D
omestic gurus at the Good Housekeeping Institute have reopened a debate over the best place to keep tomato ketchup after recommending storing it in the fridge.
According to the organisation’s experts, once opened, both tomato and brown sauce must be kept in the refrigerator.
Alongside keeping the condiments chilled, they must be used within three months or thrown away, it is claimed.
And the same rule goes for items like mustard, BBQ and chilli sauce, according to a short guide the institute published online.
The claim comes after Asda near Clapham Junction sparked a social media row by stocking its own brand ketchup on both shelves and in fridges.
The supermarket chain tweeted: “Where do you keep your tomato ketchup? Our colleagues at Asda Clapham have joined the debate by stocking them on shelves AND in the fridge.”
It held an online poll which showed 54 per cent of the 2,674 who voted opted to keep the sauce in their cupboard.
However, according the Good Housekeeping Institute, the sauces are fine to keep in a cupboard so long as they remain unopened.
Tartare, mint, apple and cranberry sauces also need to be refrigerated after opening and have a lifespan of between one and two months.
Malt vinegar, on the other hand, can be kept in the cupboard and kept their indefinitely, the experts say.
The guide said: “We’ve all been guilty of leaving a bottle in the fridge door or at the back of a cupboard, only to find it six months later.
“This is particularly true of some of the less commonly used condiments. And one rule definitely doesn’t fit all!
“For instance, you can leave Worcestershire sauce for a year and find it’s still edible, but you’ll need to bin your apple sauce long before that.”
