a peek inside STLcolleen's fridge from the Kitchn Cure's Flickr pageEarlier 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.











Thanks for the list. Any idea why jarred olives would spoil before fresh? That seems counterintuitive.
view Julie's profile
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.
view Kassie's profile
what do you all think about sauerkraut? .. .about the same shelf life as pickles?
view gogoalix's profile
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?
view Lourdes's profile
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
view kdkaboom's profile
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.
view wig3000's profile
My word. Everyone in my family should be dead.
view Fontessa's profile
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.
view branny's profile
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.
view cassiopia's profile
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...
view classiccook's profile
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.
view wig3000's profile
How about anchovy paste?
view ah-ha's profile
all the more reason to opt for the small container of mayo.
view aubrey's profile