# Pickled jalapeños left out of fridge... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 24, 2019, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickled-jalapenos-left-out-of-fridge/842256 "2019-10-24T21:32:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickled-jalapenos-left-out-of-fridge/842256/1 "2019-10-24T21:32:05Z")
Left them open and out of the fridge for 2 days…vinegar should have kept them OK to eat, right? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickled-jalapenos-left-out-of-fridge/842256/2 "2019-10-24T21:41:34Z")
Two days? I don’t see an issue. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickled-jalapenos-left-out-of-fridge/842256/3 "2019-10-24T21:43:10Z")
You should be fine. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickled-jalapenos-left-out-of-fridge/842256/4 "2019-10-24T21:50:53Z")
excellent user/post combo… I concur you’ll likely be OK. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickled-jalapenos-left-out-of-fridge/842256/5 "2019-10-24T21:51:35Z")
I’m always amused by the fact that Trader Joe’s brand pickles say “no preservatives” on the label. Uhhh, then what do you call all that vinegar and salt? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickled-jalapenos-left-out-of-fridge/842256/6 "2019-10-24T22:12:08Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > I’m always amused by the fact that Trader Joe’s brand pickles say “no preservatives” on the label. Uhhh, then what do you call all that vinegar and salt? Yeah, but there’s probably chemicals in there! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickled-jalapenos-left-out-of-fridge/842256/7 "2019-10-24T22:45:34Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Yeah, but there’s probably chemicals in there! Acetic acid and sodium chloride! Run for the hills! ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickled-jalapenos-left-out-of-fridge/842256/8 "2019-10-24T23:12:07Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Acetic acid and sodium chloride! Run for the hills! All mixed in a stew of diHydrogenMonoxide! ---
**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 24, 2019, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickled-jalapenos-left-out-of-fridge/842256/9 "2019-10-24T23:31:39Z")
They were still in the jar, right? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickled-jalapenos-left-out-of-fridge/842256/10 "2019-10-25T00:54:20Z")
No…spread out all over the counter. Good thing the cats didn’t get at them. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickled-jalapenos-left-out-of-fridge/842256/11 "2019-10-25T01:08:49Z")
THROW THEM AWAY!! Nah! Just kidding. They’re fine.😉 ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickled-jalapenos-left-out-of-fridge/842256/12 "2019-10-25T04:12:11Z")
Pickling, salting, and drying foods, are for people without refrigerators or appetites. If hungry enough, you’ll eat ANYTHING, including your left foot, without mustard. Pickled peppers out for a few days? Piffle. I’ve eaten Fresnos that walked up to me on the back porch and said bad things about my family. Feisty li’l critters! ---
**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 25, 2019, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickled-jalapenos-left-out-of-fridge/842256/13 "2019-10-25T04:20:29Z")
> [@RioRico](#): > > If hungry enough, you’ll eat ANYTHING, including your left foot, without mustard. Sure, but not if it had ketchup on it. I’d starve first. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickled-jalapenos-left-out-of-fridge/842256/14 "2019-10-25T04:59:25Z")
**Sicks Ate** , I realize the sight of food outside the fridge unnerved you, but think about it: what was first, the refrigerator or preservation methods such as pickling, salting, drying, smoking or canning? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickled-jalapenos-left-out-of-fridge/842256/15 "2019-10-25T05:09:37Z")
I’d be more concerned about them being open than out of the fridge. I’d look to see if anything got in them. You can full on store pickled items outside the fridge, but you need to keep the lid on them. That is, assuming they are properly pickled, and not like “refrigerator pickled” where the pickling is lighter due to being able to keep them in the fridge. But I’ve not really heard of lightly pickled jalapenos being sold. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickled-jalapenos-left-out-of-fridge/842256/16 "2019-10-25T16:07:46Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > **Sicks Ate** , I realize the sight of food outside the fridge unnerved you, but think about it: what was first, the refrigerator or preservation methods such as pickling, salting, drying, smoking or canning? Well that was my thought… I figured they’d be ok. And I’m still alive this morning! This thread got hilarious real quick 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickled-jalapenos-left-out-of-fridge/842256/17 "2019-10-25T17:41:25Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > That is, assuming they are properly pickled, and not like “refrigerator pickled” where the pickling is lighter due to being able to keep them in the fridge. This is the potential problem. Some manufacturers have been “pickling” just enough to create the flavor without having the concentrations needed to prevent spoilage. It’s probably fine, but you’ll have to use your own senses to decide. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickled-jalapenos-left-out-of-fridge/842256/18 "2019-10-25T19:00:37Z")
> [@RioRico](#): > > I’ve eaten Fresnos that walked up to me on the back porch and said bad things about my family. Feisty li’l critters! What is a Fresno? Is it tasty? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickled-jalapenos-left-out-of-fridge/842256/19 "2019-10-25T19:12:54Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > What is a Fresno? Is it tasty? I know it as a type of chile pepper. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickled-jalapenos-left-out-of-fridge/842256/20 "2019-10-25T19:18:18Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > What is a Fresno? Is it tasty? A type of pepper, similar in heat to a serrano. I think they’re tasty and I like to grow them in my garden. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pickled-jalapenos-left-out-of-fridge/842256.md?page=2)