How long does barbecue sauce last in the fridge?
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Barbeque sauce is a type of sauce that is used to flavor a variety of dishes. Barbeque sauce is a savory sauce commonly used in the United States, especially in the south. It is typically used as a condiment with meat or poultry. But how long does barbeque sauce last in the fridge? This article will help you with all things related to barbeque sauce and its storage techniques for longer shelf life.
Barbeque sauces are typically based on tomato paste and sugar, with vinegar, molasses, or other ingredients added to give them their distinctive flavors.
Storage And Shelf Life Of BBQ Sauces – Does barbecue sauce go bad in the fridge?
Barbeque sauce can go bad in the refrigerator but only after 7 to 9 months if you store it properly. The barbeque sauce usually lasts for about a month in the pantry without losing its quality. Once opened, the can of barbeque sauce may last for about 7 months in the refrigerator with the same quality and texture. The quality of the product starts to deteriorate after the seven-month mark. Well, here are the details about different types of BBQ sauces in different scenarios.
After opening
As for the shelf life of BBQ sauce, it depends on how it’s stored. If you store the sauce in an airtight container or a sealed bottle, then it will last for about 6 months. However, if you leave the bbq sauce open and out of its original packaging for more than a few weeks, then it will start to degrade and lose its flavor.
BBQ sauce needs to be refrigerated after opening. This is because a lot of bacterial reactions are dependent on air circulation. As soon as you open the can, the airflow is started and the product needs refrigeration for longer shelf life.
Homemade barbecue sauce
Most of the packaged and store-bought barbeque sauces have preservatives in them. Therefore, they last for a very long time. The shelf life of them varies only a little in various scenarios. That is not the case for homemade barbeque sauce.
Since you do not get to use any preservatives and make the sauce with fresh ingredients, the sauce lasts for about 1 to 2 weeks without losing its quality only if you store it in the refrigerator.
Sweet baby ray’s BBQ sauce
Some people say that it needs to be refrigerated while others say that it doesn’t need to be. There are also some people who claim that the ingredients in sweet baby ray’s bbq sauce are so robust and long-lasting that they don’t need to be refrigerated at all.
However, as per the company’s website, they suggest not to use the barbeque as soon as it reaches four months. They also recommend refrigerating the sauce for maintaining its quality and texture.
Can I use unopened expired bbq sauce?
An unopened can of bbq sauce can last for about one to two years easily, both in the pantry and the refrigerator. In the case the can is expired before you opened the can, there is no need to worry. You can still use it for about 6 months after the printed expiry date is passed unless you keep it at room temperature for too long after opening it.
Vinegar BBQ Sauce
Food items with a pH of less than 4.5 is very acidic to facilitate the formation of spoilage bacteria, you may store barbecue sauce at room temperature in your cabinet or pantry. BBQ sauce that has been opened and refrigerated can last 6-12 months.
