Found a jar of pickles in my cabinet from 2019 and it shook up my whole outlook on expiration dates

I was cleaning out the pantry last weekend and found a jar of pickles with a best by date of March 2019. I figured they'd be nasty but I opened them up and they smelled totally fine, still had that vinegar kick. Then I heard a food safety guy on a podcast say that pickles basically last forever if the seal holds because of the brine pH. So now I'm wondering if I've been tossing perfectly good food for years over imaginary deadlines. Has anyone else tried eating something way past its date and been surprised?

2 comments

2 Comments

kai4631mo ago

The "best by date of March 2019" part hit home for me cause I did the same exact thing with a jar of pickles from 2020 during covid. I was scared to try them but my buddy dared me and they were totally fine. That brine is basically magic. I've been way more relaxed about canned stuff and pickles ever since. I think people get way too scared by those dates. If it looks good and smells good it probably is good, especially with anything pickled or fermented.

christopher_craig1mo ago

My buddy Rob pulled this same move with a jar of salsa verde from 2018 last summer. He found it way back in his pantry and figured it was trash but I told him to crack it open anyway. His face when he tasted it was priceless cause it was still perfectly good. The only thing that happened was the color got a little darker but the taste was totally fine. He's been way more chill about expired stuff ever since too. People really don't understand how much of a safety net vinegar and salt are for preserving food.