How long does homemade hot sauce last in the fridge (+3 tips)
In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “how long does homemade hot sauce last in the fridge” with an in-depth analysis of the shelf life of hot sauce. Moreover, we are going to discuss does franks red hot sauce need to be refrigerated along with the tips to keep your hot sauce fresh for a long time.
So without much ado, let’s dive in and figure out more about it.
How long does homemade hot sauce last in the fridge?
Homemade hot sauce can last for about 3-6 months in the fridge if stored properly. The reason behind it is that refrigeration significantly decreases the rate of oxidation reaction and thus increases the shelf life of the hot sauce. But it is recommended to use your hot sauce within the first 90 days.
You can read about how to make different types of hot sauces at home here.
Does homemade hot sauce need to be refrigerated?
Yes, the homemade hot sauce needs to be refrigerated if you want to it to last for a long time and increase its shelf life. After making the sauce cool it down and pour it in a clean airtight container for storage in the refrigerator.
Does Frank’s red hot sauce need to be refrigerated?
It is not necessary to refrigerate the unopened bottle of frank’s red hot sauce. No doubt that refrigeration will help in retaining the freshness and flavor of the franks red hot sauce for a considerably longer time but it can stay just for me in a cool, dark, and dry corner of your pantry or kitchen cabinet away from direct sunlight.
Once opened it is better to store the franks red hot sauce in the refrigerator to preserve its flavor for a long time.
The unopened bottle of the franks red hot sauce can last for about 24 months from the manufacturing date.
How long does hot sauce last?
Various types of hot sauce will ruin at altogether different rates. By and large, any hot sauce will have a fair timeframe of realistic usability. That is because most contain vinegar and cayenne pepper as basic condiments. Thus owing to the preservative properties of both it is safe to estimate that the bottled vinegar-based hot sauce can last three-to-five years if refrigerated, and an unopened hot sauce can last considerably more than that.
You may realize that vinegar has a long shelf life and it can even sit in a cabinet at room temperature for years to come without getting stale. So it bodes well that its consideration in a hot sauce would delay its life. Yet, the capsaicin in cayenne peppers keeps microbes under control, which implies hot sauce will be rack stable for quite long.
Can hot sauce survive at room temperature?
In the case of bottled hot sauce, it has a very sizable amount of vinegar (that has acetic acid in it which is best known for its preservation properties) to shield it from ruining outside of the refrigerator, and the strength of the peppers will remain more blazing at room temperature. Except if the bottle says something else, it is safe to keep hot sauce in any cabinet or shelf of your kitchen.
How to properly store homemade hot sauce?
Always store your hot sauce in an air-tight container or bottles to minimize air exposure. In the case of homemade hot sauce, it is recommended to properly sterilize all the products and utensils that you are going to use like the bottles to store the sauce, knife, saucepan, lids, containers, etc.
You should avoid adding oil to the hot sauce as it can increase the chances of botulinum toxin to contaminate your hot sauce.
A fever bacteria grow at high acidic pH therefore you should try to lower the pH of your homemade hot sauce to that of 3.4. You can achieve this acidic pH by the addition of lemon juice, lime juice, vinegar, etc. in your sauce.
How to keep your hot sauce fresh for a long time?
- Refrigerate your opened bottle of hot sauce and especially the homemade hot sauce in the refrigerator.
- If your hot sauce caps are full of the solidified leftovers or crustings from your hot sauce then there are chances that bacteria will grow on such caps as their air exposure is greater than that of the hot sauce inside the bottle. So you should clean the caps of your hot sauce bottle properly.
- You should never dip the food item directly in the battle of the hot sauce to get it coated with the hot sauce.
How to tell if the hot sauce has gone bad?
You can tell whether or not the hot sauce has gone bad by considering its appearance,
Appearance
If you notice some dark spots in the hot sauce or if there is any mold in it then it is an indication that your hot sauce has gone bad and it is better to discard it.
If you even keep such a bottle of hot sauce that has molds grown in it for a long time there are great chances of the bottle itself to blow up owing to the gases that the mold produces when reacting with the chemicals found in the hot sauce.
Taste
The presence of off-flavors or the absence of the characteristic flavor and spice of the hot sauce points out in the direction that it is going bad.
Smell
If you notice some off-smell or smell something that just doesn’t smell like hot sauce, then it is the indication that your hot sauce has gone bad and you should get rid of it.
Conclusion
In this brief guide, we answered the question “how long does homemade hot sauce last in the fridge” with an in-depth analysis of the shelf life of hot sauce. Moreover, we discussed does franks red hot sauce need to be refrigerated along with the tips to keep your hot sauce fresh for a long time.
Citations
https://www.franksredhot.com/en-us/faq
https://secretaardvark.com/blog/does-hot-sauce-go-bad/
