You know about sriracha if you are at least a little fan of hot sauces. 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 hot 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 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 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 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: Smell is off
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. It goes without saying that if the taste is off as well, you should discard the sauce.
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 it near a heat source.
Tip 2: Refrigerate for longer storage
If you know that you will have one 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.
If your sauce has gone bad and you need something else to replace it with, try these sriracha substitutes.
FAQs
How can you tell if sriracha is bad?
The appearance of mold or if you notice a bad smell and taste are sure signs that it’s time to throw away the product.
Is it okay to use expired sriracha?
Yes. Sriracha 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?
No. Hot pepper sauces can darken over time due to oxidation, but this is by no means a sign that the product is spoiled. If the smell and taste are fine, the product is good.
Does sriracha need to be refrigerated?
Not necessary, you only need to store it in a cool and dry place.
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.
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.
