Why are our olives getting moldy? Our family consumes a lot of olives. About 5 years ago, we started buying the 55oz cans of Lindsey sliced black olives. We put them in about 7 separate plastic containers (Hillshire Farms sliced deli meat containers) and then refrigerate them. As we finish off a container, we open a new one. We've done this for years without a problem.

Of the last 3 cans, though, by the time we get to the third container of olives, they're starting to mold. All the containers of remaining olives are molding. Why would this suddenly start happening? We haven't really changed anything, so I can only assume that Lindsey has changed something.

Is there something we can do to prevent this?

At the rate we consume olives, it's just ridiculous to buy those tiny little cans. Even if we only go through two of the containers before they go bad, we're saving money, but we hate the idea of wasting all those olives.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Change your olive storage to glass jars and plastic lids. I use Bell jars and buy the plastic lids where I buy the jars; Walmart or hardware store, during canning season. The glass jars can be sterilized, if mold forms on the food. Plastic can never really be clean once the mold starts. Toss the plastic.