Worcestershire Sauce - I never knew

[jhopp217]

This is somewhat silly and probably doesn't matter, but I was throwing out an empty bottle of Worcestershire Sauce the other day and noticed on the back of the label in small lettering "refrigerate after opening." I never knew you had to. Then I started thinking about all the things in restaurants other than this that never get refrigerated (mustard & ketchup) come to mind. Now, I don't sense any taste difference once refrigerated, so I doubt the sauce went bad, but I would never dream of not refigerating mustard or ketchup. Any thoughts?

[mrsgus]

Lord, I refrigerate EVERYTHING. It just seems that with most condiments, every time you open the jar to scoop some out, you're exposing the contents to bacteria, spores, etc. in the air. Yes, the sugar/vinegar is not the most hospitable medium for growth, but why tempt fate? Then again, the fridge is full of mustards, salsas, Worcestershire sauce, and so on, which is why we have to keep the beer in a 2nd refrigerator downstairs!

[Duppie]

I do believe you stress too much, I have come to the realization that "Refrigerate after opening" is a catch phrase used to appease the lawyers and limit liability in our overly litigious society.
I for one choose to use what little common sense I still have left and to increase the refrigerator door space for important and truly perishable items such as good IPA's, Washington state caviar's and my wife's Vadalia onion jelly .

[ttoommyy]

"It just seems that with most condiments, every time you open the jar to scoop some out, you're exposing the contents to bacteria, spores, etc. in the air. "

That happens every time you open your mouth, too. Or touch something. Or breathe. I don't mean to be insensitive, please don't misunderstand, I'm just stating the obvious.

[occula]

Me too - I refrigerate everything mentioned in every post here, as well as peanut butter, and, well, pretty much anything that's been opened that's not a dry goods staple, like beans, rice, flour. I actually used to refrigerate my flour too to keep bugs out! I also refrigerate prepared baked goods. It kind of gives me the willies that my inlaws leave cakes, pies, and cookies just sitting out. Honestly, I don't care whether it's unnecessary or not - I have a fridge, it's already plugged in, might as well make myself happy. :)

[ttoommyy]

There's nothing bad with refrigerating a lot of the things mentioned in this thread. I refrigerate a lot of the items because my condo gets extremely hot due to constant southern exposure and I find some things go bad a lot faster due this. The only down side to refrigerating some condiments is that they taste better at room temperature and sometimes the pouring consistency gets compromised in the fridge.

[occula]

I do find that PBJs are easier to make if I pop the refrigerated peanut butter jar into the microwave for 15-20 seconds. :)

[Beckyleach]

I refrigerate peanut butter AFTER getting the worse case of food poisoning in my life from an old jar...

Refrigerated baked goods get dry and stale faster, actually...although they don't mold as quickly. It's six of one-half dozen of the other, in that case.

[ttoommyy]

"It's six of one-half dozen of the other, in that case."

And with baked goods...literally! lol :)

[occula]

lol!

[peyton1]

I am a certified food handler and have had to repeat the national class every 5 years (3rd time now for our hot dog & burger truck). Most of the commercially made condiments, including mayo, salad dressings (except for the ones like Marie's that are cold in the store) mustard, ketchup and relishes do not need to be refrigerated due to the high acid or salt content and processing. I keep mayo in the fridge myself because I like it better cold and we use it very infrequently (hubby hates it). I also keep other condiments in the fridge simply to take up empty door shelf space for the fuller the fridge the less energy to keep cold. If we are running short on space before a party etc I can always stick this stuff in the cupboard. As a rule I never "double dip" with a utensil in a condiment jar, for example, if making sandwiches, "plop" the mayo on all first before spreading so there is no chance of lunch meat juice getting back in with the mayo, always use a clean knife or spoon. Slightly off topic but maybe of interest, food borne illnesses usually manifest themselves after a 30 to 60 hour incubation period in your gut, that peanut butter you ate today or yesterday is probably not the culprit but the person who served you (or yourself) with unwashed bathroom hands. Oh, and a tip, don't ever eat where the waitstaff stick the bill folders in the back of their pants, nasty things have been proven to migrate...

[ttoommyy]

"Oh, and a tip, don't ever eat where the waitstaff stick the bill folders in the back of their pants, nasty things have been proven to migrate..."

I have always hated that practice! Even when I waited tables, I never did that.

[shaogo]

Worcestershire I never refrigerate.

Mustard, nope.

Ketchup, mayo and salad dressings, yep. Sure, you can leave 'em out without a health concern, but ketchup, particularly, gets a "stale" taste if left out for even a little while (after it's opened), in my opinion.

[Harters]

Worcestershire sauce, like mustard and ketchup, is packed full of preserving ingredients. Absolutely no need to put in the fridge.

[Kelli2006]

I keep of those in the 'fridge.

