How Long Does Olives (Jarred) Last?

Once opened, a jar of olives can hold up anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months depending heavily on the specific product, largely because olives are packed in a wider range of liquids — traditional brine, but also oil, sometimes combined with herbs or garlic that introduce their own variables.

Oil-packed olives lack brine's acidic protection, since oil doesn't create the same inhospitable environment for bacteria that a vinegar or salt brine does — an oil-packed jar generally warrants the more cautious, shorter end of that 2-week-to-2-month range rather than assuming it behaves like a traditional brine-packed jar.

Mold, an off smell distinctly beyond the jar's normal briny or oily aroma, and brine cloudiness beyond what's typical for that specific product are the signs to watch for — because different olive and brine styles vary quite a bit in normal appearance and color, comparing against how a specific product usually looks and smells when fresh is more useful than a single universal spoilage checklist. A jar that's been opened and is nearing the end of its 2-week-to-2-month window but still smells and tastes normal is generally fine to keep using a bit longer, since that range is a cautious quality estimate rather than a strict safety cutoff for a well-preserved, brine- or oil-packed product. Olives purchased loose from a deli counter or olive bar, already scooped and handled more than a factory-sealed jar, should be treated with a shorter, more cautious window than the 2-week-to-2-month range that applies to an unopened commercial jar opened at home.

See Olives (Jarred)'s full storage & shelf-life guide (with spoilage signs) →