# How long will these pickles last? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 9, 2009, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-these-pickles-last/502440 "2009-07-09T11:33:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-these-pickles-last/502440/1 "2009-07-09T11:33:42Z")
I received some “home-pickled” pickles from my neighbor at Christmas. I opened them about a month ago. I want to make rouladin for them (for the neighbors, since they’ve never heard of it). I know store-bought pickles last a long time. But with home-made, will they still be ok? The pickles will be cooked in this dish, if that makes a difference. I don’t want to take these people out (there’s already a high chance that my cooking alone will do that ;)). Anyone with pickle experience out there? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-these-pickles-last/502440/2 "2009-07-09T12:37:12Z")
Anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-these-pickles-last/502440/3 "2009-07-09T13:16:57Z")
There are a lot of different pickle recipes, however most include enough vinegar to prevent the growth of unwanted bacteria. The real old fashioned ones are fermented, then kept in a brine of vinegar and 10% sodium chloride. Unless your neighbor followed some wierd, unsafe recipe, your pickles should be fine. ---
**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:** [July 9, 2009, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-these-pickles-last/502440/4 "2009-07-09T13:42:13Z")
Anecdote: I bought pickled kelp in Alaska many years ago. Misplaced the jar, then found it 8 years later. It was delicious!! ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-these-pickles-last/502440/5 "2009-07-09T14:25:55Z")
Have you been keeping them refrigerated, at least since opening the jar? That will help a lot. My WAG is that if they were properly pickled - which wasn’t up to you - and you’ve kept them in the fridge since you opened them last month, they should be fine. My partner makes homemade pickles sometimes, and they seem to keep pretty well. Do you have any \*reason \*to suspect anything? Like, has the color of the brine changed, or has it gone from clear to cloudy? Any funny smells? Foam on the surface of the brine? ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-these-pickles-last/502440/6 "2009-07-09T14:27:28Z")
Depends on the pickles. If they smell like vinegar and/or they are very sweet then they should be OK, assuming they’ve been in the fridge after opening. I make sweet pickles (vinegar and sugar in there) and would think nothing of using a 2 year old jar as long as it is sealed when I open it. Then I wouldn’t mind leaving the jar in the fridge for a year or more. The only way to be sure is for your friend to send me a jar for testing 🙂 The whole pickling thing is about making whatever it is nonperishable. But cooked pickles? New territory for me. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-these-pickles-last/502440/7 "2009-07-09T15:22:46Z")
Yep, what they said. Look for clouding or sediment that wasn’t there when you opened it, as well as a change in smell or color. Those would be signs of bacterial growth. They’d also be very unlikely in properly prepared pickles after 6 months open in a refrigerated environment. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-these-pickles-last/502440/8 "2009-07-09T15:28:42Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Have you been keeping them refrigerated, at least since opening the jar? That will help a lot. My WAG is that if they were properly pickled - which wasn’t up to you - and you’ve kept them in the fridge since you opened them last month, they should be fine. My partner makes homemade pickles sometimes, and they seem to keep pretty well. > > Do you have any \*reason \*to suspect anything? Like, has the color of the brine changed, or has it gone from clear to cloudy? Any funny smells? Foam on the surface of the brine? Nothing suspicious. I’ve just never had home-pickled pickles before. I don’t want to kill the whole fam damily. I love those triplets!!! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-these-pickles-last/502440/9 "2009-07-09T15:29:09Z")
I just came in to say I LOVES me some rouladin, and in our house the dish has been lovingly dubbed “hide the pickle.” ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-these-pickles-last/502440/10 "2009-07-09T15:30:40Z")
Eat one now and see what happens? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-these-pickles-last/502440/11 "2009-07-09T15:33:31Z")
