You will have to post the recipe here if you want answers about canning the pickles -- the answer depends on what is in them. You also might be able to add more vinegar and/or salt, up to recommended specs, and THEN can them.

As for how long they will keep in the fridge, I have always kept stuff until it obviously 'went bad', but I have recently learned on this forum that Listeria, a bacteria that is in/on everything natural, has no perceptible signs and if it grows to enthusiastically it can kill you, so it's wiser not to keep stuff real long.

You will get better answers in the morning when the more knowledgeable folks come online, but I thought I'd try to help at least a little :).

Worst case scenario, you could have everyone you know over for a potluck dinner this weekend and serve the pickles before they get older :).

Thanks, NilaJones. :-) I appreciate any advice and help!

Perhaps a good place to ask about this would be the 800-number customer service people at Mrs. Wages. My guess is that they'll caution you about canning (processing) these ... but they should be able to reassure you about the length of time these pickles will "stay good" in the refrigerator. If/when you get an answer directly from them, perhaps you can share that with everyone here. That might be informative and helpful for us, too.

I'm pleased to hear that you think these pickles turned out good. I haven't ever heard from anyone who had used the mix.

Kathy_in_washington, thats a good idea, thank you.
I do really like the pickles made from ms. Wages. I have also gotten great feedback from the two friends i gave jars to. They said they loved them :-)

If Mrs. Wages says 6 months, I would trust that, as long as your refrigerator temperature in the area where they're kept is sufficiently cold. Some fridges aren't or they have warmer areas.

I would not can these pickles, especially after being held some time, as cucumber juices have leached into the brine, weakening it to an unknown degree.

Carol

I would eat those pickles. Period.

(and absolutely in less than 6 months, more like 3-4 weeks; 4 qts ain't no amount of pickles)

I got food poisoning once from NONfermented raw green beans that were in the fridge too long, so I am extra-concerned about beany things :).

Re-read the Mrs. Wages packet. It says: "When properly processed and sealed, unopened refrigerator product can be stored up to 6 months and shelf stable product up to 18 months."

Were these processed? If so then why are they in the fridge and not on the shelf?

I've read differing facts about how long unopened refridgerator pickles are good for. I"ve seen "good for 2-3 weeks", I've seen "good for 6 weeks" and I've seen "good for six months" (ms. wages says six month). Which is it?

Also note this time frame refers to UNopened. Most all other storage instructions refer to OPENED jars, ie: "how long are they safe to store in the fridge after opening?" so that distinction may be creating your confusion about storage times. Opened jars have a much shorter storage time than unopened.

Dave

Dave, I cold packed the pickles, poured the hot (just to a boil) mrs wages mixture over the pickles, sealed and refridgerated.

'Processed' usually means canned in a boiling water bath (or pressure canner, but not for pickles). If you call the 800 number you could ask if that is what they meant.

And sorry about my bean non sequitur, above. Wrong thread!

Reminds me of the episode of Andy Griffith Show where they had to eat all those pickles. I'm sure yours are better than Aunt Bee's. :-)

awww thanks chrisb_sc_z7. I'm making up another 5-6 pints right now. Darn cucumber vines have never looked healthy yet they keep spitting out cukes at me! Anyways, I keep going back and forth on making processed ones for my pantry. My biggest fear is that they will be soggy pickles. :( I will probably chicken out and make yet more refridgerator pickles.

Dave, I cold packed the pickles, poured the hot (just to a boil) mrs wages mixture over the pickles, sealed and refridgerated.

That was my point. You did NOT process them. The comments on the packet apply only to processed pickles. - BWB processed - So the 6 months/18 months comments on the packet do not apply to your pickles.

Your pickles have air in the jars and no vacuum so they are considered opened jars and fall into the 2-3 weeks category.

Can you keep them longer? Sure that is always your choice. Mrs. Wages mixes also contain citric acid so personally I would be comfortable with them for maybe 6 weeks if the brine was still clear. But no longer IMO.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Food Storage Times for Safety and Quality

There is also such thing as freezer pickles! Special recipes that you can keep in the freezer and they do not go mushy. I made a couple of recipes, and they are quite tasty. Try the lime mint ones :).

Dolivo, I hope by now that you've done the following:

Telephoned Mrs. Wage's customer service number and gotten answers to your questions, and

Been reassured that your pickles will be satisfactory to eat for the six months as Mrs. Wage's package stated.

As far as being concerned about "soggy pickles" you have perhaps not been aware of a product by Ball's called PICKLE CRISP. If you want to read (more than you ever want to know!) about it, you can search those words on this forum. There's no need to ask questions here, though, because the answers are on this forum and also on the little Ball's container. You can also learn from reading Ball's reviews of the product.

So, if you'd like to see what it looks like and read about it, go to the link below. It's an easy solution, and an inexpensive investment that will work for you on pickling cucumbers and also other canned products.

To save yourself some time by shopping all over town, you might want to telephone a couple of stores to see if they have any more in stock. That should keep you from driving around town searching. Oftentimes stores don't carry much of this product and -- as you know -- it IS pickling season, so they might have sold ot.

Good luck,
Kathy

Here is a link that might be useful: Ball's Pickle Crisp