Have you ever wondered what the right way to store hot sauce is? I did – especially after recently finding a year-old bottle of our Cayenne Sauce hidden away in a cabinet. Fortunately for me, that bottle was still good. It turns out that vinegar-based hot sauces, or those with higher acidity, won’t spoil quickly if you store them at room temperature, away from the sun. The acidity in the hot sauce serves to prohibit mold and bacterial growth. With that said, my one-year-old bottle of Cayenne Sauce looked darker, thanks to oxidation over time, and while it wasn’t ruined, it did taste slightly less fresh. When you purchase sauces from us, the sauces are stored in a warehouse away from the sun and at room temperature.
Be sure to also check the label on the hot sauce. It should have instructions on how to store that particular bottle or jar after opening. Sometimes, it can be confusing. For example, our Serrano Sauce is fermented. When unopened, our Serrano Sauce tends to be shelf-stable for a long time. But once you open our Serrano Sauce, like other fermented foods, you should refrigerate it.
With all that said, certain hot sauces should be refrigerated at all times. If the hot sauce is made with fruit, has high water contend, and lacks vinegar or other acidity to stabilize it, it is always best to keep it in the refrigerator. For example, our cooking sauces: Cherry Pomegranate, Jerk Sauce, Asian Marinade, and our Chicken Wing Sauce should all be refrigerated after opening. In addition to our cooking sauces, our sweet sauces should be placed in the refrigerator. Our Goin’ Bananas, Goin’ Bananas with Rum, and Tropical Rum, Pineapple and Raisin Hot Sauce, should be refrigerated. Additionally, with all hot sauces, regardless of whether it is acidic, fermented, or has high water contend, refrigerating it after opening will not hurt the sauce. Not only does refrigeration slow bacteria and mold growth, but it can also keep your hot sauces tasting fresh for a longer period of time.
If all this talk about spicy sauces has you craving some heat, take a walk through our selection of spicy sauces and marinades by checking out our website at www.peppersofkeywest.com