> [@shiftless](#): > > Depends on the pickles. If they smell like vinegar and/or they are very sweet then they should be OK, assuming they’ve been in the fridge after opening. I make sweet pickles (vinegar and sugar in there) and would think nothing of using a 2 year old jar as long as it is sealed when I open it. Then I wouldn’t mind leaving the jar in the fridge for a year or more. The only way to be sure is for your friend to send me a jar for testing 🙂 > > The whole pickling thing is about making whatever it is nonperishable. > > But cooked pickles? New territory for me. Yeah, it’s a German thing I picked up from the MIL. 1. hammer pieces of round steak until pretty flat and thin 2. Roll up bacon, onion and pickle in the round steak (I usually skip the bacon). secure with toothpicks. 3. Brown each piece in a little oil 4. Toss 'em in a pot of tomato sauce and Kitchen Bouquet (to taste). 5. Cook the bejeezus out of 'em. Coupla two or three hours ought to do it. 6. Serve with broad egg noodles. They’re awesome!! ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-these-pickles-last/502440/12 "2009-07-09T16:19:55Z")
I’m pretty open to new and different foods… but that just makes me start dry-heaving to even think about. Isn’t cooking a pickle for three hours the culinary equivalent of adding vinegar to mucus? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-these-pickles-last/502440/13 "2009-07-09T16:38:56Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > I’m pretty open to new and different foods… but that just makes me start dry-heaving to even think about. Isn’t cooking a pickle for three hours the culinary equivalent of adding vinegar to mucus? As German cooking goes, it’s pretty mainstream. It’s as common as meatloaf in the US, or so I’m told. I thought it sounded weird, too, but it’s actually very good. ---
**Author:** ![FalconFinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@FalconFinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FalconFinder)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-these-pickles-last/502440/14 "2009-07-09T18:36:42Z")
My mom used to make homemade dill pickles when I was a kid and they lasted for a looooong time. We did eat them pretty fast as they were freaking _delicious_, but I’m sure we had some sitting around in our basement, unrefrigerated, for a year. As long as the seal hasn’t been broken, or, as someone earlier mentioned, there is no cloudiness or weird smells, they should be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-these-pickles-last/502440/15 "2009-07-09T19:01:59Z")
> [@FalconFinder](#): > > My mom used to make homemade dill pickles when I was a kid and they lasted for a looooong time. We did eat them pretty fast as they were freaking _delicious_, but I’m sure we had some sitting around in our basement, unrefrigerated, for a year. > > As long as the seal hasn’t been broken, or, as someone earlier mentioned, there is no cloudiness or weird smells, they should be fine. Yeah, I’m cool with the unopened, but I opened the jar a month or so ago, which is why I’m concerned about the life span once the seal is broken. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-these-pickles-last/502440/16 "2009-07-09T19:16:38Z")
There’s a German restaurant here that makes AMAZING rouladen. I’ve never even thought about doing it myself - I guess I should try it. Anybody have a good recipe for homemade spaetzle? ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-these-pickles-last/502440/17 "2009-07-09T19:21:19Z")
[Alton Brown says home made pickles should last two months in the refrigerator.](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/dill-pickles-recipe/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-these-pickles-last/502440/18 "2009-07-09T20:33:29Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > There’s a German restaurant here that makes AMAZING rouladen. I’ve never even thought about doing it myself - I guess I should try it. Anybody have a good recipe for homemade spaetzle? I have made spetzle at home a few times. I wouldn’t call it authentic, although I think it is, but it is a lot of trouble for what amounts to a simple dumpling. Make a thin dough - flour, water, egg(?) - drop it in small globs into boiling water. Spoon out and drain the globs when they float, then cook the little spetzles in butter. I can give an actual recipe when I get home if you like. I never make it anymore because it’s too much trouble. Best left to resaurants. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-these-pickles-last/502440/19 "2009-07-09T20:51:07Z")
> [@Shark\_Sandwich](#): > > lovingly dubbed “hide the pickle.” Nice double entendre there! ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-these-pickles-last/502440/20 "2009-07-09T21:04:37Z")
Site called [stilltasty.com](http://stilltasty.com) says commercial pickles are good for one year in the refrigerator if opened and two years on the shelf in unopened. If I recall from my youth on the farm the only problem with old pickles was that they would get soft and no one liked soft pickles. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-these-pickles-last/502440.md?page=2)