How Long does BBQ Sauce Last in the Fridge?

If you have leftover barbecue sauce that you want to use on a new dish, it’s important to know how long to store it in the fridge. Depending on the type of bbq sauce, it could last up to three months. It’s also important to keep it in the refrigerator for the best taste and texture.

How Long Does BBQ Sauce Last in the Fridge

How Long does BBQ Sauce Last in the Fridge?

You discovered an old bottle of BBQ sauce while cleaning out your refrigerator. You may be wondering how long BBQ sauce keeps in the fridge. How long it has been, there is a mystery to you.

An opened bottle of BBQ sauce typically keeps for six to nine months. However, checking the label is essential because some products recommend a shorter time frame.

BBQ sauce should only last for approximately a month if it is opened and stored in a cold, dark area of the pantry; therefore, refrigeration is always preferable.

Most barbecue sauce brands include little, if any, artificial preservatives. Therefore, the optimal time to consume them is often four months after opening them.

However, there is fascinating information about barbecue sauce shelf life.

We’ll learn how to identify faulty barbecue sauce in this post and how long Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ lasts. We’ll also investigate whether consuming BBQ sauce after the printed expiration date will make you sick.

Unopened BBQ Sauce

Unopened BBQ sauce lasts in the fridge for up to a year. It can also be stored in the pantry for up to three months. However, before you try it, make sure you check the expiration date. If it is expired, it should be thrown out.

When you buy a bottle of BBQ Sauce, it may come with a sell-by date or best-by date. These are indications that the sauce should be thrown away if it is not used before it expires.

The best way to avoid food spoilage is to store it in a cool, dry place. Most prepackaged sauces do not require refrigeration before opening. However, you should always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for storage.

Some factors affect the quality of the BBQ sauce. For example, the acidity of the sauce can affect its taste. Also, oxidation and moisture will affect its flavor.

Proper Storage of BBQ Sauce

If you’re eating BBQ sauce regularly, you must know how to store it properly. It can go bad and spoil if not stored correctly and even change food taste.

Whether you make your own or buy it from the store if it’s been opened, it’s best to refrigerate it. This will keep it fresh and will prolong its shelf life.

You’ll want to avoid the possibility of mold. In addition to the refrigerator, you can also store the sauce in a pantry. But it’s best to keep it out of direct sunlight.

The shelf life of your BBQ sauce will depend on several factors, such as the ingredients used and whether you’ve stored it correctly. When buying, looking for a manufacturer’s “best by” date is best. Those dates are designed to estimate how good the product will be when it’s at its optimum quality.

Funky Smell When Kept in Fridge

When you put BBQ sauce in the fridge, it might begin to smell funky. It’s usually a sign that the bottle has become moist and that it’s going to spoil. The best way to prevent this is always to store the sauce in an airtight container.

Whether using it as a marinade, glaze, or basting sauce, you’ll want to use a BBQ sauce at its freshest. Expired BBQ sauce isn’t dangerous to eat, but it won’t taste as good as the sauce you first bought. If unsure about its safety, you can discard the leftovers or pour more into a bowl.

If you’re unsure whether a particular batch of barbecue sauce is safe to consume, check its “best by” date. This date is the manufacturer’s estimate of the best possible quality. Generally, you can use the sauce for two to four weeks after the manufacturer’s recommended use-by date.

How can you Tell if BBQ Sauce is Bad?

If your barbecue sauce has a terrible smell, a different color, mold, split, thick, slimy, or clumpy, it hasn’t gone well.

The most obvious indication that something is rotten is a nasty smell. The store-bought sauce should have a mildly acidic, sweet, and smokey aroma if it is still in good condition. But if that’s not the case anymore and you smell anything strong, repulsive, or nauseating, it’s time to throw it away.

Therefore, the odor should be checked first. Just take a whiff; it ought to smell like BBQ sauce. It’s spoiled if it smells like something else.

The BBQ sauce’s look is something else to examine.

This entails examining the color of the sauce and determining whether the previous BBQ sauce has separated or gotten moldy. The sauce is approaching expiration when its color becomes deeper and darker. It isn’t good if it has gone black.

Another indication that it’s gone bad is mold. It shows that spoilage germs are growing.

However, it is uncommon for store-bought BBQ sauce to be preserved, utilizing correct preservation techniques to go bad. If you don’t want to keep it in the fridge, store it in a tidy kitchen cabinet or a dim corner of the pantry.

