A condiment question! This is from Amanda, who asks:
How long do condiments keep in the fridge? I don't often use things like ketchup, mustard, Worcesteshire sauce, etc. but I still have them around. I think some have been in my fridge for two years or more - is that way beyond their shelf life?
Well, the easiest answer is pretty brief: Check the expiration date on your condiments. If that tiny date stamped somewhere on the bottom or side of the bottle tells you it expired in September... of 2006... pitch it! (We find great pleasure in pitching expired condiments. It's satisfying on a level we can't explain.)
Another helpful tool is this Table of Condiments that Periodically Go Bad:
• Table of Condiments that Periodically Go Bad
Other thoughts for Amanda and her condiments?
(Photo: Ad for Heinz, designed by McCann Erickson, London, via Frederik Samuel)
Copyright © 2008 Apartment Therapy
I think the table is a joke.
view Joan A.'s profile
the expiration date is the last "sell by date"; it defines the shelf line of the UNOPENED condiment.
once the bottle is opened, the bottle probably won't last that long.
in general, the lower the acid, the quicker it goes bad.
there's a good list here:
http://www.healthgoods.com/education/nutrition_information/Food_Safety_and_Storage/food_storage_guidelines.htm
and an article here:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/08/06/earlyshow/health/main3136152.shtml
also- the higher the alcohol content, the longer it lasts (like vanilla extract)
view jillrenee from boston's profile
When they grow legs under the white fur and start talking back...
view hdtex's profile
What an amazing photo! It puts the Absolut ads to shame :)
view The Jew And The Carrot's profile