We all love a good condiment with our meals, but nobody wants a stale sauce. You can prevent your condiments from going bad by following their storage instructions if you want to maintain their flavour for as long as possible.Some sauces become stale within 5 days, if not stored properly. Some people prefer to store opened sauces in a cupboard, but it’s not recommended. To keep a sauce fresh for as long as possible, pop it in the fridge after breaking the seal.Look out for the tell-tale signs that your sauce is past its best – darkening of colour, fermented smell, or white-coloured growths.

How to Store Sauces?

Some sauces, for example sweet and sour, require refrigeration; make sure to tighten the cap before keeping it in the fridge. Even when placing the sauces on the dining table, ensure that they are not uncovered for too long because higher temperatures are conducive to the development of bacterial pockets in the ingredients.Mayonnaise, mustard sauce, hot chili sauce, sweet chili sauce, barbeque sauce, tartare sauce, brown sauce, mint sauce, cranberry sauce, and applesauce are other dressings that need refrigeration after unsealing.You must also bear in mind that if your sauces are prepared at home, then adding the appropriate proportion of vinegar and sugar is a must. By doing so, you can prevent them from going bad quickly. Remember that the home-prepared sauces have a shorter shelf life compared to the store-bought ones.Where soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, malt vinegar, sesame oil, and extra virgin olive oil are concerned, they must be stored away from direct sunlight. They can be stored in a dark, cool corner of your kitchen to retain their freshness.The golden rule for any food storage, sauces included, is when in doubt, throw it out. Pre-prepared sauces often have a long shelf-life, and for that reason we tend to keep them a long time and often continue using them after they are past their best. Nobody likes to waste food, but to stay on the safe side, make sure to buy a new jar or bottle if you think yours has been around for a bit too long.