How Long Can You Keep Opened Condiments?

Christine Gallary
Christine GallaryFood Editor-at-Large
Christine graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France, and she has worked at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW.com. She lives in San Francisco and loves teaching cooking classes. Follow her latest culinary escapades on Instagram.
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updated Aug 30, 2022
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(Image credit: Christine Gallary)

I have an ongoing real estate battle in my refrigerator door between condiments and cocktail ingredients. While I can ignore boozes and bitters since they seem to last practically forever, condiments definitely have shorter shelf lives and need to be pruned occasionally.

We can all read a date stamp, but an opened container is another thing. Here’s a rundown of some of the most common condiments and how long they last once they’re opened.

In dealing with my refrigerator door battle, I stumbled on Still Tasty, a handy website that helps demystify how long foods last. Here are their guidelines for how long you can keep opened containers of common condiments (commercially produced, not homemade) in your refrigerator:

  • BBQ Sauce: 4 months
  • Capers: 1 year (brined)
  • Horseradish: 3-4 months (prepared)
  • Hot Sauce: 5 years
  • Jam and Jelly: 1 year
  • Ketchup: 6 months
  • Mayonnaise: 2-3 months after the “Use by” or “Best by” date
  • Miso: 1 1/2 years
  • Mustard: 1 year
  • Olives: 1 year or date on the package (jarred or canned), 2-3 months (from the deli)
  • Pickles: 1 year
  • Pure Maple Syrup: 1 year
  • Relish: 1 year
  • Salad Dressing: 6-9 months (sold unrefrigerated), 6 months or date on package (sold refrigerated)
  • Salsa: 5-7 days (sold refrigerated), 1 month (sold unrefrigerated)
  • Soy Sauce: 2 years
  • Tartar Sauce: 6 months
  • Worcestershire Sauce: 2 years
(Image credit: Christine Gallary)

Now you never have to worry about whether or not something is still safe to use!

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Ingredient
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