lol... For Alexander_0_1:
Can ketchup go bad?
Most of us buy big bottles of ketchup and use very little at a time.
If you use yours roughly two or three times a month, that bottle you’ve just opened will sit in storage for the next four or five months, at least.
Look for the following when checking if your ketchup is still okay to eat:
- Mold. While mold growth is unlikely due to presence of natural preservatives such as vinegar, it’s still possible. Check both the surface and the cap of the bottle.
- Sour or yeast-like smell. An off smell is a sure sign the ketchup is spoiled.
- Bloated bottle or an unusual popping noise when opening the bottle. If the bottle sat untouched for a long time and now either of these is present, your ketchup is off.
- Off taste. If the signature somewhat sweet taste of ketchup isn’t there anymore, it’s gone
There are, however, a couple of other changes that people mistake for ketchup being spoiled. The first of them is separation. As ketchup ages, the vinegar and other liquid will begin to separate out from the tomato paste in the condiment. You’ve likely experienced the beginning stages of this when you go to squeeze out some ketchup, and find a splash of liquid instead. A little separation is fine, and can be shaken back together, but eventually, the liquid will separate out too much to be mixed back in. That’s when you throw it out.
The second one is darkening. As ketchup continues to age, the color will begin to darken. Similar thing happens to a few other condiments, like BBQ sauce and Tobasco. When you notice your ketchup darkens, pay close attention to its quality and give it a taste before splashing on a hot dog. Because of the acidity of the tomatoes and vinegar, and the amount of sugar, ketchup (or catsup) has a pretty long shelf life.
An unopened container of ketchup can remain stored for even up to a year past the printed date. As long as it’s unopened, there’s not that much bad that can happen to it.
Once you open the bottle, you can keep it in the fridge for at least a couple of months, sometimes even up to a year. The condiment stays safe for months, but it doesn’t necessarily taste as good for as long.
If your ketchup that’s open for a few months doesn’t taste as good as it used to, consider discarding it and opening a new bottle.
Keep unopened bottles of store-bought ketchup in a cool, dark place, away from heat or direct sunlight.
Once the bottle is opened, you should refrigerate it to maximize shelf life. Of course, you can leave it at room temperature, but it keeps quality for only a month this way, instead of 6 to 12 months.
When using a utensil to get ketchup out of a glass bottle or jar,make sure it’s clean and be careful to keep the bottle cap clean,
to prevent contamination and possible mold growth. Simply wiping any buildup off of the cap, and making sure it’s dry before replacing on the bottle should be enough to keep contamination at a minimum. If you tend to store ketchup for a really long time, consider storing it upside down to retain quality for a bit longer.
