The Trick To Super Flavorful Potato Salad Is This Briny Addition

There is certainly no shortage of potato salad variations to experiment with. Because the mighty potato has a fairly neutral flavor, it's a blank canvas for flavorings, whether you're making a creamy, mayonnaise-dressed American-style potato salad; a French version flavored with mustard and fresh herbs; or where lots of bacon and onion come into play. If you prefer a mayo-based dressing, you should consider the power of pickle juice the next time you whip up a potato salad.

Also serving as , pickle juice adds an amazing brightness to potato salad dressing that mayonnaise just can't achieve on its own. And because mayo already has a touch of tanginess from vinegar or lemon juice, the addition of pickle juice won't compete with it; Rather, it cranks it up. I like to whisk my mayo and pickle brine together before I pour it over my potatoes so that the two ingredients are totally blended.



And I also like to add plenty of chopped pickles or cornichons — whatever I happen to have in the fridge. Of course, because dill pickles are one of my favorite snacks ever, I go ahead and add some chopped fresh dill, if I have any on hand. Use any briny liquid when you're in a pickle pinch The best way to determine how much pickle juice to add to your potato salad is by using your own discretion.

For a potato salad recipe that serves about 8 to 10 people, start by whisking a quarter cup of pickle brine into your mayonnaise. If you want more pickle flavor, add more pickle juice, a tablespoon at a time. Any brand of pickle should be fine, even if it's not a straight dill pickle flavor.

For example, my family loves the brand of pickles, which are equally tangy, sweet, and spicy. Adding the juice from the jar would lend a trio of wonderfully complex flavors. Dill pickle relish is a nice mix of pickle juice and finely chopped pickles, and is a decent substitute if you don't have any jarred pickles in brine.

But don't be afraid to peek outside of the pickle jar. If you're out of pickles, you could consider almost any veggie that is brined and jarred, including peperoncini, banana peppers, pickled jalapeños, pickled okra, , green olives, or sauerkraut. Each might give you a slightly different flavor, but will add a good bit of acid to brighten up your potato salad.

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