I have what some might call a hot sauce problem: There are somewhere north of 15 bottles in my house at any time. I use each one based on mood or meal—Cholula and Marie Sharp’s for eggs, a bottle of Who Dat? from a Pepper Palace in New Orleans for marinating pork chops, you get the picture. Some have been around for longer than I care to admit. They don’t all make it into the regular rotation, but I like having each one around.
Occasionally, when I used to store my hot sauce in the pantry, a bottle might get discolored or lose its heat and flavor, which is why I now have a whole shelf inside the door of my fridge dedicated to hot sauce. My Spidey senses are already tingling—I know some folks are against refrigerating hot sauce. And the truth is, most hot sauces don’t require refrigeration for safety reasons, especially if you only have a bottle or two and go through it quickly. But if you tend to keep bottled hot sauce around for more than a few months, experts say refrigerating it has benefits. To help you figure out which approach works best for you and your collection, I’ve gathered insights—and pros and cons—below.
Read the label
Most commercially produced vinegar-based hot sauces may be stored at room temperature because they feature ingredients that naturally deter bacteria and other microbes from growing, says Tracey Brigman, associate director of the National Center for Home Food Preservation. “The acidity of the vinegar and high salt content in hot sauces create conditions that Clostridium botulinum [the bacteria that causes botulism] and other bacteria do not tolerate well,” she says. Capsaicin, the compound that gives peppers their heat, is another deterrent to bacteria, and many hot sauce manufacturers use preservatives that also prevent bacterial growth. If vinegar is the first ingredient listed on your hot sauce bottle, it’s probably okay if you store that bottle at room temp. But if the manufacturer says otherwise, you should follow their advice.
When you need to refrigerate hot sauce
Andre Springer, Queen and founder of Shaquanda’s Hot Pepper Sauce, tells me that he refrigerates “anything ‘all-natural’ or anything not stabilized with vinegar or lemon juice, or artificial preservatives like sodium benzoate.” And although Springer uses some vinegar in all of his hot sauces, he says they should all go in the fridge after opening—the labels on each sauce also indicate as much. “The chances for microbial growth are slim, but I’d just rather be safe than sorry,” he says.
Brigman concurs, adding that anything that doesn’t have vinegar as one of the top ingredients likely needs to be refrigerated; oil-based hot sauces fall into this category. “Additionally," Brigman notes, "hot sauces with mango, pineapple, or some other fruit as their main ingredients may not be acidic enough to be kept at room temperature.” She also advises that products similar to hot sauce, like salsas and chutneys, should be stored in the fridge for the same reason.
Fermented hot sauces must also be kept refrigerated, especially if they contain live cultures and probiotics, Brigman says. Unless a fermented hot sauce has been pasteurized, or been made shelf-stable with vinegar or citric acid, it will continue to ferment at room temperature—that means it will continue producing gas, which could make the container overflow, break, or burst. Refrigeration slows fermentation, keeping your hot sauce right where it belongs until you’re ready to use it.
Prolong fresh flavor
Some hot sauces require refrigeration for safety reasons, but storing all of them—even the vinegar-based ones—in the fridge will help keep them fresher for longer. The USDA’s FoodKeeper app says that while hot sauce will maintain peak freshness for up to six months when stored at room temperature, it will last longer if stored in the fridge. Brigman echoes these guidelines, saying that refrigerated hot sauce typically lasts one to two years once opened.
Natural and artificial preservatives can only do so much to keep your hot sauce tasting good once you open the bottle because time, oxygen, and light all have an effect on what’s inside. Storing hot sauce at room temperature for extended periods can lead to oxidation, which can cause the color and flavor of the hot sauce to change and reduce the sauce’s fiery potency and nuance. “Some people love the way the flavor develops over time at room temp,” Springer says. “For me, I love my hot sauce tasting as fresh as possible, so I keep it in the fridge. If you’ve had hot sauce in the fridge for more than a year, throw it out. Get a fresh bottle and treat yourself!”
