Does Oyster Sauce Go Bad: Oyster sauce is one of the most loved cooking ingredients that build up the flavor in any stir fry. It is an amazing combination of caramelized Oyster juices, salt and sugar, and sometimes soy sauce. Basically, it is a dark syrup and is sweet and salty to taste.
You must have bought a bottle of oyster sauce to give a try to enhance your dishes but left it in your kitchen pantry for a long. Now you must be wondering can oyster sauce go bad, which is the whole point of you stopping by this article.
So, let’s quickly learn all the details about the shelf life of Oyster sauce and how to store it properly to prevent it from going bad for a long. Read till the end to find out.
- Does Oyster Sauce Go Out Of Date?
- Does Oyster Sauce Go Bad If Not Refrigerated?
- How To Store Oyster Sauce Properly?
- How Long Does Oyster Sauce Last?
- How To Know If Oyster Sauce Is Bad?
- Does Expired Oyster Sauce Make You Sick?
- How do you know if the oyster sauce has gone bad?
- Can I use expired oyster sauce?
- Do you refrigerate oyster sauce after opening?
- How long does oyster sauce expire?
Does Oyster Sauce Go Off?
Yes, the Oyster sauce can go bad if kept for an excessively long period of time depending upon the brand and the expiry date printed on the bottle. How you have stored your bottle of Oyster sauce also plays a major role here. Oyster sauce is made up of perishable ingredients like Oysters, spices, and sugars which will eventually expire.
However, you can extend the expiration date if you follow proper storage techniques. Sauces generally don’t come with expiry dates but come with sell-buy, use-by, or best-by dates which are approximate estimations till which your oyster sauce is supposed to retain its best quality.
Does Oyster Sauce Go Bad If Not Refrigerated?
Yes, if you are not planning to finish your bottle of Oyster sauce within the next 3 to 6 months of purchase, then refrigeration would be the best option for you to keep the sauce fresh for a pretty long time. If possible, transfer the sauce from the glass bottle to a clean plastic bottle or container to prevent any unforeseen explosion due to a chemical reaction inside the refrigerator.
You can also provide a second layer of plastic film to prevent the condensed water from contaminating the Oyster sauce and oxidizing it. One thing to note here is to make sure you refrigerate your bottle of Oyster sauce and not freeze it. Oyster sauce does not freeze due to the high content of salt in it.
When particles like chloride ions and sodium have been dissolved together in a liquid, it no longer freezes at extremely low temperatures which is also referred to as freezing point depression. Some brands of Oyster sauce originate from the soy sauce family and is fermented which also produces ethanol that reduces the freezing point.
How To Store Oyster Sauce Properly?
Pointer sauce is processed in a way that makes it shelf-stable. at the sources generally have a pretty long shelf life even though they have been opened. now let’s see some of the important storage techniques that you need to follow to keep it fresh for a long time even beyond its expiration date:
- Air-tight container – Oyster sauces typically come in a jar with a screw cap. Make sure you secure the lid to keep it sealed from outside air properly in order to keep a check on the oxidation process. Oxidation accelerates the spread of bacteria which is one of the main causes of food poisoning even when the food hasn’t reached its best use-by date.
- Cool and Dry Place – Keep your bottle of Oyster sauce in a place that is cool and dark. Try to keep it in a kitchen cabinet or pantry which is sufficiently far away from your oven, dishwasher, or chimney. Also, make sure you keep your oyster sauce away from direct sunlight. This is because bacteria grow more frequently on foods that have been exposed to temperatures within 45 to 135 degrees. This is also referred to as the temperature danger zone.
- Fridge – To keep your opened bottle of Oyster sauce fresh for an insanely long period of time even beyond its expiration date, refrigeration will be the best option.
Read Similar:
How Long Does Oyster Sauce Last? | When Does Oyster Sauce Expire
The shelf life of oyster sauce typically depends upon the brand and the ingredients that it contains. However, an unopened bottle of oyster sauce in general can last for up to a year in your kitchen cabinet and for about 18 to 24 months in the fridge.
