Condiments--refrigeration or not?

[CWS4322]

Okay--my fridge is FULL. Here at the farm, I don't have 2 fridges. The fridge is FULL. A lot of the space is taken up by condiments. Which ones must be kept in the fridge after opening? I keep soy sauce, worch. sauce, ketchup (it hangs around for about 2-3 years), mustards, vinegars, thai sauce, fish sauce, peanut oil, maple syrup, horseradish, and other such things in the fridge. Are there any that I can safely move to the pantry?

 

[pacanis]

I'm sure there are some more that can be kept unrefrigerated than the ones I keep out, but peanut oil and vinegar jump out to me. I treat peanut oil like any cooking oil and have never refrigerated it. Nor have I ever regrigerated my vinegars.
I know there are some people who don't refrigerate ketchup or mustard, but it takes me a looooong time to go through those, so I do. I don't have that much room in my cupboards, so it works out well for me to refrigerate some things. Salad dressings take up the majority of the space I would like to reclaim.

 

[CWS4322]

What about Baker's chocolate? My mom always kept that in the fridge, is that necessary?

 

[CWS4322]

Condiments, pickles, pickled fish, and dairy products (cheese, sour cream, yogurt, buttermilk, whole milk, 2% milk) take up a lot of fridge space here. I also keep lard and margarine (for the dogs) in the fridge. I'm just trying to figure out if some of the stuff in the fridge doesn't need to be there...I put the peanut oil in after I used it for frying...the walnut, seasame seed, mustard, and almond oils have always lived in the fridge...at this time of year, I can put the oils in the summer kitchen, but not in the summer! I was told to keep the balsamic vinegar in the fridge--is that necessary? I also am limited on shelf space, but I can figure out something.

 

[justplainbill]

I do not believe the worcestershire sauce bottle label says 'refrigerate after opening'. Armour lard is supposed to be shelf stable.

 

[CWS4322]

I also keep my jars of quinoa in the fridge. They probably could go in the freezer? I keep nuts in the freezer so they don't get rancid, especially walnuts.

 

[justplainbill]

I also keep my jars of quinoa in the fridge. They probably could go in the freezer? I keep nuts in the freezer so they don't get rancid, especially walnuts.

Sounds like you could use a Foodsaver type vacuum packager.

PS - I think stable should be stabile but wordcheck does not

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Soy Sauce, I have never kept that in the fridge. I think you could put all of it e\xcept the horeseradish in the summer kitchen if it is cool there. Milk was on sale the other day, I put a gallon in the freezer. You could also set some things outside in a box.

 

[sparrowgrass]

I am not much help, C-dub, cuz I keep all that stuff in the fridge, with the exception of vinegar. I keep condiments in the fridge to keep them corralled--they get lost in the cupboards.

The soy and fish sauce can definitely go in the cupboard, and so can the chocolate. I keep grains and nuts in the freezer.

 

[jennyema]

Soy sauce, fish sauce, ponzu, vinegar live outside the fridge. Plus I have so many in such big bottles they'd never fit. My worcestershire, gazzillion hot sauces live in the fridge, though they probably don't need to. Hot sauces darken if left out, though.

Olive oil and sesame oil out, as they are used frequently. 100% peanut oil in the fridge as I find it goes rancid faster than other oils. Canola oil in fridge since I hardly ever use it.

Mustard and ketchup in fridge. Real maple syrup in fridge - it grows mold. Prepared horseradish is sold cold so I keep in fridge. Wasabi, anchovies, sambals, curry pastes, hoisin, porcini mushrooms, kecap manis, HP sauce and other stuff of the like I keep in the fridge after they are opened.

 

[jennyema]

Soy sauce, fish sauce, ponzu, vinegar live outside the fridge. Plus I have so many in such big bottles they'd never fit. My worcestershire, gazzillion hot sauces live in the fridge, though they probably don't need to. Hot sauces darken if left out, though.

Olive oil and sesame oil out, as they are used frequently. 100% peanut oil in the fridge as I find it goes rancid faster than other oils. Canola oil in fridge since I hardly ever use it.

Mustard and ketchup in fridge. Real maple syrup in fridge - it grows mold. Prepared horseradish is sold cold so I keep in fridge. Wasabi, anchovies, sambals, curry pastes, hoisin, porcini mushrooms, kecap manis, HP sauce and other stuff of the like I keep in the fridge after they are opened.

I keep quinio (sp?), farro and arborio rice in fridge, but red rose rice outside since we go through a lot of it. I also keep supermarket bread crumbs and panko in the fridge but keep homemade bread crumbs in the freezer.

I'd pull the soy sauce, fish sauce and vinegar out if i were you. You get more room and they don't need to be in.