The third thing to look for is a thin, separated sauce. Now that separation happens naturally; it can be disregarded if it is still some time before the expiration date or the best-by date.

However, it is recommended to throw away the sauce if you note that the color has changed to a deeper, darker shade, the expiration date is approaching, and the sauce is thin and separated (there is a layer of liquid on top, while the bottom is quite dense).

When something is awful, it sometimes becomes solid.

Can you Get Sick from Expired BBQ Sauce?

Eating BBQ sauce that has gone bad can make you sick. It might cause stomach irritation, nausea, and vomiting. Ideally, you should inspect the food for symptoms of deterioration before eating.

Don’t just throw away a bottle of barbecue sauce that hasn’t been opened but is still within a year of expiration.

The expiration date and best-by dates pertain to the product’s quality rather than safety.

The color, texture, and look should, of course, always be examined first. You can still eat it without becoming sick if there are no indications that the quality has decreased.

Therefore, the condition of the expired BBQ sauce will determine whether you feel sick or not.

BBQ sauce has an acid-forming nature and a low pH value. Therefore, even if the medication hasn’t expired, you should be cautious about consuming too much if you have GERD or acid reflux.
You already have the sauce, but which has superior meat: Sam’s or Costco?

In a recent essay I published, I got into this. I discussed whether the meat at Sam’s Club and Costco is of comparable quality in it. I also disclosed whether the beef at Sam’s Club is imported from China.

How do you Make BBQ Sauce Last Longer?

Once opened, barbecue sauce must be chilled to ensure long shelf life. The temperature aids in preserving its quality for an extended period. If the sauce is homemade, it needs to be kept in the refrigerator at all times.

If you prefer not to refrigerate it after opening, ensure it is at least kept out of direct sunlight and well packed after use. You can control it at room temperature. It ought to be stored somewhere dry or cool.

Additionally, it would be best to wipe the bottle’s top and cap periodically. This is because some of the sauce may get up on the lid and towards the top after several uses, which can get unpleasant.

To ensure no moisture could cause deterioration, use a moist paper towel to remove the crust and pat it dry.

The bottle might also be best kept upside down.

You did read that correctly. It serves to keep air from getting inside the bottle. This will slow down the oxidation process, as you are already aware. If your bottle can support its cap, this will work.

The sauce can be frozen in a freezer bag or any other freezer-safe container for up to 3 months if you don’t intend to consume it within 3 to 4 days. Use any additional freezer-safe containers that suit your needs.

If you want it to even last for a few months, make sure it is vacuum-sealed. Barbecue can last 6 to 12 months when vacuum-sealed.

You can freeze your barbecue sauce using an ice cube tray. Use clean spoons and utensils at all times. You don’t want to add extraneous substances that could contaminate the sauce unintentionally.

Sugar and vinegar both work well as natural preservatives. Both can be boiled for around 20 minutes in a spotless, sterile, airtight container. Add your sauce next, seal, and re-boil for ten more minutes. After that, refrigerate or store in bottles or jars in a cool, dry area out of direct sunlight.

For this, a mason jar would be ideal.

Make sure to avoid putting any remaining barbecue sauce back in the bottle. Pour what you’ll need into a bowl; add more if it isn’t enough. However, avoid attempting to save money by reusing the scrap.

If the sauce were the only thing in the bottle, no spoilage would have occurred; nevertheless, the residue will inevitably contain other foods that may hasten the process.

Do BBQ Sauces Go Bad?

BBQ sauce is more likely to spoil than other sauces since it lacks preservatives and other ingredients. The presence of natural ingredients like tomato, vinegar, and sugar can cause BBQ sauces to break. The sauce may deteriorate since these components may eventually degrade.

It is advised to toss away a bottle of BBQ sauce if you have stored it in your refrigerator for longer than six months. The sauce may have visible mold or separation, indicating spoilage.

The sauce can also smell strange or be runnier than when you first got it. In general, it is better to use your senses to assess whether the BBQ sauce has been ruined and whether it should be thrown out if it is unsafe to eat.

Conclusion

The article examined barbecue sauces’ shelf lives, whether store-bought or handmade varieties.

We looked at the symptoms of deterioration, learned if consuming out-of-date barbecue sauce can cause illness, and concluded by thinking about how to extend the shelf life of barbecue sauce.