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Do Pickles Go Bad? How Long Are They Good?

jar of pickles - Brand: Camps (Belgium)
Jar of Pickles from Camps

You’re longing for some good pickles along with your homemade salad or sandwich? Only, you’ve stumbled upon a jar in your fridge and see that they haven’t been sealed thoroughly. Do pickles go bad?

On top of that, you’ve even another jar in the storage that’s already past the labeled date. Is it still edible?

In this blog post, we will cover more about whether pickles can go bad, their shelf-life, how to store them, and talk about spoilage.

Enjoy the read

How Long Can Pickles Last

As always, we will start with a nice table and discuss in this chapter:

PicklesPantryRefrigerator
Pasteurized and unopened (Unrefrigerated)Best-by + up to 3 months
Pasteurized and opened Always fridge when openedUp to 3 months
Unpasteurized and unopenedBest-by date + up to 3 months
Unpasteurized and openedUp to 3 months
Indicative timetable of pickles: periods can vary (always check if it is still good)

When it comes to pickles, we know that they’ll last for some time and a long time.

The jar will come with a best-by date on it and that means an indicative period for the quality.

As with all foods and drinks, when they’re unopened and sealed thoroughly, they’ll last for a longer time. The same goes for pickles. Unopened pickles should last a very long time.

Pickles are vegetables that “live” in vinegar or brine and are thus preserved for a long time.

After opening the jar, it’s important to check if there are vegetables that aren’t fully in the vinegar, making them vulnerable. You should remove these as fast as you can, the others should be great.

Don’t stress about the others, as long as they’re fully in the liquid, they should be okay.

You have pasteurized pickles and not pasteurized pickles.

Pickles Bought At The Store

In the store, you can buy pickles in the unrefrigerated section and refrigerated section.

Unrefrigerated

Pickles that are sold in the unrefrigerated section are pasteurized and contain additives for a longer lifespan.

They should last in the pantry up to 3 months past the best-by date. From the moment you open them, you have to store them in the refrigerator and they’ll be good for up to 3 months.

Refrigerated

You can also have pickles in the refrigerated section, both pasteurized and unpasteurized. Always refrigerate these, don’t let them sit out!

When unopened and unpasteurized, they’ll last for up to 3 months past the best-by date. From the moment you open them, they’ll last up to 3 months after that.

Always check if the 3-month period after opening for the first time falls within the period of unopened best-by date + 3 months. Always write the date for opening on the jar, so you can verify this easily later and exclude doubt about when you’ve opened it for the first time.

The above periods are indicative and you’ll always do good to check the signs to verify if they’re still good or have gone bad.

We assume this won’t be necessary because you will store them in the right way.

How To Store Pickles

Pickles can be a great addition in your culinary journey and can be used in many recipes or dishes.

Pickles is not just one vegetables and can be used for many vegetables like cucumber, cauliflower and so on.

Pickling is all about storing the vegetables in a pickling solution. This solution look yellow to dark yellow and is mostly made from water, vinegar, sugar and spices.

TO DO: foto camps pickles (belgische reclame)

Storing pickles is the same for storing fermented food. You must know when you buy pickles, if it is pasteurized or not? Some people think they’re always pasteurized, but they’re not. So be aware of this.

Unrefrigerated Pickles

Pasteurized pickles can be found in the unrefrigerated section and be stored at room temperature in a dry and dark place. You need to store them safely away from direct sunlight or any heat sources. The pantry or cupboard will do just fine.

From the moment you open them, you have to store them sealed in the refrigerator.

Refrigerated Pickles

When it comes to unpasteurized pickles, there’s no room for storing them in the pantry. They should be stored directly in the refrigerator. They’re sold in the refrigerated section of the store.

What comes out of the fridge, should stay in the fridge.

The reason is simple, pasteurizing means killing the bacteria and making it more sterile, so the bacteria are still active and thus the process of fermentation goes on.

For all pickles, they should be store in the refrigerator after opening and very sealed. Always make sure that the vegetables are soaked or covered with the brine. This brine acts like a protective seal and protects them from drying out and decaying faster.

Can You Freeze Pickles

Yes, you can freeze almost anything in your freezer. But should you?

There’s a lot of debate when it comes to freezing pickles. That makes sense because pickles consist mostly of water and thus thawing can have a serious influence on them.

You can store them in an airtight container or a freezer bag. Just make sure you seal everything well and squeeze the air out of the bags. Make sure there’s some space left because when you freeze pickles, the brine will expand so it can expand without breaking anything.

How Can You Tell If Pickles Have Gone Bad

Pickles can go bad, just like any food or drink it will go bad after some time.

Guidelines:

  1. Check if the vegetables are fully in brine or vinegar. They shouldn’t be out of it. If they’re out of the brine, remove them. The vegetables that are in the brine should be okay.
  2. Check the color of the pickles. Usually, pickles will sit in a yellow to dark yellow color. Don’t stress out if you see something white at the bottom. This should be okay.
  3. If you see some distinct colorization, discard them immediately.
  4. Are there any black spots in the jar? This can be a sign of mold.
  5. Do the pickles have an unpleasant smell? If you smell something funny or unpleasant, toss it away. Pickles can smell sharp, but because of the substance it is in, that should be okay.
  6. How is the taste? Does it taste odd? Get rid of it.

Enjoy your Pickles!