 

[GLC]

A lot of that doesn't need to be in there, but I know what you mean. Worch. sauce is fine outside, as is soy sauce, vinegars, and most mustards. Fish sauce should be refrigerated, I think. Some makers recommend it. It's got enough salt to keep it safe, but the flavor can go off. Maple syrup can get moldy. Often, it is the preservation of flavor, rather than safety, that decides. Hot chili sauces do get dark when left out, but I burn through them pretty fast, so they don't get the chance.

But, yes. The refrigerator can slowly fill up with partially used condiments, sauces, and such. Some of it's unavoidable. If you don't cook Thai a lot, Thai sauce is going to be around a while. A jar of ginger slices is going to be a permanent guest, unless you go wild on sushi. And then you find whole shelves dedicated to them and their friends.

I just make myself clean them out periodically. If I haven't used the other half of a bottle of mango sauce in months, (1) I probably won't use it in the next few months, and (2) it's not at its best. Either way, it goes. Sometimes, you have to just admit that you're a victim of makers' packaging decisions, and the cost of the whole jar is just the cost of making the dish. It's bad kitchen juju to let the refrigerator stay packed with stuff like that and to have to dig for things you're no longer even sure are in there. The kitchen is like a workshop. You won't do good work when it's disorderly.

Now, if we step over to the spice cabinet, we find the real dilemmas.

 

[Rocklobster]

I like the bottles that are almost finished. You don't want to use them, but you don't want to throw them out. So, they sit there......

 

[CWS4322]

Okay--quinoa is going in the freezer. The worch. and soy are out, the sesame oil is out, the fish oil is in. Baker's chocolate is out. What about tabasco?

 

[Andy M.]

Tabasco-out! As a general rule, red the label. If it says to refrigerate after opening, I do so.

 

[ChefJune]

What about Baker's chocolate? My mom always kept that in the fridge, is that necessary?

There is no reason at all to keep baking chocolate in the fridge.

Unless you are using organic ketchup, you don't need to keep that in the fridge. I don't know why or when most folks started doing that. There is SO much sugar in ketchup (well, hfcs, really ) it will never spoil. And I heard that from someone from the Heinz test kitchen.

 

[Steve Kroll]

I keep all condiments in the fridge, whether they say to refrigerate or not. I buy mostly organic, and those types of foods tend to have shorter shelf life. As I buy them, I write the purchase date on the lid with a sharpie pen. Every couple of months I go through and anything with a date older than a year or that looks dodgy gets tossed - or, if it's something I feel bad about tossing, I'll try and make something that week that uses the ingredient (and then maybe toss it afterward).

I keep small quantities of lard and butter in the fridge. The rest goes in the freezer. Oils like Canola, Olive, Flaxseed, Avocado, and nut oils I also keep in the fridge because they can go rancid. I don't refrigerate vinegar, though. Just hold it up to the light before using. If it's clear, use it. If it's oxidized or cloudy, toss it.

If I didn't have my periodic cleanings, I don't think I would have room in my fridge for actual food.

 

[CWS4322]

There is no reason at all to keep baking chocolate in the fridge.

Unless you are using organic ketchup, you don't need to keep that in the fridge. I don't know why or when most folks started doing that. There is SO much sugar in ketchup (well, hfcs, really ) it will never spoil. And I heard that from someone from the Heinz test kitchen.

It is organic ketchup!

 

[CWS4322]

I keep all condiments in the fridge, whether they say to refrigerate or not. I buy mostly organic, and those types of foods tend to have shorter shelf life. As I buy them, I write the purchase date on the lid with a sharpie pen. Every couple of months I go through and anything with a date older than a year or that looks dodgy gets tossed - or, if it's something I feel bad about tossing, I'll try and make something that week that uses the ingredient (and then maybe toss it afterward).

I keep small quantities of lard and butter in the fridge. The rest goes in the freezer. Oils like Canola, Olive, Flaxseed, Avocado, and nut oils I also keep in the fridge because they can go rancid. I don't refrigerate vinegar, though. Just hold it up to the light before using. If it's clear, use it. If it's oxidized or cloudy, toss it.

If I didn't have my periodic cleanings, I don't think I would have room in my fridge for actual food.

That's my problem--I don't have room for real food! The DH is complaining that all that is in the fridge is condiments...it was okay with 2 fridges, but with only one fridge, there's no room for the real food!

I'm worse than you Steve, I print LABELS and put those on the bottles with the purchase date AND the date opened.

 

[Timothy]

Tabasco-out! As a general rule, read the label. If it says to refrigerate after opening, I do so.

That's what I do also, Andy. As paranoid as food manufacurers are about making anyone sick, I figure they will tell me if it needs refridgeration. I just read the label.

Plus, in Florida, there are so many damn bugs. They get in your house, no matter what you do. If you have anything to eat out, they will come in droves. That's one of the drawbacks to living in the Sunshine State. It's the bug capital of the world.