The cabinets of hot sauce connoisseurs all over the world are crammed with bottles of their favorite condiments. Favorite sauces tend to disappear quickly. However, sauces that are only used on rare occasions run the risk of going bad if not used immediately.
As a hot sauce fanatic, you’ve probably wondered, “Does hot sauce go bad?” Yes, that’s the short answer. It’s time for a public service announcement: hot sauce goes bad.
In the meantime, there are many ways to extend the life of your favorite hot sauce. No matter how long you plan to keep your hot sauce unopened and unfinished, there are a few things you can do to make sure it lasts until the very last drop.
- Cap Hygienic Practices
There are many condiments that fall by the wayside because of this one simple rule. Remove all of your caps and clean them!
They are only best when fixed with the help of can capping machine and before the PTFE food grade seal opens. The lid of your hot sauce is going to get a little crusty, especially if you shake it up frequently.
The air and light exposure from this crusty gunk may shorten its shelf life, making it more vulnerable to bacteria. If you have a particularly unkempt cap, it may be best to use a clean wet sponge to remove the dirt and grime from it. You don’t want a soapy sauce, so don’t use soap!
- Make Sure To Adhere To The Sterilization Procedure
Make sure all of your supplies are properly sterilized during the manufacturing process in order to prevent the introduction of harmful bacteria into your products.
- Do Not Use Oil
To avoid the introduction of botulinum toxin (a poisonous protein), experts recommend that you avoid using oil in or near your hot sauce manufacturing process.
- Ph For Hot Sauce In A Shelf-Stable
As a general rule, bacteria cannot thrive at a pH level of 3.4, which is the ideal level. Use citrus fruits like lemons or limes, or a high-quality vinegar, to achieve this balance.
Your actual recipe may necessitate additional steps to ensure the long-term viability of your hot sauce. Your hot sauce bottles need to be made of high-quality materials and properly sealed to preserve the flavor and integrity of the sauce, in addition to ensuring that your customers get the best tasting, highest quality sauce.
- Refusing To Suck On Your Fingers
Please don’t lick your bottle. Don’t bother. It doesn’t matter whether or not there is a drip. Don’t do this. Your roommate, your family, and all of us should agree to not lick the condiment bottles together!
In addition to being disgusting, your mouth is full of bacteria that do not help preserve foods.
- Best Case Scenario
Assuming you’ve read the label and realized that the sauce doesn’t need to be refrigerated after opening, where do you put it? So, how do you keep your hot sauce fresh if you don’t have a fridge? Three adjectives: cool, dry, and dark. Ideally, it can be some quality empty perfume boxes in a dark place or your pantry. Discoloration and spoilage are accelerated by exposure to direct sunlight and high temperatures.
- Pour, Don’t Dip!
It is true that hot sauce is one of the best condiments ever made. In other words, you should slather this spicy goodness all over everything. However, you should avoid dipping directly into your hot sauce bottle.
A remnant of mozzarella sticks could be left behind if you wanted to dip it directly into the hot sauce bottle. This cheese would deteriorate faster than the sauce, which could ruin the entire batch. That would be a terrible waste of time! Use only sanitized spoons to serve your sauce to avoid contamination.
- Detecting The Expiration Date On Hot Sauce
You’ve followed all the proper procedures, including properly storing your unopened hot sauce, checking the best-by date, writing down the ingredients, and shaking the bottle, but you’re not sure if your hot sauce is bad.
This is where relying on your senses comes into play. Do not be afraid to look for strange textures, black spots, or fuzzy mold. If you’re wondering how hot sauce can get moldy, it’s understandable. After all, many hot sauces are vinegar-based. The vinegar, on the other hand, slows down decomposition significantly, but it doesn’t completely halt it.
Give it a sniff if you can’t see anything wrong with it. Is it spicy, or is it a little sour, or something in between? Finally, you may have to settle for a taste. You won’t get sick from a little bit of spoiled hot sauce, and you’ll know right away if it’s bad because humans have evolved a strong dislike for rotten food as a defense mechanism.
Conclusion
To ensure that your hot sauce lasts as long as possible, keep it in the fridge (or unopened in a cool place), clean the cap and don’t dip it directly into the bottle, check the ingredients, and, most importantly all: don’t lick it!! If you need bulk glass containers, get in touch to a trusted glass bottles manufacturer to get your solution.
