel cookware a shiny surface again. Cut a fresh lemon in half, and press the exposed fruit side into a shallow dish of kosher salt. Gently rub the salt-covered lemon over the tarnished copper pot. Within minutes, the natural color should return. Give your kitchen items a wash and pat them dry. If you don't have lemons on hand, the combination of salt and white vinegar or even tomato paste will also do the trick.