Does Applesauce Go Bad?: Do you have some leftover applesauce staring at you from the pantry but no plans to use it just yet? That makes you wonder: does applesauce go bad? How long does applesauce last in the fridge?
Did you know an unopened jar of applesauce lasts for years, but once you open it, the clock starts ticking? And how long an open applesauce is good for depends heavily on its storage. Here’s all about the shelf life, storage, and spoilage of applesauce, both store-bought and homemade.
- Does Applesauce Go Bad?
- How Long Does Applesauce Last?
- How To Tell If Applesauce Has Gone Bad?
- How To Store The Apple Sauce?
- How To Use Leftover Applesauce?
- Can You Freeze Applesauce?
- Can applesauce get moldy?
- Is fresh applesauce supposed to be sour?
- What is a good applesauce substitute?
Does Applesauce Go Bad?
Yes, applesauce can and does go bad. Just like any other food item made from fruits, applesauce will spoil if not stored properly or if it is left unused for too long.
Store-bought applesauce, however, tends to last much longer than one that’s freshly made at home. This is because, unlike homemade sauce, store-bought applesauce contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C), a preservative that helps prolong its shelf life. But these preservatives will only be effective if the sauce remains sealed.
Once the applesauce bottle has been opened, the product starts to degrade and will go bad within a few days. Even a sealed bottle that is past its best-by date will face quality deterioration. Applesauce can last up to a month after the printed date, but it won’t taste as good as a freshly made one.
How Long Does Applesauce Last?
Sealed applesauce can retain its quality for about 1–4 months past the “best by” date. The best-by date can be used to estimate how long you can use your applesauce before it goes bad. But unlike an expiration or sell-by date, you can still consume the product after this date.
No single rule governs how long applesauce will stay good after the best-by date, as different brands use different ingredients to prolong the shelf life of their product. But in most cases, applesauce will last between one and four months after the “best by” date.
An opened jar of applesauce will last about 7 to 10 days in the refrigerator. Applesauce must be refrigerated to maintain a cool temperature and avoid the growth of pathogens. And depending on the brand, applesauce can keep in the fridge for up to a month. If you want your leftover sauce to last a little bit longer, you should consider storing it in the freezer.
Once the seal is broken, the life of applesauce will continue to shorten. Also, the longer the sauce remains in storage, the lower its quality will be by the time you want to use it. That means a can that is four months past its best-by date will not taste as fresh and flavorful as one that’s only one week after this date.
The following table illustrates the shelf life of both store-bought and homemade applesauce in different storage environments.
Applesauce | Shelf Life |
Unopened jar | Pantry: Best by date + 1 to 4 months Refrigerator: N/A |
Oneped jar | Pantry: not recommended Refrigerator: 7 to 10 days |
How To Tell If Applesauce Has Gone Bad?
If you find yourself inspecting a bottle of this deliciously sweet sauce, trying to figure out whether it has gone bad or not, there are a few ways to determine whether you should use it or toss it!
Check the appearance: Remember that excess water or liquid may pool at the top of the content of the jar, and this can be completely normal! However, if the color of the sauce seems unusual, that might be a sign of spoilage and should be tossed. If there are other signs of spoilage, such as mold, it can be harmful to consume, so avoid eating it.
Smell test: on the applesauce jar and give it a good sniff. Fresh applesauce has a sweet, mouth-watering scent. An unpleasant odor or off smell is the best indication of its spillage. If something seems off with the smell, it is likely not edible and should be tossed in the garbage or down the drain.
Taste test: If steps one and two are clear, pour a bit into a spoon and give the applesauce a taste test. Spoiled applesauce won’t taste familiar, so use common sense to determine if the taste is off. If you detect a sour taste or unusual flavor, it’s time to dump it!
Longer duration of storage than recommended: Refer to the printed best-by date to figure out whether your applesauce is safe to consume. A couple of days past this date should not be a concern, but if the sauce has been in the pantry or fridge over the periods we discussed earlier, it should not be consumed.
