Does Soy Sauce Go Bad?

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Soy sauce is a well-liked condiment with sushi, spring rolls, and other Asian dishes. Every Asian household has a bottle of soy sauce available every time in the cabinet. It is made by fermenting the soybean paste. A lot of salt goes in the sauce.

The presence of salts in the soy sauce prevents it from going bad quickly, so it has a good life and can be stored for up to years. Soy sauce comes in two types, the light one and the dark one. You can grab it from your nearest grocery store. If you are new to soy sauce and do not know about its storage, this article will answer all your queries.

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How to store the soy sauce?

The soy sauce usually does not too much attention to its storage. It is because the soy sauce already contains excessive salts. The salty environment does not facilitate the microorganisms to grow, so there is nearly no molding. It is already fermented, and even if it undergoes a little fermentation, it is not affected.

If you keep minute things in mind while storing your soy sauce, your soy sauce can last a lifetime. The points described below will assist you in storing your sauce.

Keep it in a cool and dry place

Soy sauce should always be placed in a cool and dry place. If your bottle of soy sauce is unopened, your pantry or a cabinet is the best place for it. It can be stored anywhere except for warm areas. It will not go bad in any way.

Once it is opened, you need to make sure it is placed in a cool and dry place. If your soy sauce interacts with moisture and heat, there are chances that it will go bad early.

Do not leave it open in the air for a long time

The soy sauce should be covered once you have poured out the desired quantity. If the soy sauce is exposed to air for a long time, it may change its chemical composition. The soy sauce can be oxidized due to oxygen.

The soy sauce may also absorb odor from different food products giving it a nasty smell. It will destroy the taste of food if it is used.

Put it in the fridge

If you want to store the soy sauce for even longer, you can place it in the fridge. The cabinet-kept soy sauce will also not go bad, but its flavor and smell may also deteriorate.

The refrigerated soy sauce will have no change in its aroma and taste. It will remain perfect for years. You only have to make sure that your soy sauce is properly closed.

Can you freeze your soy sauce?

If you want to store your soy sauce for a very long time, you can put its bottle in the freezer, and it will not spoil. The low temperature will preserve it for a long time. However, it will not freeze. The soy sauce has a high quantity of dissolved salts in it.

Whenever salts are dissolved in any substance, they reduce its freezing point. So soy sauce requires an extremely low temperature to freeze. Moreover, the soy sauce is fermented by bacteria, so it contains ethanol. Alcohols also have a low freezing point. Both factors are responsible for the reduction of the freezing point of soy sauce.

How long does soy sauce last?

The soy sauce does not go bad due to its high content of salts, which act as natural preservatives. There are chances of mold formation in it. The unopened bottle of sauce will have an indefinite lifetime unless it is open. The opened bottle for soy sauce will hold its flavor for a year.

After a year, it will not go bad, but it will start to lose its flavor. If you refrigerate your soy sauce, it will not go bad for three years. If you want to keep your soy sauce in the freezer, it will not go bad until it is all finished.

How to tell if the soy sauce is bad?

In most cases, you will have completely consumed your sauce before it goes bad. The soy sauce comes with a printed expiry date, but it can still be used for six months past its expiry date. If you notice some unusual appearance in the soy sauce, it may have gone bad.

If the soy sauce shows the following conditions, it is time you say goodbye to your soy sauce.

The soy sauce has become darker than usual.
The soy sauce gives a strong rancid smell, which is not normal.
Normally, molds do not grow in soy sauce, but they can grow if there is some external contamination in the soy sauce, The contaminated particles would have rotten, resulting in mold formation in the soy sauce.