How long is alfredo sauce good for in the fridge?
In this brief guide, we will answer the question “How long is alfredo sauce good for in the fridge?”, discuss how to store the alfredo sauce properly, and can alfredo sauce go bad?
How long is alfredo sauce good for in the fridge?
Alfredo sauce can stay good for 5-7 days in the fridge but this time duration varies with the storage conditions. If properly stored, then you can also use it for one or more days but this does not mean that the taste will remain as good as the fresh sauce’s taste. The quality of alfredo sauce may deteriorate over time but it will remain worth eating over the specific time.
The shelf life of alfredo sauce
The shelf life of alfredo sauce varies with the type of alfredo sauce (homemade, bought from the market) and the storage conditions under which you kept the sauce. The sauce that is bought from the market, contains some preservatives or additives which are meant to increase the shelf life of the sauce. Also, these sauces are enclosed in a glass jar (airtight) that limits the moisture content, keeping the sauces good to use over a long period.
Homemade alfredo sauce, if stored within 1 hour after preparing, can be kept fresh in the refrigerator for 5-7 days, while in the freezer, this sauce can last for even months.
Here is a quick review of the shelf life of sauce:
| Alfredo Sauce | Shelf life | |
| Pantry (post expiry date) | Refrigerator post-opening) | |
| Tomato-based sauce | 1 year | 5-10 days |
| Cream-based sauce | 6-8 months | 7 days |
| Oil-based sauce | 1 year | 2 weeks |
| Dry package pasta sauce | 6-12 months | 7-10 days |
Can you freeze alfredo sauce?
The alfredo sauce, the most popular pasta sauce made with cream and mozzarella cheese, is high in dietary fiber and has a relatively shorter shelf life. But in case you made alfredo sauce more than you need, do not worry about wasting it, because you can freeze it. Freezing will help you increase the shelf life of the sauce by keeping the growth of microorganisms, including bacteria, at bay. You can freeze the alfredo sauce for months you can not be sure about its taste. Because its taste will be changed over time, but the quality will be good enough to utilize the frozen sauce.
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How to store the alfredo sauce properly?
To properly store the alfredo sauce, you need to freeze it immediately after it has been cooked to minimize the chances of splitting. Storing cream-based sauce in the freezer can be tricky because it tends to get separated. As alfredo sauce has high water and fat contents, so when frozen and thawed, the ingredient can split.
Alfredo sauce is stored in freezer-safe plastic bags. For this, you need to place the resealable bag in a bowl by turning the edges of the bag over the rim of the bowl so that you can easily transfer the sauce to the bag. Make sure that a space of about 1 inch is left in the bag so that to make the expansion of the sauce in the bag easy and possible when frozen. Storing alfredo sauce in this way will help you keep the sauce fresh for up to 3 months.
Can alfredo sauce go bad?
Alfredo sauce, cream-based pasta sauce, can easily go bad just like any other cream-based sauce. If it is placed over the counter of your kitchen, you can expect it to go bad very quickly. The reason behind going bad of your sauce is the fact that at room temperature, bacteria grow at a faster rate on their substrate, and this is why the sauce can go bad within 4 hours. After 4 hours, the quality of the sauce will have gone so bad that it will not be worth eating the sauce. So there is no option left for you but to discard the bowl of alfredo sauce because consuming a bad sauce can cause you to be sick due to food poisoning.
Signs that alfredo sauce has gone bad
To minimize the risk of food poisoning or stomach related issues, it is important to know the signs that help you know that the sauce has gone bad and it is the right time to discard the sauce because nothing is more important than your health. Following are the signs that may help you decide either to use or to discard the alfredo sauce:
- Smell
If the smell of alfredo sauce seems to be tangy or sour, this means it has gone bad, and you should better discard it.
- Color
If the particular creamy color of alfredo sauce is gone, and it turned a yellowish hue, the alfredo sauce has gone bad. Try to avoid using such sauce.
- Taste
If the smell and color of the alfredo sauce are not strong enough to help you decide either it has gone bad, then tasting a bit of the sauce will serve the purpose. Tasting a bit of bad alfredo sauce will not cause any harm to you.
Conclusion:
In this brief guide, we answered the question “How long is alfredo sauce good for in the fridge?”, discussed how to store the alfredo sauce properly, and can alfredo sauce go bad.
References:
- How Long Does Alfredo Sauce Last? Does Alfredo Sauce Go Bad? | EatDelights
- Spaghetti Sauce – How Long Does Spaghetti Sauce Last? Shelf Life (eatbydate.com)
- Can You Freeze Alfredo Sauce? – Can You Freeze This?
