Do you love to add some spice to your food occasionally? Then maybe you’re one of those people who goes through a bottle of sriracha slowly. And you still have plenty of hot sauce left after the date given on the label.
Maybe today, you happened to look at the label and wonder whether it is safe to continue using it. Can sriracha go bad?
Here’s some good news: Sriracha is shelf-stable and can last a long time even if you do not keep it in the fridge.
Let’s see how you can know if it is spoiled, how long it can retain its quality, and how you can store it.
How To Know If Sriracha Has Gone Bad
Now: If your sriracha has become a bit darker, don’t be under the impression that it is spoiled. Chili peppers become darker with time.
The darkening of sriracha is natural and doesn’t alter its quality. Light and air make it happen faster so if you use and open the bottle often, your hot sauce may get darker more quickly.
Some signs of spoilage are:
- any organic or mold growth
- fermented or foul smell
- change in texture
- change in taste
- bottle or container may be swollen, dented, or leaking
Moreover, if the bottle is older than 4 to 5 years after the best-before date, you can discard it. Better safe than sorry!
How To Store Sriracha
You can store it like other sauces in a cool dark place, far away from heat sources. Its quality can deteriorate if it comes in contact with sunlight and temperature changes for a long time.
So if you keep it in your kitchen, see that it is not near the oven. You can leave it in your kitchen cupboard or pantry. Those are the most suitable places for it.
Do not forget to close the cap tightly after use.
The best part is that it has vinegar, so it has more chances of retaining its quality than other sauces.
Is it necessary to put it in your fridge?
No! There is no need to refrigerate it. But if you plan to use the sauce over a long period, you can place it there. The refrigerator won’t do your sriracha any harm.
Before you continue: If sriracha is in a squeezing bottle, make it a point to clean its tip often. You can use some water while cleaning it but remember to wipe it and make it dry.
If you take out some sauce in a bowl to use as a dip, don’t put the remaining sauce back in the bottle.
But why?
If you do so, contaminants and bacteria may find their way into the bottle.
How Long Sriracha Lasts
This part is a bit tricky. Most people discard the sauce because of deterioration in quality. And not because sriracha is spoiled and unsafe to use.
Your bottle of sriracha has a best-before date that gives you an approximate idea of the time you can expect it to remain fresh. But there is vinegar in sriracha, so it will continue to be in the best form for several months after that date.
Here are some rules of thumb to keep you on track:
- If unopened sriracha is in the pantry, it is fit for use for two more years after the best-before date.
- If an opened bottle of sriracha is in the pantry, it lasts for 6-10 months.
- If opened sriracha is in the fridge, it retains its quality for more than two years.
The Bottom Line On Sriracha
It is a widely used hot sauce. You can keep it in your kitchen cupboard or pantry at ordinary room temperature. You can also keep it in your fridge so that it stays fresh for a longer time.
If your sriracha shows any signs of spoilage (scroll up if you missed that) or is 4 or 5 years older than the best-before date, do not use it.
