How Long Does Tapatio Last? Does it Go Bad?

If you love having spicy food, then it is not possible that you do not have Tapatio.

This is a must-have hot sauce we all store in our fridge, but as you prolong its storage, you begin to think do Tapatio go bad?

This is because the flavor and texture change because of storage.

When storing hot sauce, you should surely know about their shelf life so that you can finish the sauce before it loses its flavor.

If you find an old sauce bottle, you should check properly before consuming Tapatio.

What is Tapatio?

This is a hot sauce that is produced in California.

Mexican and American communities most commonly use the sauce.

The main ingredients that are used to make this sauce are spices, salt, acetic acid, xanthan gum, red peppers, garlic, and a preservative called sodium benzoate.

The company has been in the market since 1971 and is still a great producer.

This sauce can be paired with burgers, pizza, tacos, marinades, and much more.

The compound capsaicin present in the sauce provides many health benefits, such as pain relief.

This also helps in weight loss as the compound increases metabolism, and your fat begins to burn faster.

The sauce also reduces and slows down cancer cell growth, which helps prevent cancer.

This also includes a small amount of vitamin C that acts as an antioxidant and protects against free radicals.

How Long Does Tapatio Last? Does Tapatio Go Bad?

The company does not provide customers with a best-by date but advises them to use the sauce within two years of manufacturing.

When buying or storing Tapatio sauce, you must know how long it can be used.

When we talk about the shelf life of the sauces like Tapatio, then the life of their unopened bottles is quite long.

That is because unopened bottles are sealed and are not prone to air, heat, moisture, and light.

One can keep the unopened bottle of this sauce for up to two years.

At the same time, an opened bottle of this sauce will only last for about 3 to 6 months.

Although the sauce does not need refrigeration, it is still recommended to refrigerate them for freshness.

One can retain the quality of their sauce entirely to its shelf life by storing sauce in the fridge.

The sauce’s ingredients can quickly spoil if they are stored in the pantry as they get bacteria.

Most of the pantries are infested with bugs; therefore, you should avoid their storage in kitchen cupboards.

How to Tell if Tapatio Has Gone Bad?

• Discoloration.

For sauces, color changes are not always a bad sign, but for Tapatio, it can be, as it does not get affected when it’s fresh.

Therefore you can take a look at the sauce and see if there is any discoloration.

Do not consume sauce that has changed its color.

The bright red color of the sauce will fade and might turn off brown in color.

• Mold Growth.

You can check noticeable changes to determine if the old sauce you got is good or bad.

You need to examine the bottle and the sauce and see whether mold is present.

There will be spots of white or grey color on the surface of the sauce.

If you can see any dryness or clusters in the cap, then be sure to discard the sauce right away.

• No Flavor.

When you have checked the sauce thoroughly, and it does not have molds or discoloration, then you can have a bit of it.

The fresh sauce has a spicy and tangy taste, but as you store it, it will become less spicy and lose its flavor.

Thus if the sauce does not taste like it before then, you should avoid having it and throw it out as it has developed bacteria.

How to Store Tapatio?

• Store in a Dark and Cool Place.

When storing your hot sauce, you need to see that the place is not exposed to light.

That is because direct or excess sunlight can break down the compounds of sauce and make it bad.

Thus be sure to keep them in a cool and dark place.

When the bottle is closed, storing it in the pantry can preserve the quality of the sauce more.

• Frequently Clean the Bottle.

When you take or squeeze out the sauce from the bottle, some sauce always gets collected on the bottle’s cap, which further causes bacteria.

Thus while storing Tapatio sauce, one should clean the bottle frequently so that it does not develop bacteria.

This will help you minimize the chances of mold formation too.

• Use Airtight Jar.

If you have bought a bottle or jar of hot sauce, you are sure it’s revealed when you are not using it.

Because once the jar is opened, the original bottle cannot seal back correctly.

Thus you can transfer the sauce to an airtight jar to restrict its contact with air and moisture.

This will also resolve the issue of pests and bugs, and you can keep your sauce safe from all sorts of problems.

Conclusion

If you use the sauce daily, then be sure to close the lid of the sauce thoroughly after scooping it out.

Also, do not transfer the used sauce again the original jar, as this will transfer all the impurities to the jar, and the entire sauce will go bad.

Be sure to check the sauce before using it in your recipe; your whole recipe will go bad.