# Are Claussen brand pickles ok if left unrefrigerated overnight? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [October 31, 2020, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-claussen-brand-pickles-ok-if-left-unrefrigerated-overnight/924405 "2020-10-31T14:01:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-claussen-brand-pickles-ok-if-left-unrefrigerated-overnight/924405/1 "2020-10-31T14:01:46Z")
I bought some groceries yesterday and my wife helpfully put them away for me. Except she put a jar of “always keep refrigerated” Claussen pickles in the cupboard, which I discovered this morning. Doing some googling, answers on whether they’re still good or not are all over the map. Apparently there’s a style of fresh or “quick” pickle that does indeed need to stay refrigerated. But some say that Claussen pickles are normal fermented pickles and the “keep refrigerated” thing is just marketing. This is a never opened, sealed jar. The pickles are in a salty vinegar brine so I can’t imagine they could be in too bad shape. I’m thinking at the worst maybe they lose a bit of flavor or crispness. So am I in a pickle or not? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-claussen-brand-pickles-ok-if-left-unrefrigerated-overnight/924405/2 "2020-10-31T14:11:39Z")
As you are talking about half sour or fresh pickles. The refrigeration is to keep them fresh or half-sour, not for bacterial reasons. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-claussen-brand-pickles-ok-if-left-unrefrigerated-overnight/924405/3 "2020-10-31T14:24:39Z")
I don’t know for sure. It doesn’t seem to say exactly what they are on the label. They are Claussen brand kosher dill pickles, it says “always keep refrigerated” on the jar, and they are sold in a refrigerated section at the store. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-claussen-brand-pickles-ok-if-left-unrefrigerated-overnight/924405/4 "2020-10-31T14:47:28Z")
If something won’t stay fresh overnight unrefrigerated in a factory-sealed container, then I don’t know what it is, but it’s sure as heck not anything that could be called a “pickle”. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-claussen-brand-pickles-ok-if-left-unrefrigerated-overnight/924405/5 "2020-10-31T15:10:32Z")
I asked at the store about this very thing once. The dude that was stocking them in the refrigerator case said it was a marketing thing, the store played along, and the consumer should as well. He said they tasted better cold and consumption was quicker when kept refrigerated. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-claussen-brand-pickles-ok-if-left-unrefrigerated-overnight/924405/6 "2020-10-31T15:26:32Z")
Also they do stay fresh longer by being refrigerated. We use buy Fresh Pickles all the time at a local flea market. Learned they last longer when chilled. Otherwise you end up with underwhelming not fresh pickles a lot quicker. Call it 2 days vs. a week. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-claussen-brand-pickles-ok-if-left-unrefrigerated-overnight/924405/7 "2020-10-31T15:42:17Z")
They’re in a sealed jar, they’re fine. You won’t get sick from them. That’s the whole point of home canning which needs no refrigeration. Most likely the “Keep Refrigerated” label is there for legal purposes to cover the company. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-claussen-brand-pickles-ok-if-left-unrefrigerated-overnight/924405/8 "2020-10-31T15:47:19Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](#): > > … Most likely the “Keep Refrigerated” label is there for legal purposes to cover the company. No, not in this case. It is a freshness thing in this case. Fresh or Half-Sours that aren’t chilled turn mushy a lot quicker. Thus the keep chilled. A fresh pickle is crisp. It snaps. They’re all kinds of awesome and people who don’t like pickles like fresh pickles like my wife. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-claussen-brand-pickles-ok-if-left-unrefrigerated-overnight/924405/9 "2020-10-31T15:51:04Z")
Yeah, what you guys are saying in is pretty much what I figured. I didn’t think anything nasty could grow overnight in all that vinegar brine, at the worst they might lose a bit of flavor and crispness. I think they’ve had time to chill since this morning, so I think I’ll have one now. If you guys don’t hear from me again, I guess we were all wrong… ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-claussen-brand-pickles-ok-if-left-unrefrigerated-overnight/924405/10 "2020-10-31T16:10:44Z")
You’re really making too big a dill out of this. mmm ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-claussen-brand-pickles-ok-if-left-unrefrigerated-overnight/924405/11 "2020-10-31T16:12:43Z")
Yeah, the OP will be just brine. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-claussen-brand-pickles-ok-if-left-unrefrigerated-overnight/924405/12 "2020-10-31T16:43:20Z")
They won’t be significantly worse than they were before you left them out. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-claussen-brand-pickles-ok-if-left-unrefrigerated-overnight/924405/13 "2020-10-31T16:46:30Z")
Hey, stop gherkin me around, you guys. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2020, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-claussen-brand-pickles-ok-if-left-unrefrigerated-overnight/924405/14 "2020-10-31T19:38:45Z")
Wait a minute, Danger…