Condiment Shelf Life

[Winchester]

I never really thought too much of how long condiments last in our fridge and if they go past their expiration dates. I look at salad dressing bottles from time to time, but that was it.

We keep a lot of different mustards in the fridge; I'm a true mustard hound and love just mustard on a slice of bread. We use mustard in a lot of dishes. Same with soy sauce, chili sauce, hot sauce, etc. Usually these condiments are used well within their expiration times, esp in the summer when we barbecuing so often.

One of the worst condiments I have trouble using is preserves. We don't eat a lot of jams or preserves on bread or toast, but I do like to experiment with different fruits in my BBQ sauces and glazes. For example, I make a tasty BBQ glaze for shrimp and pork, using apricot-pineapple preserves that one of my GFs makes. But I may only use one or two tablespoons of preserves and what do I do with the rest of the jar?

Here's an interesting article about the shelf life of condiments that "live" in our refrigerators and/or in our pantries.

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/summerl...ebate-2488628/

 

[natalie_ca]

Condiments are so full of preservatives that their shelf life is pretty much indefinite once opened and in the fridge.

The date you see on packages isn't an "expiry" date. It's a "best before" date, which is completely different. Just because something has reached or passed the "best before" date, doesn't mean it suddenly becomes inedible.

I called our Health Department and asked about this because the store across the street from me tends to leave things on the shelves for months after the "best before" date. What an eye opener I was given and my whole attitude towards dating food has changed completely. So much less wastage coming from my kitchen.

The Health Department explained to me that the date is simply a guideline to let the consumer know when the product is the freshest. If it's before the date, it's peak freshness. If it's after the date it's still edible but may not be as "fresh" as it would have been before that date. IE: a crunchy cookie may take on a more soft or cake-like texture, but that doesn't make it poisonous to eat. The same with crackers. A box of Saltines will still be edible months down the line, but they may taste a bit stale and not be as crunchy, but you can still eat them.

If eggs have been in the fridge and not left out on a counter at room temperature, the eggs can be consumed months after the "best before" date. If I buy a dozen eggs, sometimes I don't use the last egg until 3 months after the "best before" date. The egg is still fine. It looks fine, it smells fine, it cooks fine and it tastes fine.

The same goes with other things like yogurt, butter, oils, vinegar, condiments, milk, packaged goods, yeast, baking powder etc. If it looks ok and smells ok, it is ok. Those individual Yogurts typically stay in my fridge for 3 or 4 months sometimes before I finish them.

Condiments are packed so full of preservatives like salt and sugar that it would likely take years for them to spoil in the fridge once opened. I've got capers, salad dressing, horse raddish, mustards, soy sauce, pickles, cherries, minced garlic in a jar, molasses, store bought marinades, jams etc, that have been in my fridge for many months, and some for a year or 2 that still look ok, smell ok and taste ok. I'm not going to throw them out because of a date stamp on a bottle/jar. Once my senses tell me that it's spoiled, then I'll throw it away.

 

[gailc]

I agree with Linda!

 

[calico2222]

I follow the "if it smells fine and tastes fine, it's good" theory too. The only thing I'm cautious about using past the date is mayo and miracle whip because my husband has a bad habit of leaving them sitting on the counter for hours after making a sandwich.

 

[jcat]

That's a very useful list. Thanks for posting it!

 

[just mike]

The sniff test, as everyone has pointed out, is the way I do it. I also keep a lot of my condiments in the fridge. I got the tip from a cooking group I belong to. Worcestershire, soy sauce, mustards, ketchups etc. also last longer in the fridge. At least that's been my experience.

 

[snake_lady]

Originally Posted by calico2222

I follow the "if it smells fine and tastes fine, it's good" theory too. The only thing I'm cautious about using past the date is mayo

I agree pretty much with this, except add on yogurts and cow milk ( as opposed to the soy milk I drink)

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

Condiments are so full of preservatives that their shelf life is pretty much indefinite once opened and in the fridge.

The date you see on packages isn't an "expiry" date. It's a "best before" date, which is completely different. Just because something has reached or passed the "best before" date, doesn't mean it suddenly becomes inedible.

agree with that