The Smartest Way To Use Up Leftover Mozzarella Brine

If you tend to keep fresh mozzarella in brine in your fridge, then you might be wasting a valuable ingredient. Fresh mozzarella tends to be a little different from other variations of this mild cheese. It's typically stored in brine to keep it from hardening, while also adding a touch of saltiness to the creamy flavor. While it is sometimes stored in water or whey, you should never discard mozzarella brine. Instead, cook with it. 

Though mozzarella brine can be used in place of water in a number of recipes, it's particularly delicious in rice. By replacing at least part of the water with brine, you'll season the water to give the rice more flavor. Apart from the added saltiness of the brine, the mozzarella imparts some of its creaminess as well which is infused into the rice as it cooks. However, you won't want to replace all of your water with brine. 

Brine is very salty, so to prevent the rice from becoming too salty to eat, you'll need to use the right proportions when preparing it. Use two parts plain water to one part brine for rice. While there are 15 types of rice, this trick will work for any of them — but note that some types of rice have a more distinct flavor than others. To get the most out of the subtle flavor of the brine, choose mild or neutral-flavored rice, such as white rice. Those with more earthiness, such as wild rice, can drown out the delicate brine. Once you've selected your rice, simply cook it as you normally would. 

So stop wasting the valuable liquid left behind in your container of fresh mozzarella. If you know how to use it (just like aquafaba, the liquid chickpeas are canned in), leftover brine can be an incredibly useful ingredient. Don't be afraid to get creative beyond using it for rice; you can grab more ideas from Tasting Table's 12 great ways to use mozzarella apart from pizza, too.