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How To Store The Apple Sauce?
Follow these tips for the best storage. They are as follows
- Refrigerate it: Keep the apple sauce bottle’s lid tightly sealed, or transfer to an airtight container and store it in the fridge at all times when not using it.
- Prevent moisture entry: Moisture can get collected inside the container when a temperature change occurs. Therefore, keep the temperature of the jar as consistent as possible to avoid early spoilage and always keep it out of direct sunlight.
- Use a glass jar!: For the best quality and longer shelf life, transfer the sauce from the original applesauce container (if plastic) to a glass jar.
- Avoid cross-contamination: Always be sure to use clean utensils when scooping out the applesauce from its jar. A clean spoon is a must to avoid contaminating the sauce.
- Keep it cool: Food items stored in the refrigerator door are subjected to warmer temperatures because of the frequent openings. This can decrease the shelf life. Therefore, you should store the apple sauce on a shelf and push it toward the back of the fridge so it stays fresh for a few extra days.
How To Use Leftover Applesauce?
Whether you purchase a bottle from the store or make your own recipe, applesauce can be consumed on its own or in the following ways:
- Freeze the applesauce and enjoy it as a frozen treat on a hot day!
- Applesauce is the perfect side dish to go alongside a pork loin or pork chops.
- You can add it to baked goods, such as healthy breakfast cookies.
- Try applesauce with a bowl of ice cream.
- Applesauce can also act as a fruit jam replacement and be spread on your morning toast or pancakes.
- Add a few spoonfuls of applesauce to your next bowl of oatmeal.
Can You Freeze Applesauce?
If you’re wondering whether or not it is okay to freeze applesauce, the answer is yes. Depending on what you want to do with your applesauce or when you are going to use it, it is not a bad idea to store it in the freezer. Freezing applesauce gives it the longest possible shelf life. But before you freeze your applesauce in the freezer, there are a few things that you should be aware of:
- The texture of applesauce will change during freezing. In other words, your apple sauce may turn out to be watery and mushy after you freeze it.
- Although the applesauce’s consistency may change after freezing, that does not mean it is not usable anymore. You can use frozen applesauce for baking purposes, and you won’t even notice any major change in taste or flavor after you finish baking.
Both commercially made and homemade applesauce can be frozen for up to a year. You can freeze your apple sauce in a freezer-safe bag, a resealable bag, or ice cube trays. To be on the safe side, before you freeze all of the applesauce, you may want to try a small batch of it to see if the results of freezing it will still be to your liking.
After test-freezing your applesauce, check the consistency required in the recipes you want to use it with. If you are okay with the changes after freezing, then go ahead and freeze the rest of the applesauce.
Not just this you can even know about other sauces by visiting our guide on Can Worcestershire Sauce Go Bad and resolve your questions.
FAQs on Does Applesauce Go Bad
Yes, poorly stored applesauce or one that has been left unopened can easily attract mold. Mold-contaminated applesauce will appear to have greenish, white, black, or grayish pieces of furry that won’t look tempting. Depending on the ingredients, some applesauce can even develop an orange-colored mold.
2. Is fresh applesauce supposed to be sour?
Depending on the types of apples you use, the apple sauce will be somewhere between sweet-tart and way too sour. Some apples are naturally so sweet that many applesauce batches taste perfectly sweet with no other added ingredients.
3. What is a good applesauce substitute?
Mashed bananas, pumpkin puree, or any type of veggie or fruit puree or yogurt can act as a substitute for applesauce. Each of these options offers a unique flavor of its own but will provide a similar consistency to that of applesauce.
Wrapping Up
Hope this article helped you learn about the shelf life, storage options, and going bad of applesauce. If you follow any of the above-mentioned tips to increase the shelf life of your applesauce, drop us a comment sharing your experience. Keep following our website for the best wellness content on articles like Can Hot Sauce Go Bad and others.