The shelf life of a homemade sauce in the fridge varies depending on the type of sauce, as well as the way it is stored. We review how to extend its lifespan.
One way to keep your homemade sauce from going bad in a short period of time is to store it in the refrigerator. However, refrigeration slows food spoilage, but does not stop it.
The shelf life of the sauce will depend on its type as well as its storage. There are hundreds of sauces, with different textures, colors, liquid or thick, raw or cooked.
Some homemade salsas require refrigeration and can be kept for up to a week, while others can be kept for months, such as salsa macha, which is made with a mixture of dried chilies, garlic, pepper, and seeds such as sesame and peanuts.
“As long as it’s covered and refrigerated, fresh homemade salsa has a shelf life of four to six days. This is the shortest of the bunch because fresh recipes often assume you’re prepping your food to eat now, or at least in the next few days,” shares PepperScale.
Fresh sauces like guacamole last only a few hours without refrigeration and often turn brown. In the refrigerator, the guacamole will keep for a couple of days. Sealed in an airtight container it may have a longer life.
How to know if the sauce has gone bad
- Color change. A sign that the sauce is no longer safe to consume is when it has darkened from a bright red and turned brown.sour smell Smell is can help you spot signs of decomposition. A sauce with a sour or rotten smell is a sign that the sauce has gone bad.
- Mold. When sauce spoils, a white, foamy, or powdery coating may form on the surface.
sauce storage
To prolong the shelf life of the sauce, store the sauce in a container that can be hermetically sealed.
A Lucky Bell kitchen trick to preserve sauce longer is to place a piece of self-sealing foil under the lid, which prevents air from entering the package and slows down the growth of bacteria. “Also, the foil prevents the sauce from taking over odors from other foods you keep in the fridge,” the site explains.