When a customer asks us how long a jar lasts once it's open, we normally say ten to fifteen minutes. In our house, that's about right.
The real answer is a bit longer, and it depends on what's in the jar.
The short answer: unopened, a heat-processed jar of pickles lasts about 12 months in the pantry. Once opened, keep it in the fridge with the pickles under the brine. Our labels say to eat it within 4 weeks of opening. Kept cold and covered, vinegar pickles will usually hold up for months, but they slowly soften over time.
| Unopened | Once opened | |
|---|---|---|
| Vinegar pickles (heat processed) | Pantry, 12 months | Fridge. Label says 4 weeks |
| Spiced red cabbage | Fridge, always | Fridge, always |
| Raw ferments (kimchi, kraut) | Fridge below 5°C, always | Fridge below 5°C, always |
Do pickles need to be refrigerated?
Unopened, most don't. Our vinegar pickles are heat processed, so a sealed jar is shelf stable and happy in the pantry. Once you open it, it goes in the fridge.
There are two exceptions in our range. The spiced red cabbage is our only refrigerator pickle, so it lives in the fridge from the moment you buy it. Our raw ferments, the kimchi and kraut, stay below 5°C at all times, opened or not.
How long do pickles last once opened?
Our labels say to eat them within 4 weeks of opening, and that's the safe, official line.
In practice, vinegar does a lot of the work. As long as the pickles stay below the brine line and the jar stays cold, they'll keep for months. What changes is the texture: after six to nine months open, ours start to go softer. Still pickles, just less crunch.
How long do unopened pickles last?
Twelve months from when we make them. Check the date on the jar. Keep sealed jars somewhere cool and out of the sun.
How to make an open jar last
- Keep them under the brine. Anything poking out above the liquid is exposed to air, and that's where trouble starts. Push them down.
- Use a clean fork. Fingers and used cutlery bring bacteria into the jar.
- Don't top up with water. It dilutes the acid that's keeping them good.
- Put it straight back in the fridge. Don't leave it on the bench through dinner.
Keeping ferments happy
Raw ferments like kimchi and sauerkraut are alive, and they don't like oxygen. Every time you take some out, push the rest down until the brine covers it. As the jar empties, decant into a smaller jar so there's less air sitting on top.
Ferments also keep slowly fermenting in the fridge, so they get more sour as they age. That's normal, and plenty of people like them better that way.
How do you know if pickles have gone off?
Throw the jar out if you see mould, if it smells wrong, if the pickles have gone slimy, or if a vinegar pickle's lid has domed up. A bit of fizz is normal in a raw ferment. It isn't normal in a vinegar pickle. If in doubt, throw it out.
The real answer
Ten to fifteen minutes, if you've got a fork and nobody's watching. Find your next jar online, at our Melbourne farmers markets, or at one of 400+ shops across Australia.