If you are wondering Does unopened Oyster sauce go bad? Then yes, once you open the bottle, it must be stored properly to keep it fresh for 8- 10 months in the fridge. In fact, it is always recommended to use your oyster sauce within 3 to 6 months of bottling.
| Category | Pantry or Kitchen Cabinet | Fridge |
| Opened Oyster sauce | 3- 6 months | 8-10 months |
| Unopened Oyster sauce | 12 months | 18-24 months |
How To Know If Oyster Sauce Is Bad?
If you are thinking mind about, how do you know if oyster sauce is bad, then check out the below signs to know whether oyster sauce is bad or not by yourself.
- Mold – Even though the sauce is liquid, it will develop mold in oyster sauce which will be floating on the surface of the liquid and you will be able to notice that just when you open the bottle. They will appear like white flakes or cottony entities floating.
- Do not try to pour out the sauce or soup out the part of the mold and then use the rest of the sauce because your entire sauce has deteriorated now which can harm you.
- Color – The oyster sauce has a deep red color to it, but it can become darker in color due to the process of oxidation if kept for a long period of time in exposure to air and can also get stronger in flavor.
- Flavor – Though Oyster sauce is designed to be used as a condiment with other foods, if it tastes sour or bitter then it has decomposed, so throw away the bottle immediately.
- Odor – Oyster sauce smells typically has a tantalizing, fresh aroma, so if it smells bitter, putrid, or pungent then it has gone bad for sure.
- Consistency – Oyster sauces typically have a thick consistency. If you have kept your bottle of oyster sauce for a very long period of time beyond the expiration date and see that the consistency has become watery, instead of thick, then get rid of it.
Find out Does Fish Sauce Go Bad and look for the common signs of spoilage, shelf life, and tips to extend its lifespan.
Does Expired Oyster Sauce Make You Sick? | Can You Use Expired Oyster Sauce
If your oyster sauce has crossed a couple of weeks beyond the expiration date, then consuming that is not going to harm you. But, if mold has developed on it and you are already sensing an offensive smell coming out of it then you might have a problem.
Consuming expired Oyster sauce can cause diseases like food poisoning and the symptoms may vary from person to person depending upon the type of bacteria that you have been infected with. Food poisoning due to Oyster sauce has symptoms like headache, nausea, diarrhea, weakness, mild fever, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, vomiting, etc.
Though the above symptoms are not that life-threatening you may experience even worse symptoms of food poisoning that will require you to book an appointment with your healthcare provider at the earliest. These symptoms include bloody urine, diarrhea for more than 3 days, hair loss, acne, fever above 102 degrees F for more than a week, dehydration causing dry mouth and inability to keep fluids inside your body, difficulty in speaking or scene, etc.
FAQs on Does Oyster Sauce Go Bad
1. How do you know if the oyster sauce has gone bad?
To know whether your Oyster sauce has gone bad, look for signs like a pungent or putrid smell, mold floating on the surface, watery consistency instead of thick, darker color, and stronger flavor.
2. Can I use expired oyster sauce?
Consuming Oyster sauce that is a few weeks past the expiry date is Ok, but beyond that, and puts you at risk of food poisoning with symptoms like diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, etc.
3. Do you refrigerate oyster sauce after opening?
should you refrigerate oyster sauce? If you are not planning to finish your bottle of Oyster sauce within the next 3-5 months, then refrigeration is a must to help retain its best quality and safety.
4. How long does oyster sauce expire?
Oyster sauce doesn’t come with expiry dates but with best use-by dates. Beyond that unopened Oyster sauce stays good for 12 months in the kitchen pantry and 18- 24 months in the fridge. An opened bottle lasts for 3- 6 months in the kitchen pantry and 8- 10 months in the fridge.
5. Can You Freeze Oyster Sauce?
No, you cannot able to freeze the oyster sauce as it has high salt content and fermentation.
Final Thoughts
Oyster sauces are a delicious addition to any meal and do come expensive. So you would always want to not waste it and keep it fresh for the longest time possible. Hence, make sure you religiously follow all the storage techniques mentioned in this article.
If you are guilty of keeping your Oyster sauce in the pantry for too long, you must first check for any mold, weird smell or texture change before adding the sauce to your food. With this we have come to end, hope this article was helpful. Stay tuned for more such interesting articles like Does Teriyaki Sauce Go Bad.