Yes, ketchup and other condiments do expire. Here's how long they last (2024)

There is a bottle of Newman’s Own barbecue sauce in my refrigerator that I bought about a year or so after Paul Newman died.

Unfortunately, he died in 2008.

I didn’t like Paul’s sauce(at least not as much as I like Paul’s popcorn.) ButI couldn’t quite bring myself to throw it away.

After all, what if someone came for dinner one night and said, “Do you have any Newman’s Own barbecue sauce?”

“Of course, I do,” I’d graciously reply.

So there my Newman’s Own sits, part of an army of jars and bottles that have taken over my refrigerator.

Don't hold the sauce

In addition to Paul’s sauce, which tastes like shrimp co*cktail sauce, I have, yes, shrimp co*cktail sauce. And tartar sauce. And other sauces, from many lands.

There’s my A-1’s sauce, which was invented in the UK in 1831, although I don’t think mine is that old. And my Worcestershire sauce. And my soy sauce. And my bright orange hot sauce for wings. And my dark brown Korean sauce for ribs.

And my peanut-flavored Thai sauce.

I also have a bottle of that carrot-ginger salad dressing that sushi restaurants serve.

I even bought the vinegar you need to make sushi!

(Number of times I’ve made sushi: Zero.)

Oils and vinegars

Nearby, in my pantry, I have toasted sesame oil, which is huddled up next to my canola oil, olive oil, lite olive oil and extra virgin olive oil.

And don’t even get my started on my vinegars: red wine, Balsamic, white, and apple cider.

The latter vinegar comes with with “the mother,” a cloudy mess that is supposed to be good for you.

(A vinegar’s best friend is its mother.)

Back in the fridge, I have my Hellman’s mayonnaise, which is new, and my Miracle Whip, which I used to put in the carrot and apple salad that I haven’t made for years.

For all know, my Miracle Whip is older than my Newman’s Own barbecue sauce.

The story continues below the poll.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Pickles go bad, too

I also have hot dog relish, sweet pickles, dill pickles,pickle spears and olives from every corner of the Mediterranean.

Also sweet peppers, red peppers and three jars of Jalapeño peppers.

I keep buying new jars of Jalapeño peppers because they tend to get lost in the fridge and sometimes it’s easier to buy a new jar than to stand there all day moving things around and starting a condiment avalanche.

As for food: I like chicken. I like vegetables. And I like fish and ribs and meatloaf.

Butevery time I come back from the store with actual food, I have no place to put it. And I don’t have a small fridge.

The Big Three were usurped

When I was growing up, when you said “condiment,” only three came immediately to mind: Ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise.

That’s right, kids. Life was simpler then.

But, little by little, condiment shopping became infinitely more complicated.

Today, who doesn’t have a big fat jar of salsa in their fridge? And enough salad dressings to make 500 salads?

The condiments of my childhood were generally found on a single shelf in the supermarket. Nowthey take up entire aisles.

And every shelf in my refrigerator.

The last time I bought Chinese takeout, the woman who handed me my food and held up a little packet of duck sauce.

“Do you need any sauces?” she asked.

“No,” I replied, with a laugh. “Do you?”

Tossing and guilt

I grew up in the kind of Italian home where nothing edible was ever thrown away. ButI also grew up in a home with three other people. And frequent dinner guests.

For the average family, a bottle of ketchup lasts a couple of weeks. But for a man, living alone, who only puts ketchup on his fried potatoes, a bottle of ketchup can last centuries.

Like a lot of people, I tend to lose track of all these delicacies. ButI also labor under the misconception that they can live forever, as long as they’re in the refrigerator.

Not so.

Last week, I went online and consulted a few kitchen-oriented websites. After all, why believe just one?

And the winner is...

The consensus: Hot sauce was the champ. It can last in the fridge for a whopping five years.

Ketchup, on the other hand, should be purged after six months. Mustard, relish, brined capers, most jams and jellies and pure maple syrup can stay for a year. Mayo should hit the road 2 to 3 months after its “use by” date. And salsa in jars can go bad in a month or less.

Your Worcestershire and soy sauce can survive for two years. But your horseradish should go after 3 to 4 months.

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Everything else: Check the expiration dates!

I hate saying goodbye to old friends, especiallyif there’s bending involved. ButI guess the time has come.

I always wanted to meet Paul Newman.

ButI don’t want to do it next week.