Basic Question

[attimes_bracing]

Bought a large jar of black olives and used half of them.  Why then, a week after using half, did I go to the jar and find a few mouldy clouds which made me recoil and lob jar into the bin.  The vinegar was more than covering the olives, I did not drain them.

Is it possible I contaminated the liquid?  Or should I have stuck to olives under oil instead?  I do remember thinking the large jar was quite cheap.

Comments

[gummitch.livejournal.com]

If they weren't under olive oil, I'd have refrigerated them. Sometimes the vinegar used to 'pickle' things is just a flavouring, not really sufficient to properly preserve them.

[attimes-bracing.livejournal.com]

They were under vinegar - but slightly insipid

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Yep, fridge.
Oh the other hand, olives, blech...

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

You misspelt 'nom'. For some reason, on encountering olives, bellinghwoman does too.

Oh well, more for those with taste.

I would certainly have put them in the fridge for much the same reason. But perhaps they were in the fridge.

[attimes-bracing.livejournal.com]

they weren't in the fridge

[alexmc.livejournal.com]

Was it vinegar, or salt water?

Anna and I use a lot of olives and I find that their storage fluid goes mouldy far too quickly - even when refrigerated.

Sometimes if it is brine I add salt...

It probably isn't you - I generally try to use them all up nowadays rather than keep them... :-(

[attimes-bracing.livejournal.com]

Salty water I'm thinking... And I didn't lob them into the fridge - lesson point for next time.