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Kitchn Cure: How Long Can You Keep Opened Condiments?

2008_03_21-stlcolleeen-frid.jpga peek inside STLcolleen's fridge from the Kitchn Cure's Flickr page

Earlier this week we answered a reader's question about how long it is safe to keep condiments. But for those who joined the Kitchn Cure, part of this week's assignment is to go through your kitchen and pitch expired foods. So we thought we'd do a follow-up.

We can all read a date-stamp, but an opened container is another thing. This morning I opened the April issue of Everyday Food and found a nice rundown of some of the most common condiments, and how long they last once they're opened.

 
 

According to Everyday Food, here are a few guidelines for how long you can keep opened containers of those common condiments taking up precious refrigerator real estate:

Ketchup: 6 months
BBQ Sauce: 4 months
Pure Maple Syrup: 12 months
Salsa: 3 days (fresh), 1 month (commercially produced, jarred)
Olives: 2 weeks (canned and jarred, airtight, covered in brine), 1-2 months (from the deli)
Mustard: 12 months
Pickles: 1-2 weeks (homemade or barrel), 2 months (commercially produced)
Jam and Jelly: 6 months
Mayonnaise: 2 months

Comments (13)

Thanks for the list. Any idea why jarred olives would spoil before fresh? That seems counterintuitive.

posted by Julie on 2008-03-21 12:20:48
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Uhhh, maybe it is time to go through my condiments. Some of them moved from my husband's apartment two years ago.

Of course, some of our spices moved from Iowa to Minnesota with my husband, 6 years ago. I don't use those ones, but he does.

posted by Kassie on 2008-03-21 13:07:14
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what do you all think about sauerkraut? .. .about the same shelf life as pickles?

posted by gogoalix on 2008-03-21 13:23:23
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ok so i know it's not a condiment, but i have a 2 or 3 year old unopened large bottle of olive oil. does anyone think it's still edible?

posted by Lourdes on 2008-03-21 14:29:09
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wow, that's a lot shorter time than i thought... but i've never gotten sick from eating the ketchup from the bottle sitting in my fridge, being used slowly, for up to a year. salsas and olives and pickles, that's different. total shock on the mayo. my jar of mayo lasts me a long ass time.

jam lasts awhile, but i get suspicious...because if you're like me, your jam jar also has tons of butter in it heheh

posted by kdkaboom on 2008-03-21 14:40:44
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Lourdes, I imagine that your olive oil is fine as long as it wasn't exposed to heat damage.

kdkaboom, I am also surprised about that mayo expiration date. This thread is making me want to purchase smaller jars of condiments in general.

posted by wig3000 on 2008-03-22 03:14:50
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My word. Everyone in my family should be dead.

posted by Fontessa on 2008-03-22 13:41:04
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Is there always a way to tell if a condiment has gone bad? I think i have some really old stuff in my fridge that, for the most part, smells and tastes fine. Maybe it's time for a purge.

posted by branny on 2008-03-22 16:07:13
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does anyone know how long chipotle peppers last in the fridge? whenever i buy a can of them i put the remaining amount in a tupperware container. i think they're packed in some sort of vinegar and adobe sauce. they don't ever get moldy or really change at all, but after a while it just seems like i should get rid of them. maybe because of the vinegar i should be following the pickle timeline.

posted by cassiopia on 2008-03-22 16:40:00
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Chipotle peppers--I'm not sure, but someone told me awhile ago that they freeze well so that's what I do with them. It actually works great because you can just scoop out what you need.

Does anyone know about pastes, like Thai chili paste? I never know how long to keep those around. They always seem okay but I'm not sure...

posted by classiccook on 2008-03-22 17:26:14
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cassiopia, I like to use dried chipotle peppers for seasoning soups, etc. Their flavor seems just as strong and vibrant as that of canned chipotles. And I can use exactly as much as I need.

posted by wig3000 on 2008-03-23 02:00:17
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How about anchovy paste?

posted by ah-ha on 2008-03-23 15:10:45
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all the more reason to opt for the small container of mayo.

posted by aub on 2008-03-24 18:49:46
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