Sriracha is a hot sauce that’s popular in the U.S. and around the world. This hot sauce is popular in Asian cuisine such as stir fry, dipping sauce for egg rolls, and making soups extra spicy. In addition, it can be added to just about any food that needs the flavor to be hotter. Since most people won’t be eating food that requires it to be spicy every day, a bottle of sriracha hot sauce might last them a whole year. Therefore, they will wonder if it’s kept that long, does sriracha go bad?
Sriracha hot sauce does go bad like any other food if it’s not stored properly. This means storing them in a cool and dry place like the pantry or the fridge. In addition, if it’s been opened already, the hot sauce should be sealed tightly when not in use.
Sriracha Sauce Shelf Life
| Room Temperature | Refrigerator | Freezer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sriracha sauce (unopened) | Best By Date + 2 Years | Not Recommended | Not Recommended |
| Sriracha sauce (opened) | 6 to 9 Months | 2 Years | Not Recommended |
How Long Does Sriracha Sauce Last?
Sriracha sauce is just like any other hot sauce, it’s somewhat difficult to tell how long it will last. Most of the time you’ll find yourself throwing them out because the quality has degraded, not because they have gone bad.
Additionally, there’s a “Best By” date on the bottle that tells you how long it will stay fresh. However, with sriracha sauce, they can last much longer than that.
They don’t go bad quickly due to the ingredients used, especially vinegar. Vinegar itself will last indefinitely, whether it’s stored at room temperature or in the fridge.
Sriracha sauce that hasn’t been open yet will last for 2 years or even more. As long as it is stored in a cool and dry place like the pantry, it can last for a very long time.
On the other hand, sriracha sauce that has been opened already, and how long it will last will depend on where you store them. At room temperature, sriracha sauce will last about 6 to 9 months. In the fridge, it can last for 2 years.
How To Store Sriracha Sauce?
When it comes to storing sriracha sauce, it’s the same as you would with other hot sauces. That means storing them in a cool place, away from sunlight and any heat sources.
If the hot sauce is exposed to sunlight or heat for a prolonged period, it will affect the quality of the sauce. This means if it is sitting on the table in the kitchen, it’s exposed to the heat and the taste quality will decrease over time. The pantry or cabinet is the best place to store them.
For the opened bottle of sriracha sauce, once it’s opened, the quality will start degrading slowly. Therefore, it’s important after each use, to seal the cap back tightly.
Additionally, if you use the hot sauce often, leaving them in the kitchen at room temperature is perfectly fine. Again, just make sure the cap is sealed tightly and it’s not in direct sunlight.
For a bottle of sriracha sauce that hasn’t been opened yet, storing them at room temperature is perfectly fine as well. Just make sure it’s stored in a cool and dry place like the pantry or the cabinet.
If you’d like to confirm that, please check out the manufacturer’s page, Huy Fong Foods FAQ. It clearly states that the sauce doesn’t have to be stored in the fridge, whether the bottle is opened or unopened.
Can You Freeze Sriracha Sauce?
Freezing sriracha sauce is an option, but you won’t gain more shelf life or preserve the taste quality longer than you would store them in the fridge.
The reason is that sriracha sauce contains high concentrations of acid, which is in the form of vinegar. Due to the high acidity, bacteria will not find it very favorable to inhabit the hot sauce.
Additionally, hot chili pepper is another ingredient that’s used. The capsaicin that’s found in the pepper will help prevent fungi and microbes from forming.
All that said, freezing sriracha sauce is possible, but you won’t gain anything more from it than you would store them in the fridge or in the pantry.
How To Keep Sriracha Sauce Lasting Longer
To keep this tasty hot sauce lasting for a very long time, always make sure the cap is sealed tightly back after each use. If the cap is not sealed back, air will get into the bottle and cause the sauce to harden. However, it will still be safe to eat, but you won’t enjoy the taste or texture much.
When using sriracha sauce, never pour any leftover back into the bottle. This could contaminate the entire bottle of sauce which will cause them to go bad. Instead, any leftover hot sauce should be discarded.
Depending on how often you use sriracha sauce, you should choose the right size bottle. Sriracha sauce comes in many different sizes: 9 oz., 17 oz., 28 oz, and 8.50 lbs.
If you use sriracha sauce once in a while, choose the smallest size which is 9 oz. This way, you don’t need to worry about the quality degrading and throwing the bigger bottle away.
How to Tell If Sriracha Sauce Is Bad
Due to the ingredients used to make sriracha sauce, they will rarely go bad if stored properly. This is due to the hot chili pepper and vinegar used, which have properties that deter mold and bacteria from forming.
However, if it’s not stored properly or handled correctly, sriracha sauce can go bad. This is usually from leaving the sauce in direct sunlight or not sealing the cap back on when it’s not used. Another thing that could cause them to go bad is pouring leftover sriracha sauce back into the bottle.
When sriracha sauce does go bad, there will be a couple of signs to look for. One of them is discoloration in the sauce. The good quality sauce will be a vibrant red. When it goes bad, the color of the sauce will be a darker shade of red.
Related Questions
What is sriracha sauce made of?
Sriracha sauce is made of distilled vinegar, garlic, salt, sugar, and chili peppers.
Can consuming too much sriracha sauce be bad?
Sriracha sauce is like any other food, too much of it can be bad. For some people, consuming too much sriracha sauce could give them heartburn. Others might experience gastrointestinal disturbances — like abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea. This is due to the chili peppers that are used to make the hot sauce.
Is sriracha sauce and Tabasco sauce the same?
Both use similar ingredients to make the sauce, but there are some differences between them. Sriracha sauce has a thick consistency, while Tabasco sauce has thin runny liquid.
As for which one is hotter, Tabasco is at approximately 2,500 SHU (Scoville heat units) and Sriracha at around 2,200 SHU.