How To Tell If Jarred Olives Have Gone Bad

What is more exciting than the pop of the lid on a jar of olives right before the briny scent hits your nose? That's when you know you're about to do snack time and do it right. If you're an olive lover, our guide to everything you need to know about olives will help you understand more about these briny, little gems, but despite their long shelf life, even jarred olives go off. In addition to checking the sell-by date, let us break down the other ways that will let you know if your jarred olives are still edible.

Before you even open the jar, take a look at the contents. If you see some white bits floating inside the jar, do not be alarmed, this is not always an indicator that something is amiss. Instead, open up the jar and check the smell — the olives should have a pleasantly neutral and slightly salty aroma, but if they smell rancid then it's time to throw that jar out. Similarly, the texture of the brine matters, so if there's fizzing or bubbling when you open the jar you should definitely get rid of it without question. And then there are the olives themselves: They should be plump, firm, and uniform in color — if an olive is discolored or falls apart when you pick it up, don't eat it. 

Keeping your olives fresh is not a complicated affair. As long as they are in a brine, they should last up to two years. Interestingly, the brine isn't only there for flavor — it's what keeps bacteria out. So if your olives start poking above the surface, simply top up the jar with a mix of water and a little salt to keep them covered again. 

Once you have opened a jar of olives, the clock has begun — keep them in the fridge and consume within three weeks, maximum. They have a long lifespan before being opened, but not afterward. However, if you bought them from a deli counter and not in a jar, then you need to eat them even sooner since these olives are kept with less preservatives and are exposed to air. And remember to fish your olives out of the jar with a clean spoon (not your fingers!) to reduce introducing more bacteria into the brine. The brine itself can even be repurposed into dressings, marinades, or even cocktails — you're going to want to try olive brine to give your bloody Mary a tangy kick – so check out more creative ways to use leftover olive brine for low-waste and high-flavor ideas.