Can You Freeze Hot Sauce?
There’s nothing like adding hot sauce to your favorite foods. But when you’re dealing with a lot of the stuff, storage can be an issue. This raises an interesting question: can you freeze hot sauce?
Homemade hot sauce can be stored in a container and placed in the freezer to last longer. Anything you make with fresh fruits and vegetables will only last around 5-7 days.
Store bought products are a different story. These hot sauces contain preservatives that will extend the shelf life for months. They also have high amounts of sodium to preserve them even longer.
How to Preserve Hot Sauce
The good news is there are a handful of ways for you to extend the shelf life of your hot sauce. These options can be done if you’re making a batch for a large group of people.
In the Freezer
Homemade hot sauce can last around 4 months in the freezer. But it will slowly begin to lose its fresh taste the longer you wait to eat it. This is by far the longest way to preserve your hot sauce.
Even though it can still be good after this amount of time, the flavors will not be as bold. The hot sauce will still be safe to consume, but it won’t taste as fresh as it did the day you made the recipe.
In the Fridge
If you plan on eating your hot sauce quickly, consider storing it in the fridge. It will keep it fresh for almost a week and you won’t have to worry about defrosting. It all comes down to how fresh the ingredients were when you bought them.
Most recipes will contain peppers and even fruit (some people prefer a little sweetness with the kick). But just like fresh salsa, these fruits and vegetables don’t have a long shelf life. So, storing it in the fridge is good only for a short time period.
Use Spices
Another way to make long-lasting hot sauce is to use spices only. You can skip the fresh fruits and vegetables – as these ingredients will only last so long when stored in the fridge.
On the other hand, crafting hot sauce from chili powder, vinegar, and salt will last much longer. Plus, most of these ingredients can be found in your kitchen – which makes it very easy to make.
How Long Does Homemade Hot Sauce Last in the Fridge?
As we mentioned above, storing hot sauce in the fridge is best when you plan on eating it quickly. This will preserve the recipe for around 5-7 days.
When making food for a party, you should make the recipe one day ahead of time. This will leave you with less work for the next day, but the hot sauce will actually taste better.
As the peppers, spices, and other ingredients settle, the flavor will stand out more. Most homemade hot sauce recipes require you to have them sit for a couple of days anyway.
Further Reading
- Does Hot Sauce Have Calories?
- How to Thicken Hot Sauce
- Does Hot Sauce Stain?
- Does Hot Sauce Help You Lose Weight?
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