How Long Can You Keep Opened Condiments? (2024)

FAQs

How Long Can You Keep Opened Condiments? ›

After opening condiments, you can refrigerate them for the following times: ketchup, co*cktail or chili sauce 6 months. chutney, 1 to 2 months. horseradish, 3 to 4 months.

Ketchup: 6 months. Mayonnaise: 2-3 months after the “Use by” or “Best by” date. Miso: 1 1/2 years. Mustard: 1 year.

Any condiment that has spoiled will smell different, taste odd, look wrong, or have mold or a cloudy film on top. Never eat anything that has spoiled, no matter how badly you need that relish for your hot dog. When in doubt, toss it out.

From garlic aioli to remoulade and tartar sauces, there are all kinds of dipping sauces and spreads that contain mayo, and Berger says it's best practice to toss them when they're expired. “Another general rule of thumb is if a dip or condiment tastes different from when you first open it, throw it out,” she says.

Barilla recommends storing an opened jar of sauce in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. The remaining sauce may be frozen at any time during the 3-5 days; simply transfer the sauce to a freezer-safe container and it will be good for up to 3 months.

Mayonnaise – Once the jar has been opened, mayo shouldn't be kept for more than two months. Be extra careful with mayo-based foods, such as chicken salad or potato salad. They're only safe to eat for 3 to 4 days after they're prepared.

As a general rule of thumb, condiments containing dairy, vegetables and fruits need to be refrigerated; those containing vinegar, sugar, salt, and alcohol probably don't (but may benefit from a stint in the cold). Use your common sense, as well.

Does Ketchup Go Bad? Yes, ketchup can go bad. If unopened, commercial ketchup “can last for up to a year in your pantry,” says Okegbe, but once opened and refrigerated, it should ideally be consumed within six months. If left in the pantry once opened, use up the ketchup within a month to be safe.

Surprisingly, mustard goes hand in hand with ketchup, but it outlasts it in terms of shelf life. If it's in the pantry, mustard is good to use for one to two years after it was bought. If it's in the refrigerator, that gets cut down to one year since it's opened.

What can I do with unused condiments? ›

Sriracha is excellent mixed with butter or oil and spread on corn on the cob. If you've got a lot of leftover condiments after a barbecue, you can always combine your extra ketchup, relish, mayo, horseradish, and Worcestershire Sauce to make homemade Russian dressing to put on a sandwich!

For safety reasons, it's suggested not to eat mayonnaise after the expiration date on the jar. Unopened jars of mayo that have been sitting in the pantry should be thrown out once it is a week past their best-by date. Opened jars, when refrigerated, should be thrown out by the one-month mark past its best-by date.

If you choose to open and empty the contents of the expired food containers, recycle the containers once they are empty and, if plastic, glass, or metal, rinsed. If the thought of opening, composting, disposing, and recycling the expired food is simply too much, then the only option is disposal in the trash.

After opening condiments, you can refrigerate them for the following times: ketchup, co*cktail or chili sauce 6 months. chutney, 1 to 2 months. horseradish, 3 to 4 months.

Of course, the delicious flavor of Prego is best enjoyed closest to when the jar is first opened. For Prego Alfredo and Cooking Sauces, we recommend that you promptly refrigerate unused sauce and use within 3 days after opening.

Rao's Homemade sauces have a shelf life of 3 years from their production date during which time they are at their best quality flavor. The jars are shelf stable. Rao's recommends that, once opened, sauce be refrigerated and used within 10-12 days.

Yes! Condiments do expire, so it's important to keep an eye on your shelves full of sauces. Any food that's too old can grow bacteria and lose or change its taste over time—even canned food doesn't last forever.