Does Fish Sauce Go Bad: If you are somebody who prefers Asian dishes, then you must have heard about the term fish sauce. Fish sauce is a liquid amber-colored condiment made up of anchovies and is one of the staple ingredients in many Asian recipes.
The main flavoring of fish sauce is made from fermented fish and does have an extended expiration date so that we can easily consume it even after months of lying in your pantry. In this article, let’s learn more about fish sauce shelf life, and how to store it properly for the maximum time. Sounds interesting? let’s go.
- Does Fish Sauce Go Bad After The Expiration Date?
- Does Fish Sauce Go Bad In Heat?
- How To Store Fish Sauce After Opening?
- Does Fish Sauce Go Bad If Not Refrigerated?
- How Long Does Fish Sauce Last?
- How To Know If Fish Sauce Is Bad?
- How can you tell if fish sauce is bad?
- How long does fish sauce last after opening?
- Does fish sauce go bad if not refrigerated?
- Can you eat sauce past the expiration date?
Does Fish Sauce Go Bad After The Expiration Date?
Not necessarily. Fish sauce does come with a stable shelf life that is very rare to go bad due to the bulky amounts of salt in it. However, some manufacturers do add sugar, monosodium glutamate, and other preservatives to prolong its shelf life even more intended for mass consumption.
Fish sauce doesn’t come with an expiry date but comes with a best-by date. It usually lasts about a year if stored properly. Some premium companies even don’t include best-use dates on their bottles because they can last upto a year too for that matter.
Even though the fish sauce is a long-lasting condiment it also does have an expiration limit. The fish sauce may not go bad in terms of food safety but its quality is surely going to degrade. You may also notice, that its flavor is going milder, the aroma missing and the taste lacking.
Does Fish Sauce Go Bad In Heat?
Fish sauce is always recommended to be kept in kitchen places that do not get exposed to drastic temperature fluctuations. If you happen to keep your fish sauce on a shelf that gets exposed to high temperatures while cooking then your fish sauce will not rot but will probably take up a texture that will make it inedible to you, even though its quality will be okay.
You may see cloudy particles floating on the upper surface of your fish sauce. These are proteins that are formed due to the process of protein precipitation which gets triggered only when the fish sauce is getting exposed to direct heat or high temperatures in general.
Protein precipitation caused due to changes in pH or hydrophobicity alters the interactions between proteins to large, complex molecules and allows them to make bonds with salt leading to cloudy results.
How To Store Fish Sauce After Opening?
The best way to store your fish sauce is to find a suitable kitchen cabinet or pantry. After opening your fish sauce bottle store it in a cool and dry place with constant temperatures. Make sure to keep it away from humid areas of the kitchen like the dishwasher, water bottles, etc., and also avoid direct sunlight.
You must make it a habit to seal the cap of your fish sauce bottle tightly after every use to avoid the growth of bacteria and fungus. Also, after every use clean the cap at the spiel lock areas, dry it, and then put it back on the bottle. This will keep a check on mold growth and will protect your sauce from spoiling faster.
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Does Fish Sauce Go Bad If Not Refrigerated?
Yes, refrigeration is going to be the best storage option for you if you are somebody who occasionally uses fish sauce or buys it just to try new recipes once in a blue moon. Shift your fish sauce to a plastic bottle if it has come in a glass jar and keep it inside the refrigerator wrapped in a plastic film so that the other dishes in the fridge do not take up the fish sauce odor.
You can store your bottle upside down to take out any trapped air bubbles inside that can potentially dry out your sauce due to air exposure. The best way to use fish sauce is to combine it with tamarind concentrate, this will not only enhance its taste but also extend its date of expiration.
How Long Does Fish Sauce Last?
Since the condiment fish sauce doesn’t have perishable ingredients and has copious amounts of salt, it will not go bad that quickly if you leave it at room temperature for a day or a week and even sometimes a month if the weather is cold. An unopened bottle of fish sauce lasts for about 1 year past the best-by date in the pantry and 3- 4 months after opening.
However, storing it in the refrigerator will help retain its quality for real long and your fish sauce will stay good for up to 6 months to 1 year without fail. An unopened bottle of fish sauce will last for about 3-4 years inside the refrigerator. Here is a chart to make you understand better:
| Category | Pantry/ Kitchen Cabinet | Refrigerator |
| Unopened fish sauce | Best- by date + 1 year | Best- by date + 3 year |
| Opened fish sauce | 3- 6 months | 12+ months |
How To Know If Fish Sauce Is Bad?
Food sauce may experience Understanding whether the fish sauce has gone bad or not can be difficult because fish sauce exceptionally does show a few weird signs naturally with the time that doesn’t mean it has gone bad. Now, let us talk about some real signs that actually depict that your fish sauce has gone off:
- Mold – If you see mold, cotton-like fungus, or yeast developed on the bottom of the bottle, the surface of the condiment, or the neck of the bottle, then your fish sauce has totally gone off, discard immediately and clean the area where it was stored.
- Taste – If your fish sauce tastes significantly sour, then it has decomposed due to bacterial invasion.
- Smell – Fish sauce does come with a slight fish odor, but if your sauce has a significant pungent odor then there is a clear chance it has rotten.
- Texture – Look at the surface of your fish sauce. If you see solid lumps at places or water separating from the condiment, it is a sign the fish sauce has gone off.
- Different Color – Fish sauce might go brown from red with time, but if you see any other color like green or black, then it has been exposed to unforeseen chemical reactions, throw it out as it is inedible now.
Learn more about hot sauce and study Can Hot Sauce Go Bad and understand the spoilage signs, shelf life, etc.
FAQs on Does Fish Sauce Expire
1. How can you tell if fish sauce is bad?
If your fish sauce has mold or fungus developed at the bottom of the bottle, has a sour taste, smells pungent, has lumps, or is showing green in places, it has gone bad.
2. How long does fish sauce last after opening?
After opening, fish sauce last for about 3 months at room temperature without temperature fluctuations or direct sunlight and for upto 1 year inside the refrigerator is stored properly and sealed tightly after every use.
3. Does fish sauce go bad if not refrigerated?
No, the fish sauce doesn’t go bad till 4 months past the best-by date if stored properly. But past that, you need to refrigerate it to maintain its quality for a long.
4. Can you eat sauce past the expiration date?
Yes, fish sauce is pretty long-lasting due to the presence of high quantities of salt. You can consume it till 4 months past the best-by date if kept at room temperature and upto a year if kept in the fridge.
Bottom Line
A good fish sauce will have a clear reddish-brown color without or with little sediment. Its sauce may experience changes in flavor and color when it ages but that won’t affect its quality or safety. Good hygiene and food safety techniques are a must if you deal with fish sauce.
It is comparatively a longer-lasting condiment due to the presence of salt in it, but it can still go bad before or after the best-by date if proper storage is not maintained so make sure you read all the storage tips mentioned in this article. Stay tuned for useful articles like Can Tabasco Sauce Go Bad and Can Worcestershire Sauce Go Bad.