You open the fridge and find a jar of relish that has been sitting there since your last cookout. It smells fine, but you are not sure how old it is. Does relish go bad?
The short answer: Yes, relish does go bad, but it is one of the more shelf-stable condiments you will find. Commercial relish has a long unopened shelf life and holds up well in the refrigerator for up to a year after opening. Homemade relish is a different story.
For a full overview of how condiments and pantry staples compare on shelf life, visit our Complete Food Storage Guide.
Key Takeaways
Relish does go bad, but its high vinegar and sugar content make it one of the most stable condiments in your fridge.
Unopened commercial relish stays at best quality for up to 2 years in the pantry.
Opened relish should be refrigerated and will hold best quality for up to 1 year.
Sweet vs. dill relish have no meaningful difference in shelf life. Both rely on vinegar as the primary preservative.
Homemade relish without canning lasts only 1 to 2 weeks in the fridge. Properly canned homemade relish lasts 6 to 9 months.
A bulging lid on an unopened jar is the most important spoilage sign to check before opening.
How Long Does Relish Last?
Relish belongs to the same family as pickles. Both are chopped vegetables preserved in a solution of vinegar, salt, and in the case of sweet relish, sugar. That combination creates a low-pH environment where bacteria and mold have a very hard time surviving, which is why commercially produced relish has such an impressive shelf life.
Type
Pantry (Unopened)
Refrigerator (Opened)
Sweet pickle relish (commercial)
Up to 2 years
Up to 1 year
Dill relish (commercial)
Up to 2 years
Up to 1 year
Corn or pepper relish (commercial)
Up to 2 years
Up to 1 year
Homemade relish (not canned)
Not recommended
1 to 2 weeks
Homemade relish (properly canned)
6 to 9 months
Up to 1 year after opening
Quality estimates based on proper storage. Always check for spoilage signs before using regardless of date. Guidelines align with USDA FoodKeeper recommendations.
Does Sweet Relish Last Longer Than Dill?
Sweet vs. Dill: No Meaningful Difference
This is one of the most commonly asked questions about relish storage, and the answer may surprise you. From a food safety standpoint, sweet relish and dill relish have nearly identical shelf lives. Both rely primarily on vinegar’s acidity as their preservative. Sweet relish also contains sugar, which is an additional preservative, but the difference in practical shelf life is negligible for commercially produced varieties.
Where you might notice a real-world difference is in flavor quality over time. Dill’s aromatic compounds are more volatile than the simple sweetness of sugar and cucumber, which means an opened jar of dill relish may taste noticeably flatter after several months compared to sweet relish. This is a quality observation, not a safety one. The base acidity of both is more than sufficient to keep them
