Best Way To Store Your Condiments, According To Experts

Like many kitchen essentials you buy from the grocery store, your sauces and condiments expire and spoil. Though they have preservatives that help prolong their shelf lives, here are ways for you to ensure they stay fresh and tasty, based on experts in the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service department:

Ketchup

Being the number one essential condiment to pair with your Simplot fries, you’d want your ketchup to stay fresh on the ready! They can be stored in the pantry for up to one year if unopened. If opened, they can last up to six months in the refrigerator.

Mustard

Unopened mustard can be stored in the pantry for up to two years; and up to one year in the refrigerator after being opened. This way, your mustard should last long enough for you to enjoy it on salads, sandwiches, and hotdogs. 

Mayonnaise

When it comes to making potato salads and dips, mayonnaise is a staple ingredient in the kitchen. However, it spoils faster than most condiments due to the nature of the ingredients. To ensure it is fresh and safe to consume, store yours in the pantry for up to six months if unopened. If opened, it should be in the refrigerator for no longer than two months.

Barbecue sauce

What better way to enjoy grilled meat than with barbecue sauce? Keep yours fresh longer when you store it in the pantry and it should last for one year if unopened. When opened, it can last up to four months in the refrigerator. 

Soy sauce

Unopened soy sauce can last up to three years when you store it in the pantry. When opened, store in the refrigerator. To get the most umami out of soy sauce for your stir-fries and noodles, replace it after a month in the refrigerator.

Vinegar

As a natural preservative, vinegar does not need to be refrigerated. In fact, it can be stored in the pantry for up to two years. That gives you plenty of time to use it in your sauces, soups, and cakes!