Okay, so I bought this huge (5-pint) jar of dill pickles and, of course, there’s not enough room for it in my refrigerator. The jar says REFRIGERATE AFTER OPENING –in all caps, so you know they’re serious, but in typical rebel fashion, I questioned why.
As I do with all my important questions, I googled it. Using the search phrase “do pickles have to be refrigerated” and I got “about” 1,790,000 hits! No, I didn’t check them all; the first one was good enough for me. As a bonus, I found out, I’m not the only one who doesn’t refrigerate ketchup, mustard, and jam. If you’re interested, I store my butter at room temperature too, one stick at a time. (And I’ve yet to sicken anyone with my daring ways.)
It’s amazing what you can find on the internet. I can’t imagine doing writing research without it. In my last novel, I needed help with some Farsi phrases and lo and behold, there are forums for that sort of thing.
Just because I try to tie all my posts into writing: I pondered penning a perky pickle poem, but pity prevailed.
On another note: I’m trying something new in the comments section. Because I think it’s only polite to respond to every comment, my reply count is always artificially inflated. Though it’s nice for my morale to delude myself that 38 people had something to add to a post, in truth that would be 19 besides me. And sometimes those are really only 10 people because some return to add a second comment. So … as a test, I will reply to you, in bold, within your comment. If you have chosen to be notified of a reply, I don’t know if you’ll receive that notice. Let me know, will you? Otherwise, just assume that I’ve responded and come back later to see.
I wish you a lovely, productive weekend.
[tweetmeme source=”cassidylewis” only_single=false]
Linda Cassidy Lewis 
I’ve thought about modifying readers’ comments to reply but worried that would confuse new readers.
I figure the main purpose of the comments count is to tell a reader how many comments they’d go through to read them all. For unfamiliar blogs, I’ll do a quick calculation on how much time I’d spent reading all the comments, if more than a few, to decide whether or not I want to skim.
Everyone seems to have a different opinion about how to use a blog, though.
Is the manufacturer notice to refrigerate pickles really for people in warm, moldy climates?
Ann, sometimes when I see there are something like 47 comments, I don’t click to read them because I know I don’t have that much time. But most of my replies to the comments on my blog are fairly brief, so I hate for them to be counted as comments and put someone off clicking over to the comment section.
I suspect the refrigeration warning is there mostly to protect the manufacturer. Pickling itself being a method of preservation, it seems overkill to refrigerate.
LikeLike
BUT LINDA, how will your pickle be as cool as a cucumber if it’s at room temperature?
I admit to not refridgerating my mustard, but jam? Lord Have Mercy. I must have cold jam.
My dad even refridgerates his peanut butter. He’d give you a detailed sermon on why, but I wouldn’t recommend ever asking. I don’t like hard peanut butter and will hold my ears to reasons why it should be “ice boxed”.
Tricia, I don’t mind my pickles at room temp and I hate nice warm toast or biscuits with cold jam. Your dad probably buys the natural peanut butter … though I’m not sure if it REALLY needs refrigeration or that’s just the manufacturer’s legal disclaimer. I suppose refrigeration slows rancidity of the oil, but if you finish the jar in less than a month, I doubt that’s a problem anyway.
LikeLike
So you didn’t tell us the answer….do you have to refrigerate pickles??? I don’t refrigerate butter, but all those other things you mentioned I do. But man, if I could clear up some prime real estate in the fridge I think I would move some of those things to the pantry.
I think it’s polite to respond to all comments as well and I used to be so much better about it, but time constraints have gotten the best of me and I think it’s more polite to leave return comments on commenters blogs (does that make sense?). So when I can, I respond, when I can’t, I make sure to visit blogs. I hope I’m being polite enough with my system. ?? Maybe I’m not….
Kasie, I’m no expert, so I’m not making a legally binding statement here. I will only say that the consumer consensus is no, you do not need to refrigerate. Now, if it might take several months for you to use up those pickles (or whatever), you’re probably safer refrigerating. Vinegar and salt are preservatives. Sugar less so, in my opinion, but in your family, you would probably finish off jars of jam before they had a chance to spoil.
LikeLike
That pickle jar cracks me up. My friends husband is from Lebanon and he leaves pickles in the cupboard. They mold there, but he eats them anyway. True story.
Restaurants never refrigerate mustard and ketchup (and least not the ones I’ve worked at!). And I leave the butter out, too. I love butter that spreads!
LINDA: Egads! How long do they take to mold?
Never worked in a restaurant, but I know I’ve never been served cold ketchup or mustard, which I would hate. And real butter is a gift from the gods as far as I’m concerned and should always be served at room temp! A ceramic butter dish keeps it cool enough … though I confess, we do use it daily.
LikeLike
The butter would frighten me, though the idea of room temperature, spreadable butter is divine and oh-s0-tempting. Pickling is how pioneers preserved almost anything they could fit into a jar, so it’s no surprise to me that this isn’t something you have to do. Vlasic recommends it because that’s the method to their “snap” and “crunch”.
I’ve not been able to convince my wife of the restaurant ketchup/mustard thing. We still store ours in the fridge.
LINDA: So, you set out the butter an hour before mealtime to soften? I don’t have one now, but I used to have a butter dish with a well around it that you fill with water; it keeps the butter cooler than in a regular butter dish, but still softer than refrigerated. Maybe DarcNess would go for that.
And yes, room temp pickles do loose some of their crunch, but if you must, you can always refrigerate they for a little while before eating.
LikeLike