Should an Opened Jar of Pickles Go in the Fridge or the Pantry?

Once a jar of pickles has been opened, it should always go in the fridge; while a sealed jar can sit fine at room temperature, pickles exposed to air after opening soften and turn cloudy much faster if they are not kept cold. What is the difference between an open and a sealed jar?A sealed jar of pickles has gone through heat processing and vacuum-sealing in production, so it can sit in a pantry for months, even years, without spoiling. The moment the jar is opened, that vacuum breaks, air gets in, and the microorganisms in the brine can become active again; at room temperature that activity moves much faster than it would in the fridge. Homemade pickles are a bit different, since they are already made through a live fermentation process and some microbial activity continues even while the jar is sealed, but it is a controlled process. Once opened, new bacteria from outside can throw off that balance, which makes the rule about refrigerating homemade pickles even more important than for store-bought ones. How should an open jar be stored in the fridge?The jar should be sealed tightly, and the pickles should always stay submerged under their own brine; pieces that poke above the liquid come into direct contact with air, discolor first and then soften and spoil. If the vegetables float above the brine, placing a clean plate or a weight on top keeps them submerged. A clean, dry fork or spoon should be used to take pickles out of the jar; using one that has touched your mouth or another dish can carry foreign bacteria into the jar and speed up spoiling. An opened jar of pickles should generally be used within one to two months in the fridge, which usually matches the "once opened" note printed on store-bought jars. Is storing it in a pantry ever an option? Leaving an opened jar of pickles in the pantry for a short while, a few hours during a meal, for example, does not carry much risk, but for overnight or multi-day storage a pantry can never substitute for the fridge. This risk goes up in a warm kitchen or during summer, so it is worth making it a habit to return an opened jar of pickles to the fridge. Can the pickle brine be reused? The brine left in a jar once the pickles are gone can be reused once to flavor freshly cut vegetables; keep them in the refrigerator and eat them within several days, as you would a fresh salad. Because used brine has weaker salt and acid levels that are no longer known, clear liquid and a normal smell are not signs of safety; do not use it to ferment new pickles at room temperature or to make pickles for long storage. Does the timing differ by type of pickle? Crisp pickles like cucumber and pepper tend to start softening a little sooner after opening than cabbage pickles do, so crisp ones are worth checking more often. This process moves more slowly in vinegar-based pickles than in salt-brined ones, since the acidic environment of vinegar delays spoilage.