Quick summary: Yes, sriracha can go bad, but it’s more likely to experience a decline in quality over time rather than becoming dangerous to consume. Unopened sriracha sauce can last for a significant period, even up to two years past its expiration date. Opened sriracha should remain good for about six months to a year at room temperature, but refrigerating it can help maintain its quality for a longer period.
You know about sriracha if you are at least a little fan of hot sauces and chili peppers. It is one of the most famous sauces and has been spread worldwide. However, if you are not a big fan of spicy food, it is very likely that one bottle will stay on the shelf for a year or two. Then you throw it away for quality purposes, not because you know if it’s spoiled or not.
So can such a spicy sauce that contains vinegar spoil at all? In rare situations, it can. However, you are more likely to throw away sriracha due to impaired quality after a long time before it becomes dangerous to your health. Here are some guidelines to help you determine if you can use your favorite sauce for another spicy evening.
How Long Does Sriracha Last?
Long. That would be the shortest answer to how long sriracha lasts. Mostly chili pepper sauces have the ability to last a long time, and you don’t necessarily have to keep them in the fridge. However, they prefer cooler and darker places.
Unopened sriracha
An unopened bottle of sriracha sauce is a durable food. It certainly has a shelf life, but you are free to ignore it for a significant period. If it has stood on acceptable terms, sriracha will be good even two years after the expiration date, and maybe even longer.
Opened sriracha
An open pack of sriracha sauce will be pretty good for at least six months and very likely up to a year if it stands at a comfortable temperature in the pantry. If you want to use hot sauce for longer than that, it is recommended to put it in the refrigerator, ensuring quality for a longer time.
Can Sriracha Go Bad?
It is rare for sriracha to go bad in a dangerous way to health. The quality often declines after a long standstill, so you will want to replace the sauce with fresh. Here’s how you’ll recognize that the chili peppers sauce has expired.
Sign 1: Mold is present
This is a possible scenario despite the presence of vinegar in the product. It rarely happens, but in the presence of moisture or a really long period that bottle has been opened, mold can appear. If you notice mold, be sure to throw the product in the trash.
Sign 2: It has a foul or fermented odor
The smell can reveal that the durability of the sauce has come to an end. If you notice a slightly sour smell that seems more like pickled, throw the sauce in the trash as it is a bad sriracha. It goes without saying that if the taste is off as well, you should discard the sauce to avoid food poisoning.
Sign 3: The packaging is inflated
If you notice unusual formations on the packaging, bulging bubbles, or bloating, it is a sign of spoilage. It doesn’t matter if the sriracha is open or not, or its expiration date may still be valid. If the packaging is inflated, throw the product in the trash.
What Is The Best Way To Store Sriracha?
Sriracha is a genuinely appreciative food for long-term storage. You don’t have to worry too much other than assuring some of the most basic conditions. Here’s how to preserve your spicy sauce for a long time.
Tip 1: Choose a cool and dry place
The pantry will be quite a suitable place to store the sriracha regardless of whether it is open or not. If you do not have a pantry, try to put the sauce in the kitchen cupboard so as not to be exposed to light. Also, avoid keeping unopened bottles near a heat source. A slightly cooler room temperature is desirable.
Tip 2: Refrigerate for longer storage
If you know that you will have one opened bottle for the next year or longer, then it is good to keep it in the refrigerator to preserve quality and stability. Again, it is not necessary to keep the sriracha in the fridge after opening, but it can certainly help if you are going for long-term use.
Tip 3: Maintain the hygiene
If you prefer sriracha as the dipping sauce, we must guide you to take out as much as you need in a separate jar and store the rest. Although most hot sauces can endure even the presence of other substances, it would be better to avoid contamination for longer keeping.
If your sriracha hot sauce has gone bad and you need something else to replace it with, try these sriracha substitutes.
FAQs
How can you tell if sriracha sauce is bad?
You can tell if sriracha sauce is bad by checking for changes in its color, consistency, and smell. If it develops an off odor, mold growth, or an unusual taste, it might have gone bad and should be discarded.
Is it okay to use expired sriracha sauce?
Yes, it’s okay to use expired sriracha sauce. Sriracha chili sauce will be quite good even a few years after the expiration date if it is not open. If you have opened the bottle, you are safe for at least six months and with storage in the refrigerator, probably a year or longer after the expiration date. It is necessary, of course, not to notice any signs of spoilage that we have described.
If the sriracha has darkened, is it spoiled sriracha?
No, if sriracha sauce has darkened slightly, it might not be spoiled. However, assess its smell, taste, and overall condition to determine if it’s still suitable for consumption.
Does sriracha need to be refrigerated?
No, it is not necessary to refrigerate sriracha. You only need to store sriracha bottle in a cool and dry place.
How long does sriracha last after opening?
Sriracha sauce can last for about 6 to 12 months after opening if stored in the refrigerator, thanks to its high vinegar and chili content which helps preserve it.
Conclusion
Sriracha is truly an indispensable sauce for all lovers of spicy food. It’s a great thing that it can last a very long time, even after opening, so you can enjoy the occasional hot snacks as much as you want. The shelf life of sriracha is long enough to spend the whole bottle slowly.
Try to keep the sriracha in a dark and cool place, and if you want to prolong its shelf life, it is good to keep it in the refrigerator after opening. However, this is not a condition.
Tanja is great lover of healthy eating and lifestyle, she has been editing TV series about nutrition and health for years. She also engaged in food production in the family business, mainly focused on fruit processing without destroying vitamins and minerals. She believes that quality nutrition is one of the key ingredients of a happy and healthy life.
