How Long Do Olives Last In The Fridge?
Olives that are stored in the refrigerator will last for about 1-2 months. It is important to store olives in the refrigerator to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria that can cause foodborne illness. To store olives, place them in an airtight container or jar and cover them with olive oil or vinegar. Make sure to discard any olives that have an off smell or taste, as they may have gone bad.
| Types | Shelf Life |
| Fridge | 3-5 days |
| Freezer | 12-18 months |
| Room Temp | 6 months |
| Pantry | 2 years |
If your package is free from any liquids (that is, olives are not submerged in vinegar, brine, or oil), the olives will retain quality for about 3 to 5 days after they are opened. Once opened, olives must be refrigerated, and provided that they are still covered in a jar of liquid or brine, they should remain good for up to three weeks. Olives stored in brine can last for up to eighteen months in the refrigerator, provided they are kept refrigerated consistently. In fact, olives stored in their brine state can stay outside of the refrigerator up to six months, provided they are not exposed to extreme heat.
Dried olives may only last for a couple days, whereas olives packed with a little bit of liquid may last for up to 12 months. To prolong olives, and with some work, olives, whether packed in oil or brine, can last for six months when frozen.
You can freeze fresh olives in a sealed container, or, to enhance their texture after freezing, you can brine them ahead of time. If they are coming in a can, you can cover the can and store in the refrigerator, or you can transfer olives and brine to a food-storage container and store it. Olives purchased in the canned jar need to be transferred to a food storage container with the brine and stored in the fridge.
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Never store opened cans in the fridge, put the olives and olive juices into a sealed can or plastic container before placing in the refrigerator. If your olives are coming from an open can, wrap the olives with plastic wrap or move them to a sealed plastic container.
Remember to look for any signs of oxidation, leakage, or dents on your jar/can, as this means that your preservation was not correct, which will ruin the olives. To summarize, look for any damaged signs of the jar/can (for unopened olives) and any visual deterioration, like mold, white fuzz, or strange flavors, before eating.
If olives are still in an unopened jar/can, you may want to take this step even before bringing it home from the grocery store. If you are not planning on using olives from a can right after you open them, you are better off moving their contents into a mason jar. You will want to put your opened olives into a sealed container to better preserve them once the metal can is opened. Once you have opened olives in the brine, you need to put a container, be it a bottle or can, in your refrigerator.
Do not discard the brine, because it might need it again if you are going to return leftover olives to jars to store. Now, unless you are opening the olives from your brined jars for some reason, you will be able to store them for quite some time in your pantry. The olives need to be covered with brine, so do not throw out this liquid from your jars until after you are done with them. If olives that you take home are covered in a liquid brine, they will remain fresh for 12-18 months after opening, provided that you keep them stored correctly.
You can help olives keep fresh for longer by keeping them unopened in the pantry, where the temperature is always below 75 degrees F. While canned or jarred olives can safely sit outside even up to six months, even once opened, things are slightly different when it comes to fresh olives. While fresh olives also can safely sit outside without refrigeration for a couple hours, in general, you will want to keep them refrigerated.
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Since canned or jarred olives, specifically because of their packaging, need no refrigeration, leaving them out at room temperature cannot cause harm. If the olives are still in a sealed jar/can, you may leave them at room temperature without concern, but do keep in mind that avoid direct sunlight or heat, so keeping them in a closed cupboard is best. Just know, if for whatever reason your jars cannot seal anymore, you can always transfer the olives into another sealed container (these are my favorites). Foods in butter are not as good when they are in the room temperature, so you are best off keeping a jar or container of olives in butter in the refrigerator, open or not.
It is reasonable to think olives in oil will remain good for eating, at least through their best-by date, and then for a couple of weeks beyond, too, as long as they were stored according to guidelines. If not, then it is safe to assume that the olives packed in brine should remain good for at least 3 weeks once opened. This means that canned or jarred olives should last for six months, even at room temperature; however, fresh olives do not even last for more than a couple hours when left outside. While there is some variation between manufacturers recommendations, typically, an opened and then refrigerated jar or can of olives should be good for around three weeks.
Unlike many fresh vegetables, opened jars of olives stored in glass or vacuum-sealed containers can sit out at room temperature for up to six months at a time, provided that they are kept out of the sun and kept in their brine. Provided the room does not rise above 75 degrees F., olives stored in a sealed container with their brine can keep at room temperature for up to six months.
Dry-cure olives can be stored for around two years without opening, but they may last just five days once the package is opened. Liquid-free olive packages, such as the ones you get from a salad bar, can last just three to five days if stored correctly; dried olives should never be left outside for more than four hours, and they need to be stored in a refrigerator at all times.
How do I know if my olives are spoiled?
There should be no reason to eat an olive if it emits a funky odor or if it smells rancid. As a second consideration, you should take into account the appearance. In the case where olives are in brine and there is a layer of white mold on top of them, Mezzetta recommends removing it and continuing to eat them.
How long can an open can of olives stay in the fridge?
If you store the cans of olives in a cool, dry place, you should be able to store them for up to a year. The olives can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for one to two weeks once you have opened the can. When the can is opened, the olives need to be completely submerged in their own liquid. The refrigerator will keep olives steeped in oil for several months if they are bought in bulk.
How long do deli olives last in fridge?
You must refrigerate the olives for up to three weeks after you’ve opened them, as long as they remain covered with the liquid in the jar or brine. Olives purchased at your local supermarket’s deli counter should be kept in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.