Don't Throw Out That Feta Brine, Use It To Cook Your Favorite Grains

Feta is a kitchen staple for so many people and for multiple good reasons, whether it's topping off a bright salad, adding some creaminess to pasta, or whipping it up for the perfect dip. One thing people usually do without though is the brine. This flavor-packed liquid is usually thrown out once the feta is finished, a mistake that a lot of us have made. Many don't know that the brine is in fact an amazing and versatile ingredient. 

The amount of things you can use the brine for almost outweighs what you can use the actual feta for, one of those things is using the brine to cook your grains. Whether it's rice, couscous, wheat berries, farro, quinoa, or pasta, the feta brine brings something that salt and water simply wouldn't. Brine-cooked grains offer a unique flavor that will help elevate your dish, ensuring a bowl of rice isn't ever boring.

Feta brine will bring a distinct flavor to your grain of choice, imparting a tangy, salty, and slightly creamy taste. Depending on the salt levels of your feta brine, you may need to add more salt sparingly. The amount of feta brine you use also depends on what grain you're cooking, you should still follow the usual ratios needed to cook something like quinoa or basic white rice and just subtract the volume of brine you'll be using from the amount of water.

For instance, if you decide to make 1 cup of quinoa you would use 1 cup of water and ¾ cup of feta brine, instead of the usual 1 and ¾ cups of water. We recommend starting slowly and only using feta brine as just ¼ of your cooking liquid when cooking something like rice. Make sure to give the liquid a taste so you adjust accordingly and add a little more salt if needed. The brine can also be added to pasta water which will add a lovely savory flavor to your chosen pasta. An extra perk of feta brine is that you can freeze it, guaranteeing you'll always have it on hand.

A juicy pork chop with a rich pan sauce would pair perfectly with a brine-infused bowl of rice or quinoa. The acidity and tang in feta brine help balance the richness of the pan sauce and brighten the flavor of the dish. A one-pot chicken and rice dish can be elevated significantly by adding some feta brine during the cooking process, flavoring both the chicken and rice, giving the meal a tangy and salty creaminess. 

The ingredient and meal combinations are nearly endless which ensures that leftover brine will never go to waste. If you aren't in the mood or forget to add your brine during the cooking process don't worry, you can add a splash of brine after cooking dishes like an ancient grains bowl to punch up the flavor and add some zing when needed. As amazing as feta brine is, it doesn't have to be the only star of the show. You can level up your rice by cooking it with other kinds of brine too. If you're looking to make a Mediterranean-inspired dish then adding some olive brine to your rice cooking water will take your meal up a notch too.