There's more than one way to eat a pickle.

Sure pickles are great on a burger and in a toastie but a jar of pickles is the secret ingredient that you’ll want to have on hand to boost flavour in everyday dishes or whip up some of your favourite condiments from scratch. Who knew so much could start with a jar of pickles? Check out our recipes and ideas.

1. Whip up a Salsa Verde: In a food processor add 2 handfuls of herbs such as parsley, dill, mint or basil with 2 peeled garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons chopped pickles and 2 tablespoons pickle brine, and pulse. Scrape out of the food processor and mix in 1/3 cup of olive oil. Serve with grilled meats and vegetables.

2. Make an Eastern European style potato salad with chopped pickles and plenty of dill.

3. Another Eastern European trick is to add pickles to soup! Trust us it’s delicious. Chopped pickles added to borscht lends a sharper edge to earthy beetroot.

4. Try making a Dirty Martini with pickle juice and a little pickle on a toothpick.

5. Use pickle brine to marinate chicken. Brining a chicken makes it more tender and flavoursome, try using pickle brine.

6. Pickles in a grain salad with plenty of fresh herbs and a handful of dried fruit like currents or chopped figs.

7. Pickle brine makes the best salad dressing. Add 2 parts pickle brine to one part oil and you have an instant dressing that can can fancy up even a few torn lettuce leaves.

8. Give boiled potatoes a bit of punch by pouring some pickle brine into the boiling water. 

9. Make a hot dog relish by finely chopping up a jar of pickles adding a little mustard powder, a little mustard seed and a dash of brine.

10. And here is a quick recipe for a tartare sauce so good that it’s worth planning to have fish and chips for dinner tonight: Mix 1/4 cup yogurt, sour cream or cream cheese with 1 tablespoon chopped dill, 1 tablespoon chopped chives, 1/2 a clove of minced garlic, a pinch of tartare, 1 tablespoon chopped pickles, 2 teaspoons pickle juice and a slug of olive oil. Whisk together with a pinch of salt and pepper and squeeze of lemon.