[Harters]

Yes, I've read here that many Americans seem to keep things like these in the fridge. I keep very few jarred condiments, etc there as, with all the sugar and vinegar that they usually contain, they never spoil keeping them in the cupboard (I do keep low-sugar jams fridged, although not conventionally made ones)

[jumpingmonk]

I wouln'y worry about leaving it out on the counter. Remember that wosterscire sauce spent 2 YEARS out in the open air (worstercires sauce is aged in big vats, not barrels) while it was ageing, and I doubt they keep the ageing room at a refrigerated temp (they certainly wouln't have when the sauce was orginally made) Of course that sauce is pre-dilution when it's a lot more acidic (a popular, and suprisingly true thing about L&P is that the anchovies that go into the sauce are whole, unboned ones; the sauce at that point is so acidic that over the ageing process, the fish bones literally dissolve). But its still perfectly safe at "table strength"

[jhopp217]

I would never dream of not putting ketchup in the fridge. I don't use a lot of ketchup, if any on most burgers, but I have found that when I do put it on at home, the taste is much better than when I used ketchup at a restaurant.

[ttoommyy]

"the taste is much better than when I used ketchup at a restaurant."

That's because the ketchup in a restaurant has the residual taste of all those that came before you who used it and stuck their used knives (or fingers) in the bottle to help the ketchup flow. lol ;)

[jhopp217]

You mean the entire universe doesn't know to bang their hand against the 57 while it's tilted?

[ttoommyy]

Oddly enough, no. I'm part of the elite who does, though. :)

[Duppie]

I have never refrigerated it myself and in a fit of utter boredom went through some of the condiments and sauces in my pantry and Soy sauce,A1 steak sauce,Sesame oils,every salad dressing,oyster sauce,Hot sauces has that notation on the bottle.
By the way have you tried the new L&P thick Worcestershire sauce? Great for seasoning rubs and Roasts.

[LukesBride]

interesting. I've never even heard of keeping salad dressings in the pantry.
In fact, i keep all of those items you mentioned in my fridge. I've never really thought about it before...i thought that was just the way it's done.

[Duppie]

I always figured with all that vinegar and stabilizers in them, they would keep in the pantry as opposed to the fridge. My only exceptions was the ones with cheese or cream in them. Haven't had a problem yet.

[boyzoma]

Well, an interesting experiment today. DH went and got groceries for me today. So, I had him look at the Worcestershire sauce bottles on the store shelves. None of them said to refrigerate after opening.

On the other hand, he did pick up a bottle of the L&P thick Worcestershire sauce. It also came with a "Try me Free" coupon. Mail in rebate up to $3.99! We usually buy in bulk at Costco, so never thought to look at the store for a new variety! Thanks for the great tip!!

[Duppie]

You are quite welcome.

[mojoeater]

Technically, you don't have to refrigerate store-bought mayonnaise either. I do because I think it tastes better chilled.

[RGC1982]

Are you serious? With all of the food handling advice out there about things with mayo "spoiling and turning bad"? I am going to have to check my jar, which is in the fridge. That would blow my mind.

[JK Grence the Cosmic Jester]

Bit of a surprise: Mayo usually isn't the culprit. The lemon juice makes it too acidic to harbor most bacteria. In the case of potato salad, the component most likely to get you sick is the potatoes themselves. Dirt is not the cleanest growing medium, and no matter how hard you scrub, you're going to miss a few bacteria. Leave it out at room temperature long enough, and those harmless few turn into a ruined picnic.

[Awwshucks]

Because commercial mayonnaise is pasteurized, it can often be left at room temperature and still be safe. In the potato salad, since the potatoes are cooked, most likely they aren't the culprit. The usual culprit in food poisonings in regards to potato salad, is the inclusion of a protein product. My best bet would be the hard boiled eggs, which a lot of people put in their potato salads.

[JK Grence the Cosmic Jester]

I just found where I read that it's the potatoes: The New Best Recipe from Cook's Illustrated, page 99. This article quotes the book:

http://www.2theadvocate.com/features/...

[LukesBride]

I just checked, and my jar of Hellman's mayonnaise says to refrigerate after opening.

[roro1831]

When I was growing up, we never refrigerated the mayo. We went through it pretty quick with mom making at least three to four sandwiches a day.
I still would not keep mine in the fridge, but my wife freaks out about it so I put it in the fridge. I make my sandwich for lunch and it sits at room temp for about 4 hours before I eat it, never had a problem.

[mojoeater]

Most condiments say refrigerate (even mustard and ketchup) in spite of the fact that they are largely acidic and thus can actually inhibit harmful bacteria. It's the other stuff that gets mixed in with mayo that is usually to blame.

"A good rule of thumb is that if it is sold at room temperature in your retail store it is probably safe."

http://www.snopes.com/food/tainted/cu...

[boyzoma]

I just saw your post and it intrigued me. So I went to look at my bottle. It does NOT say to refrigerate after opening, and I have never done so. I've never noticed any strange tastes either. Maybe it is just a brand thing? My brand is Lea & Perrins. Of course, we go through a lot of it in our house ;-)

[jhopp217]

Mine was Lea and Perrins too!

[goodhealthgourmet]

it doesn't *need* to be refrigerated - that's just a CYA for the manufacturers. refrigeration may extend the shelf life somewhat, but it will still last at room temperature for a year or two.