Storing Condiments

Read an article about storing condiments and found some that I have in the fridge don't need to be like catsup, mustard and worchester sauce. I question the worchester as the botlle says to refrigerate after opening. Vinegars and oils are stored in the pantry. Pickled items in fridge. How do you store your condiments?

BerryBaby
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6 Comments

creamtea June 27, 2017
I do generally store in the fridge. Sometimes I also store oil in the fridge. I decant olive oil into a smaller vessel with a pouring spout for cooking. I like to store containers of safflower or canola in the fridge if the containers are plastic. Hot sauces, mustard, ketchup all in the fridge, same for Worcestershire. I don't use them up quickly so it doesn't hurt to store them there. And some of the mustards I buy do specify that they need to be stored in the fridge.
 

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dinner A. June 26, 2017
Most won't spoil if you keep them at room temperature, but they will lose flavor faster. I keep all my condiments in the fridge for this reason.
 
Nancy June 26, 2017
Take many of those articles with a grain of salt (stored at room temperature, no end date).
Also, use your eyes and sense of smell.
Last, sometimes it's a choice (some people swear by butter at room temp, others keep it only in the fridge) or a question of enough extra fridge space, as MMH suggests.
For good general information, see stilltasty, a site founded by a food safety expert and a journalist in 2009 with sources from USDA, CDC, FDA
http://www.stilltasty.com/Fooditems/food_storage_info
And here's an example of their advice on prepared mustard:
http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/17765
 
BerryBaby June 26, 2017
Thanks, Nancy, excellent info! FYI, The article was in a very well-known food magazine which I usually agree with, but not this time.
 
SKK June 27, 2017
Articles in well-known food magazines, or news papers, are not always well researched. I think the term is 'click bait' I purchase spices bulk, a little at a time, and keep most condiments (except oils) refrigerated. Keep butter in fridge and take out to soften before using.
 
MMH June 25, 2017
Here is our humble solution.
We combined households 3 years ago. We are both cooks. We had everything when we met and now we have more. I mean we had every Korean paste, Asian condiment, 10 mustards, 15 hot sauces, odd sauces, frozen herbs whole, chopped and puréed, , frozen stock, frozen meat etc.
I had 2 fridges when we met and that is the best solution. In our combined house we have a Samsung French door fridge with lower drawer freezer and middle snack drawer . We have it organized so that the items we use more frequently in cooking are there. Then, in the basement we have a fridge and a chest freezer. We can cool stock pots in the fridge and place all the things there that we don't use frequently. So all the odd condiments are there. I'm done with worrying about what needs to be refrigerated so the condiments we use less often are there. The chest freezer has long term frozen items.

I raised a child alone and had a full time job as a lawyer and packed lunches and learned that you can freeze more things than you would ever dream. I had the chest freezer and extra fridge when there were only 2 of us and it saved my life and kept me organized.

Don't get rid of your fridge if it's salvageable when you replace it or get a basic fridge as an extra. Some people put them in the garage - beer fridge I believe it's called. But you can always keep a case of wine cold, hold hors dvours, hold over leftovers, defrost something large. An extra fridge is a must at our house.
 
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