Preparation

You finish the pickles, and that beautiful, flavor-packed brine sits in your fridge like a question mark. The answer is always: make something weird and wonderful.

Creating the Unusual

1. Bloom the gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes.
2. In a saucepan, combine pickle juice, cream, and sugar. Heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm but not boiling.
3. Remove from heat and whisk in the bloomed gelatin until completely dissolved.
4. Stir in vanilla extract, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
5. Pour into 6 small ramekins or glasses and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until set.
6. Serve topped with a small amount of finely crushed pickles and a frond of fresh dill.

The result is startling: creamy, tangy, sweet, and savory all at once. If you used bread and butter pickle juice, you'll get a sweeter version; dill pickle juice creates something more herbaceous and sharp. Either way, you'll never dump that juice again.