Does Tabasco Sauce Go Bad?

A mixture of tabasco peppers, vinegar, and salt that can go with any food. Its rich hot flavor is bliss for everyone, especially for spice lovers. It comes in a variety of flavors. A small amount of this sauce can change the flavor of the entire dish. Its aroma and taste are just wow. This sauce is easily available in all parts of the world.

There is a small probability of tabasco sauce going bad. The reason is the presence of salt and vinegar in it. Salt and vinegar don’t let the sauce go bad for a long period because of their non-perishable nature. You might not have heard about tabasco sauce going bad. Only the flavor and heat start to lose potency with time.

Until and unless the bottles of the sauce are stored properly, you can use it for years, even after its best by date.

How to Store Tabasco Sauce?

All sauces have the same storing method, i.e., in the pantry or refrigerator. So, we can store tobacco sauce in this way too. The shelf life of tabasco sauce is quite long, so you do not have to worry about it going bad. All you need to do is to store it properly, and that’s easy:

In the pantry

The unopened bottle of tabasco sauce can be stored in your pantry. You can use your kitchen cabinets, sauce cellars, or any kitchen drawer to store the bottles of tabasco sauce. As long as the place is cool and dry, the sauce will remain good as the first day, even after a year.

The content of salt makes the sauce preserved, and as you know, preserved things remain good at room temperature, like canned foods until they are opened.

You can also store opened bottles of tabasco sauce at room temperature if you do not live in a very hot environment.

Away from heat sources

You have to make sure that your sauce bottles are placed away from heat sources such as the stove or sunlight. The heat and light make the color of the sauce go darker. The sauce will not go bad, but it does not look appealing to the user.

In the refrigerator

Once your bottle is opened, you have to store it in the refrigerator. Just you have to make sure is that the bottle is tightly closed after every use. Also, a crusty layer appears at the edge of the bottle. Do not forget to remove it with any paper towel because mold may appear on the exposed part.

Can you Freeze Tabasco Sauce?

Freezing store-bought tabasco sauce is not a good idea. We know that it contains preservatives that do not let the sauce go bad. So, you should not go for freezing the sauce.

If you have prepared the sauce at home, you can freeze it to make it last longer. Make sure to freeze the sauce in an air-tight container.

How long does Tabasco Sauce last?

Well, tabasco sauce can last for years. We have to make sure that the sauce is stored properly with all precautions. Due to its preserved nature, it can remain good even at room temperature.

The bottle of tabasco sauce that is untouched and unopened and is stored at room temperature can last for 8 to 10 years, depending on the storage conditions. You can also store it in a refrigerator, but the lifespan is the same. You can even use it after its expiry date by checking the taste and stuff.

When it comes to store-bought, opened bottle of tabasco sauce, it remains good till 4 to 5 years inside the refrigerator. The sauce will still not go bad after this time period. Only the taste and hotness of the sauce will start to lose their potency. In contrast, homemade tabasco sauce can last for a week in the refrigerator and a month in the freezer.

How to tell if Tabasco Sauce is bad?

Tabasco sauce rarely goes bad. All that it depends on is the storage method and conditions. Remember that browning of the sauce does not mean that it has gone bad. It is just because of exposure to sunlight.

You can check for the following symptoms to see if your sauce has gone bad:

• If the bottle is unsealed and loosely closed, then the sauce might go bad. Exposure to air makes the sauce go bad very quickly.
• If you see any type of mold or growth on the sauce, it is high time to toss it out.
• If you smell any foul and gross smell, then your sauce has definitely gone bad, and you should not use it anymore.
• Finally, if the taste does not hit your tastebuds and you feel like the taste has gone plain, then there is no need to use the sauce anymore.

Sources

• Does it go bad?
• Can it go bad?
• Pepper geek