Quick answer
Follow your pickle-relish label, including its after-opening refrigeration directions. Mt. Olive recommends refrigerating its products after opening to preserve flavor and freshness. There is no universal opened-relish countdown established here: FoodKeeper's nine-month refrigerator figure is from purchase, not after opening. Mt. Olive FAQ and FoodKeeper
Which clock does the table mean?
| State or reference | What it actually establishes |
|---|---|
| Unopened commercial shelf-stable relish | Follow the package's date and storage directions. |
| FoodKeeper pantry reference | 30 months from purchase for quality, not 30 months after opening or after Best By. |
| FoodKeeper refrigerator reference | Nine months from purchase; the after-opening field is empty. |
| Opened Mt. Olive products | Refrigeration recommended for flavor and freshness; check the exact label for any opened period. |
The purchase-based figures come from the general relish entry. They are quality references, not evidence that every formulation is shelf-stable or that an opened jar keeps for nine months. A missing after-opening number is uncertainty, not zero days or indefinite safety. FoodKeeper data
Read the product name before choosing advice
Commercial sweet or dill pickle relish is different from a fresh chopped topping, homemade relish or a chutney. A salad containing relish is a finished food with its own perishable ingredients. Do not carry the condiment's cupboard history into potato salad as an extra storage allowance.
A home-canned jar also needs the directions for the exact tested preservation recipe. This article does not validate canning, adding fresh vegetables to used brine or leaving every relish formulation unrefrigerated.
Make the label useful after opening
Mark the first opening date and keep the printed date visible. If you transfer the relish, retain the product name and directions. These simple records prevent an old refrigerator jar from acquiring a guessed age at the next barbecue.
Use a clean spoon, remove the portion needed for the meal and put the rest away according to the label. Avoid combining an older jar with a new one: it hides the earlier food's history and creates no new storage period. Mt. Olive recommends refrigeration to help preserve freshness. Mt. Olive
If the package requires refrigeration, follow that requirement even though the unopened jar stood on a supermarket shelf. The relevant state has changed. FDA storage directions
FAQs
Does sweet relish keep as long as dill relish?
This guide establishes no identical period. Sugar, acid, processing and packaging can differ. Use the exact product's date and after-opening instructions.
Is nine months a safe period after opening?
Not what the inspected FoodKeeper field says. Its nine months is measured from purchase. Relabeling it “after opening” would create guidance the source does not provide.
What if the jar looks or smells unusual?
Discard moldy or suspicious food and reject a leaking or compromised package. Do not taste it to settle uncertainty. Normal smell and appearance cannot establish that storage directions were followed. If required refrigeration or the product's history is unknown, this article cannot reconstruct it from sourness.
Sources
Sources and draft evidence reviewed October 31, 2026. Manufacturer advice applies to the named product; follow stricter local guidance and your package. How we research our guides.