How long does Sriracha last?

Some people add a splash of sriracha to any meal, from breakfast scrambles and avocado toast to meat dishes served at night.

If you’re not one of these people, you may not know what to do with a half-full bottle of sriracha that’s been sitting in your fridge for months.

How long does sriracha last?

An unopened bottle of sriracha will keep for up to 24 months after the printed date, provided the storage conditions are right. An opened bottle of sriracha stored in the refrigerator has a shelf life of 24 months. Pantry-stored sriracha will last about 9 months. 

If you’re a sriracha lover, read on to find out how to properly store this seasoning, how to make it keep better, and what are the signs that sriracha is bad.

Does Sriracha go bad?

Sriracha is a popular favorite for all kinds of meals, including burrito bowls, eggs, and steak. It’s even on our list of the best condiments for ramen . So it’s no wonder we want it to last forever.

But unfortunately, like all other seasonings, sriracha is perishable. Improper storage conditions can cause sriracha to go bad quite easily. As long as you store the sauce properly, you will benefit from its long shelf life.

Sriracha is made from chili peppers and distilled vinegar. Although there are other additives in the commercially manufactured sauce that enhance its shelf life, the vinegar itself is a natural preservative.

Vinegar is acetic. Kills microbes that contribute to food spoilage. The vinegar, along with the preservatives added to the sauce, give the sauce a fairly long shelf life.

But there is a problem that almost all sriracha users run into. This sauce comes in large bottles. Since it is a moderately spicy sauce, people often use a small amount to cover their food.

Those who don’t use this red sauce often end up with a nearly full bottle of sriracha that they don’t know what to do with.

How to preserve Sriracha?

If you have missed out on this hot sauce and have just started using it, you may be wondering how to store it properly for maximum shelf life and flavor.

Simply put, you should keep a bottle of sriracha like the rest of your seasonings, either in the fridge or pantry.

An unopened bottle of sriracha does not need to be refrigerated. Thanks to the airtight container and the preservatives in the sauce, the sriracha is stable. With that being said, there are three rules you need to follow.

First of all, you need to keep the bottle of sriracha away from heat. Keep it away from direct sunlight, as well as from heat sources such as the oven or stove.

Second, store it in a dark place, away from light. The sriracha comes in clear jars. Natural light will pass through it quickly and deteriorate it.

And lastly, be sure to store your seasoning in a room where the temperature won’t fluctuate. You can store the sauce in a cupboard.

However, not in one close to the stove, since the steam from cooking causes temperature fluctuations that end up causing the sauce to spoil before it should.

Therefore, store unopened sriracha in the pantry, cupboard, or somewhere cool, dry, and dark. As for an open bottle of sriracha, you can keep it in the fridge. Be sure to close the cap tightly after each use.

Can sriracha be left unrefrigerated?

As we’ve already said, an unopened bottle of sriracha doesn’t need to be refrigerated. Surprisingly, there’s no need to refrigerate an opened bottle of sriracha, either.

You can store it in the pantry or in a kitchen cabinet where it is dry, dark, and most importantly, cool.

It is not recommended to leave the sriracha unrefrigerated alone when it is too hot where you live and it is impossible to find a room with a moderately cool temperature.

Also, when you leave the sauce unrefrigerated, make sure that the temperature of the storage area is constant. Otherwise, the quality of the sauce will quickly deteriorate.

How long does Sriracha last?

Sriracha has a fairly long shelf life. Even if you’re someone who rarely uses sriracha but still enjoys having it as a dressing option when dining out, buying a bottle of sriracha is very cost effective.

The shelf life of this chili sauce is determined by the expiration date printed on the bottle.

However, as we all know by now, this date is simply an estimate of how long the product will maintain its best qualities. If you never get past the printed date, then throw the sauce away as soon as it’s past its best-before date.

But this date means nothing if you don’t store the product properly. So regardless of the date on the bottle, always make sure to store your sriracha following the storage rules above.

Store-bought sriracha sauce contains preservatives. These extend the shelf life of the seasoning. An unopened bottle of sriracha will last up to 24 months after the printed date.

When you open a bottle of sriracha that has passed the date indicated on the bottle, examine it carefully to see if it is still safe to drink.

An opened bottle of sriracha has a shelf life of 24 months if stored in the fridge, in a tightly closed bottle. If stored in the pantry, an open bottle of sriracha will be good for about 9 months.

If the original jar of sriracha goes bad, transfer it to another jar or bottle that you can seal tightly and ensure that the flavor and intensity of the sauce does not deteriorate.

How long does homemade Sriracha last?

Since homemade sriracha sauce does not contain any added preservatives, its shelf life is naturally shorter.

Although the vinegar is still there as a natural preservative, it is recommended to store homemade sriracha in the refrigerator. Homemade sriracha will keep for 4-6 months.

Can you make sriracha last longer?

You can’t make sriracha last much longer than it already does. However, you can always do the opposite. It is important to know what you can do to make this sauce last longer, as well as to keep it better.

First, whenever you use sriracha as a dipping sauce, pour the required amount into a small bowl. Put the bottle back in the place where you have kept it.

The rule that you must follow at all times is that you should never put leftover sauce back in the bottle. If you do, food particles may appear in the sauce.

These will not only add hints of other flavors to the sauce, but will also cause it to go bad more quickly.

Another thing you can do to keep your sriracha flavor at its best is to always clean the tip of the bottle. It is usually crunchy with the leftover sauce.

Removing the dry sauce from the stopper will prevent any dry particles from getting into the sauce and altering the texture.

Can Sriracha be frozen to make it last longer?

Freezing is the storage technique par excellence that extends the shelf life of many products. So can you freeze sriracha? If possible. Freezing sriracha is safe. But the other question to ask yourself after this is if you really need it.

You don’t need to freeze sriracha as it lasts long enough stored in the fridge and even in the pantry. Also, freezing and thawing the sriracha will thin out the sauce, making it less spicy and flavorful and altering the texture.

Plus, you never know when you’re going to crave a drizzle of sriracha on your food, so take it out of the freezer early and let the sauce thaw.

How do you know if sriracha is bad?

It’s rare for sriracha to go bad. What happens most often is that the sauce loses its flavor qualities, and when the sauce does not add anything to the dish, you can consider it spoiled.

But this doesn’t mean that sriracha can’t go bad. If you leave it in a hot and humid place, you will surely see the signs that the sriracha is bad.

These are the signs that the seasoning should be discarded:

1. Mold - If there is mold on the sriracha bottle, the sauce should be gone.
2. Unpleasant odor - If the seasoning smells bad, it is safe to throw it away. Good sriracha has an appetizing smell with hints of garlic and other spices that can be added to it. In no case should it smell fermented.
3. Texture changes - Last but not least, if you notice texture changes in the sauce, discard it and open a new bottle.

If there are no obvious signs of spoilage and the sauce hasn’t been in your fridge or pantry longer than expected, give it a try. If it tastes good, then you can safely add it to your food.

One thing that makes people think it’s time to ditch the hot seasoning is the color change. However, it is natural for chili-based sauces like sriracha to darken over time.