Fridge or pantry? How to keep your hot sauce fresh
There are many varieties of hot, spicy sauces available in supermarkets - from tabasco to sweet chili. Let’s look at how they should be stored.
Love them or loathe them, hot, spicy sauces are a cornerstone of many different types of cuisine all over the world. Depending where yoy are, each culture puts its own unique spin on the heat - from smoky chipotle blends in Mexico, sweet chili in China to tangy sambals in Southeast Asia.
The ingredients found in ‘salsa picante’
There are dozens of varieties of spicy salsas - many of them, such as tabasco, have become kitchen cupboard staples, but how long is their shelf life? What’s the best place to store them so that they keep their flavor? And how do we know when they are spoiled and need to be tossed into the bin?
The answers to those questions depends on which ingredients the sauces contain.
In general, spicy sauces will contain one or more of the following ingredients, in countless combinations, to give an extra kick to dishes from grilled meats, tacos to stir-fries, rice bowls, spring rolls, jiaozas...
- Chili peppers in all shapes, colors, and heat levels
- Tomatoes, for body and sweetness
- Onions and/or garlic, which add depth and aroma
- Fresh or dried herbs and spices - coriander, parsley, cumin, cardamon...
- Vinegar, which brings acidity and acts as a natural preservative
- Salt, pepper, to balance and enhance the flavors
Hot to trot
Mexico, Thailand, northern China, India, Jamaica and South Korea are known for their use of hot sauces in traditional cooking.
In Mexico, for example, hot sauce is a staple in dishes like tacos al pastor and enchiladas. In Thailand, spicy sauce is non-negotiable in meals like pad thai and tom yum soup. In Jamaica, jerk chicken gets its heat from Caribbean scotch bonnet peppers. Spanish cuisine isn’t generally known for its spiciness - apart from salsa brava, drizzled over deep-fried potato chunks since the late 1950s.
Which spicy sauces need to be stored in the fridge?
Some spicy sauces have a long shelf life while others must be kept refrigerated after opening and then discarded when they become unsafe to eat - which can be anything from a week to a month.
Vinegar-based sauces such as tabasco, Argentinean salsa gaucha... etc are safe at room temperature but should be kept out of sunlight to preserve flavor. They can be stored in a cool, dark place - a food cupboard, for example.
Other sauces are best kept in the refrigerator - especially those which contain perishable ingredients such as onion and garlic. Some industrial-made sauces will contain preservatives which help to extend shelf life, but homemade sauces have a much shorter lifespan - sometimes just a few days before they need to be tossed.
For example, once opened, commercially-produced peri peri sauce must be stored inside a refrigerator, preferably in an airtight container to prevent oxidation and contamination from other foods. It will still be safe to use 12-18 months past it’s ‘Best By’ date.
The telltale signs that your spicy sauce has gone bad and needs to be dumped include:
- Mold, white or green specks growing on the surface
- A sour, unpleasant smell
- Change in texture or separation of ingredients
- Discoloration or darkening of the sauce
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